Newsweek is reporting on the ongoing war with Iran, six months after President Donald Trump launched it. It said Iranian leaders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, are showing signs of fatigue, with Pezeshkian stating the war's continuation would be detrimental to the country, the region and the world. Iran's foreign minister suggested diplomacy is possible, but The Wall Street Journal reported Trump is no longer interested in the June framework deal. Newsweek said the U.S. has launched new "Economic D-Day" financial measures against Iran, adding to existing sanctions and a shipping blockade. It noted Iran is suffering significantly more than the U.S., with high inflation and a falling currency, and its leverage, like closing the Strait of Hormuz, has faded. Oil exports from Gulf countries are down, but other routes are being explored.
Separately, Newsweek is reporting that Elon Musk's X shut down a suspected Chinese "bot farm" that aimed to deepen U.S. divisions over the cost of the AI boom and data centers. It suggested China's propaganda army likely has its next U.S. target in sight.
Newsweek also reported that the CIA director's visit to Russia followed U.S. officials' assessment that Russia could launch a "limited" attack on NATO's eastern European edge as soon as this fall. It said speculation is high regarding what such an attack might entail.
On natural disasters, Newsweek is reporting on catastrophic flooding on the border between Nepal and China, where more than 1,500 people are missing and 470 are confirmed dead. It said geomorphologists attributed the disaster to a glacier's bedrock collapsing, sending ice and boulders into the valley, and warned of a possible new flood from a barrier lake.
Finally, Newsweek is reporting that a gaffe by President Donald Trump, where he mistakenly referred to taking over Iceland instead of Greenland, may have pushed Iceland toward considering European Union membership. It said a vote on Saturday will determine whether to restart talks with the EU, with Iceland weighing economic benefits against maintaining control of its natural resources and independence.