Israel foils Iran’s attack. What’s next?

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Hello from London,

So Iran has launched its retaliation against Israel. It amounts, we’ve observed, to the opposite of shock and awe. Yes, it was unprecedented for hundreds of slow-moving drones, as well as faster missiles, to fly towards Israel directly from Iranian soil. But the vast majority of them were easily shot from the sky, by Israeli forces or their allies or neighbours. So far, it appears, not a single person has died as a result.

Perhaps Binyamin Netanyahu will feel the need, in turn, to respond to this. I hope not. Iran’s leaders, despite posturing intended for a domestic audience, have signalled they want the direct exchanges to stop here. Israel’s own act, earlier this month, when it bombed an Iranian consulate in Damascus and killed a top Iranian general, was a grave blow but also a provocative one. America and other allies who helped to defend Israel this weekend want no wider regional war.

We have launched a newsletter, Middle East Dispatch, where we will bring together our best coverage of this complex and consequential region. You can sign-up here.

Back in America, there will soon be more evidence of how courtroom dramas can become captivating national stories. That was true of the murder trial of O.J. Simpson, nearly three decades ago, when 150m viewers tuned in. After his death, we published a reflection on what that trial meant for the rise of conspiracies and post-truth politics in America.

Now comes the first criminal trial, ever, of a former US president. The proceedings against Donald Trump, over his hush-money payments to a former porn star, Stormy Daniels, could run for two months. We’ll have a reporter in the courtroom. Our correspondent expects the political consequences to be limited. The case, he suggests, will lean towards “a seedy burlesque, with a bit of farce”: the conduct at issue is really the “filth and muck of politics”. Read his preview now. Will it have much impact on the contest for America’s presidency? Bookmark our constantly updated poll tracker, to see how the race plays out in the coming weeks of the trial and months beyond.

Dateline, our weekly history quiz, is live. The five questions this week are challenging but should all be gettable, by my reckoning. Let me know how you get on.

We have also published a fascinating new piece on the ever-topical world of generative AI. This one tackles an issue that many users of the extraordinary new AI tools may never think about. Writers, publishers and others in the business of producing online “content”, however, brood on it a lot: copyright. The article raises an intriguing question: is the entire business built on theft?

Finally, I encourage you to read our superb new article about RFK junior. Last week I asked for your views of the man. Quite a few readers sounded indignant after I pointed out his fondness for various conspiracy theories (consider his views on the CIA, for starters, then his ideas about vaccines), but most of you agreed that this particular Kennedy is a deeply unwelcome presence in the race. My favourite comment came from Cliff Crain, in Garden City, NY: “Why not give voters the option of another elderly white guy with crackpot theories? The gerontocracy is alive and kicking.”

For next week I’d welcome your predictions for Mr Trump’s trial. Will the legal saga over the coming weeks help to boost the former president’s electoral chances or hinder them, and why? Write to me at [email protected].

Adam Roberts, digital editor

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