Israel struck military targets and a petrochemical plant in Iran on Monday, defying pressure from US President Donald Trump not to respond to a wave of ballistic missile attacks by the Islamic Republic on Sunday night. The exchange marked the first direct confrontation between Israel and Iran since a ceasefire took effect in April.
Iran and Israel then announced today that they’d halt…
Over 700 women die each day around the world from complications during pregnancy and childbirth, according to data from the World Health Organization and a group of UN agencies. The world has made undeniable progress over the last two decades in lowering the maternal mortality ratio, which is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births during a given period. But as our Graphic Truth…
Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to China this week to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping. Under the leadership of these two men, who have met dozens of times, Russia and China have forged what they call a “no limits” partnership. Russia is a major source of natural resources for China, while Beijing has helped Moscow weather increasingly harsh Western sanctions and technology…
Will the US and Iran reach a nuclear deal before 2027? Will the Cuban regime fall this year? Will France win the World Cup?
These questions are generating up to millions of dollars today on prediction markets — platforms where people wager on the outcomes of real-world events. If you’re right, you profit. If you’re wrong, you lose your stake. “Contracts,” or wagers, can be as cheap as $0.01,…
As missiles fly and oil prices soar, the Iran war is exposing another major resource vulnerability in the Middle East: water. Drinking water has been a scarce commodity in a region defined by a dry climate and low rainfall, but attacks on the region’s desalination plants, which convert seawater into potable water, threaten to open a new front.
At least two desalination plants have been…
There’s a striking gap in how Americans and Israelis view the US-Israeli war on Iran. Polling done by the Israel Democracy Institute showed the attacks have overwhelming support among Israelis. A separate poll done by NPR/PBS News/Marist revealed a barely a third of Americans back them. That disparity matters strategically for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ,**** particularly…
The US and Israel have weapons and defense systems that are far more sophisticated than Iran’s. Precision missiles. Advanced radar. Missile defense systems stacked on top of each other. The plan going into Iran was simple: hit hard and fast, destroy Tehran’s military, and force the regime to fold before the fight dragged on.
But the conflict is still unfolding, as Iran relies on its…
Shipping in the world’s most crucial oil chokepoint has nearly ground to a halt after at least four tankers were targeted in Iran’s retaliation to US and Israeli strikes on Saturday. Tehran also hit oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Monday, raising the prospects that conflict cripples the global flow of oil.
Roughly 21 million barrels of oil – about 20% of the world’s…
Does skepticism rule the day in politics? Public opinion data collected as part of the Munich Security Conference’s annual report found that large shares of respondents in G7 and several BRICS countries believed their governments’ policies would leave future generations worse off. That sentiment was especially pronounced among citizens in France, the United Kingdom, and Germany where…
Every year, the Munich Security Conference, the world’s leading forum on international security, releases data that sheds light on how citizens view global risks. In this year’s report, respondents in 11 countries assessed the severity of 32 risks between November 2024 and November 2025. One risk rose the most across virtually all G7 countries and several others: the United States.
The trend…
The US government reportedly plans to fund MAGA-aligned groups in Europe. The stated aim is to oppose European laws on online speech. However, if the money is also used to boost right-wing political parties in Europe, as it allegedly will, then there’s a flaw in the strategy: US President Donald Trump isn’t too popular in Europe, as this Graphic Truth shows. Right-wing groups in Europe…
This week, India agreed to stop importing Russian oil amid US pressure. However, that may be easier said than done. In January, India imported approximately 1.2 million barrels of Russian crude oil __every day__. That’s the equivalent of 76 Olympic-sized swimming pools. If they follow through, India’s withdrawal could make a major dent in Russia’s already struggling economy.