Your Daily US Foreign Policy Briefing

US Intensifies Diplomatic Pressure on Russia Amid Iran War's Six-Month Mark, Faces China's Sanctions Resistance

• CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently warned Russia against attacking NATO during a Moscow trip, as U.S. intelligence suggests Russia views the U.S. as weakened by the Iran war. This perceived U.S. vulnerability could embolden Moscow in Europe.

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• The U.S. Justice Department is activating a civil-war-era maritime war court to capture Iranian oil tankers, a novel tactic to strengthen the blockade. Concurrently, Qatar mediates talks with Iran, which proposes a temporary Strait of Hormuz shipping route if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade.

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• Six months into the U.S.-Iran war, a "beyond critical" shortfall of advanced missile interceptors in Europe raises NATO vulnerability concerns. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's Iran "economic asphyxiation" plan also faces resistance from China, straining U.S.-Beijing relations.

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