How will Israel’s conflict with Iran play out? Only a brave person, or perhaps a weekly news magazine, would try to foresee the outcomes of a war in which the contours have shifted almost by the hour.
After the United States bombed Iran’s key nuclear facilities last weekend – and Tehran responded with a choreographed missile attack on a US base in Qatar – Donald Trump declared a ceasefire, clearly hoping that would be the end of it. Initially at least, Iran and Israel appeared not to have got the memo, provoking a sweary outburst from the US president on the White House lawn. But as of Wednesday, a fragile truce appeared to be holding (follow our latest coverage here).
Many observers agree that Trump’s intervention is a huge risk with potentially widespread consequences. As Patrick Wintour writes this week, the US president has gambled on his bunker-busting bombs destroying Iran’s nuclear capability and delivering a quick win. But initial Pentagon assessments suggest the damage may not have been as severe as hoped. Equally the outcomes of, say, the regime in Tehran collapsing – a long-held objective of Israel – would be profound and unknowable.
Julian Borger takes up the story of how the US was drawn into Israel’s war with Tehran and how it pulled off a remarkable, top-secret operation. And in another excellent commentary, Nesrine Malik laments an impotent western liberal political establishment that makes appeals for cool heads and diplomacy, but is entirely incapable of addressing the problem, namely its own lack of a moral compass or care for the norms it claims to uphold.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
Spotlight | Russia surpasses 1 million casualties in Ukraine war
As the grim tally of Moscow’s invasion is reached, an expansive propaganda campaign and state payouts are keeping grieving relatives onside. Pjotr Sauer reports
Science | A bug’s life: small ways to make a big change
Insect species are under threat around the world but there are simple, science-backed actions we can all take to stem their decline. Tess McClure and Patrick Greenfield find out how
Feature | The mommas and the poppas
Italian-style late family meals, bed-sharing like the Germans, breaking down gender stereotypes the Icelandic way … f ive Guardian writers try f ive dif ferent European parenting styles. Will they make it out unscathed?
Opinion | From LA to London, the populist right hates our cities
Once a conservative stronghold; Los Angeles is now occupied by the military. Liberal cities have become targets for politicians looking to stir up voters elsewhere, argues Andy Beckett
Culture | Danny Boyle on risks, regrets and returning to the undead
In 28 Years Later, zombies maraud over a Britain broken by more than Brexit. Its director talks to Xan Brooks about cultural baggage, catastrophising – and why his kids’ generation is an ‘upgrade’
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What else we’ve been reading
• As a new(ish) mum, I liked Morwenna Ferrier’s piece on abandoning perfection in favour of “good enough” parenting. My social media feed is now full of “mom-fluencers” and “trad-wives”, unintentionally or intentionally making me feel bad about my parenting choices, and this piece was a healthy reminder that these people are mostly just very good marketeers. Jade Lovitt, Guardian Weekly business manager
• With no rival men’s football to speak of this northern hemisphere summer (sorry, lamentable Fifa Club World Cup), the Women’s Euros will take centre stage when the tournament kicks off in Switzerland next week. Follow all our coverage here, including comprehensive team-by-team guides from the Guardian Experts Network. Graham Snowdon, editor
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Other highlights from the Guardian website
• Audio | Can a revolutionary new telescope solve the mystery of planet nine?
• Video | How the earth shook for nine days and nobody knew why
• Gallery | The 2025 summer solstice at Stonehenge
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