What Actually Mattered This Week: One Year Since October 7th Attacks

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WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED THIS WEEK

How October 7th changed Israel and the Middle East

One year has passed since Hamas perpetrated the worst terrorist attacks since 9/11.

Where do things stand now??

Hamas is now a shell of what it was a year ago: leadership is?mostly dead, weapons are destroyed, and tunnels are sealed.

At the same time, 1.5 million Palestinians face life with no economy and unimaginable hardship.

The United States is?seen by most of the world as complicit in watching a humanitarian disaster unfold and not providing either restraint on Israel or the support effectively to help ensure that the suffering is reduced.

Netanyahu: Lebanon could face 'destruction like Gaza'

Israel’s Prime Minister said that his goals in Lebanon were to push Hezbollah back from the northern border and return 60,000 displaced Israelis to their homes.

Now, he’s saying their goal is to remove Hezbollah from power.

This is the most serious escalation from Israel since the war began.

Von der Leyen attacks Orbán’s support for Russia in fiery speech to European Parliament

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had some choice words for Hungary’s Viktor Orban, who critics argue has been cozying up to Vladimir Putin.

“Some blame this war not on the invader but on the invaded. Not on Putin’s lust for power but on Ukraine’s thirst for freedom. I want to ask them…would they ever blame the Hungarians for the soviet invasion of 1956?”

Mic drop.

Meteorologists Get Death Threats as Hurricane Milton Conspiracy Theories Thrive

FEMA head Deanne Criswell said this week that conspiracy theories around Hurricanes Helene and Milton are “absolutely the worst” she’s ever seen.

I'm old enough to remember when meteorologists weren’t politicized...

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TRUTHS, DAMNED TRUTHS, AND STATISTICS?

THE GZERO WORLD WE’RE JUST LIVING IN

THE GRAPHIC TRUTH

YOUR GZERO WORLD

As the anniversary of the Oct 7th Hamas attacks passed this week, tensions in the Middle East are reaching a boiling point. Israel has ramped up its military operations against Iran-backed forces, launching devastating airstrikes across Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen. The assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Israel’s ground offensive into Lebanon has further escalated the conflict, as has Iran sending a wave of missiles towards Israel.

On GZERO World,?I sit down with Iran's new Vice President for Strategic Affairs?Mohammad Javad Zarif?just days before the Nasrallah assassination and Iran’s response. In their conversation, Zarif delves into the far-reaching ramifications of the ongoing conflict. He says, “So the myth of Israeli invincibility is gone. And I think that's a major loss for Israel.” Zarif also speaks about what he calls Iran’s unwavering stance on its right to self-defense and its determination to not fall into Israel’s “trap.”

And with an upcoming election, Zarif weighs in on the prospects of a Harris or Trump administration and addresses accusations of Iranian meddling. Zarif notes, “I don't have any preference. But some may prefer him in Iran. Some may believe that he is more in the national interest of Iran.”

Although Iran’s new president has promised to find common ground with the West, recent events have made it clear that the geopolitical tightrope remains perilously thin. As tensions continue to flare, the world waits and asks: What is Iran's next move?

For a longer, wider-ranging version of my interview check out the GZERO World podcast.

WORLD IN 60

How is misinformation complicating disaster relief efforts in Florida?

What do Southeast Asian?leaders hope to accomplish at the ASEAN regional summit?

What do I make of reports that Trump stayed in touch with Putin after leaving office?

Find out in this week’s World in 60 Seconds!

DIG DEEPER: GZERO DAILY BY IAN BREMMER

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s economic plans, compared

Trump and Harris are running on two distinct policy agendas that, if implemented, would have significantly different macroeconomic consequences.

My latest column breaks down what impact to expect from each of the candidates’ economic plans.

Do you like what you’ve seen??Sign up for GZERO Daily by Ian Bremmer

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BECAUSE THE INTERNET

My Twitter feed all of a sudden this week:

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WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK

Lebanon: A Country in Fragments by Andrew Arsan

Lebanon has long had so many problems, such a kaleidoscope of conflicting interests, and such a deeply dysfunctional political culture that constant crisis seems inevitable. And now, as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah inflicts catastrophic harm on this benighted country, a re-read of Andrew Arsan’s remarkable biography of the place seems timelier than ever. ?

DEEP THOUGHTS

"If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit." —Banksy

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Thanks for reading!?Please subscribe to GZERO Daily for coverage of global politics. And make sure to read my latest book?The Power of Crisis?for a roadmap of this decade's great crises and how they might help us build a better world.

I am president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media and foreign affairs columnist at TIME. I currently teach at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University. You can follow me on?X, Threads,?Facebook, and?Instagram.?