A Dangerous Week For America, The Middle East Power Keg Blows Off, And The Trade Talks That Amounted To Meh

A detailed recount mixed with meme comedy to mark our times at Week 23 of 2025 featuring source material from Jentry Chau Vs The Underworld, Star Trek Lower Decks, Gundam Gquuuuuux, and Hailey’s On It

Jun 15, 2025

Middle East War Watch - The Flotilla That Didn’t Arrive In Gaza And The Strikes That Reached Tehran

As the week began, Israel warned its military would "take whatever measures are necessary" to prevent the aid yacht Madleen carrying pro-Palestine activists and humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza due to their naval blockade, with the country’s defense minister calling Greta Thunberg and other passengers onboard as “Hamas propaganda spokespeople.” On Monday, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) that operates the British ship Madleen said Israeli forces have boarded the charity ship, as Al Jazeera reported communication with the ship has been cut off from multiple sources. Soon after that, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced they had safely diverted the ship to Israel, and the passengers “are expected to return to their home countries.” Hours later, the foreign ministry reported Thunberg is “in good spirits” after detention, adding the flotilla activists were required to watch footage of the October 7 attack per the defense minister’s orders. Outside of the Gaza Strip, Israel struck Syria and claimed to have killed an alleged Hamas member. The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said that Hamas had threatened its workers, while Iran hinted they would reveal a “treasure trove” of secret Israeli documents.

By Tuesday, Israel said it had deported Greta Thunberg from Israel and was on her way to France before continuing to Sweden. A legal rights group in Israel representing Thunberg said she, two other activists, and a journalist had agreed to be deported, while others were held in detention and refused to be deported. The UK government joined four other Western governments by imposing sanctions on the far-right ultra-nationalist security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, but garnered controversy when outlets reported that the Foreign Office told staff who disagree on Gaza policy to resign. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, said the US is no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian state, noting any future Palestinian entity could be carved out of “a Muslim country” instead of letting Israel cede territory. In a bid to give assurances to President Emmanuel Macron of France, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas said Hamas needs to “hand over its weapons,” immediately release all of the hostages, and cease ruling the Gaza Strip. On the ground in Gaza, Israeli troops kill 17 Palestinians trying to reach food sites, as UN experts decried the “obliteration” of education due to war crimes targeting schools.

Israeli politics took a big shock on Wednesday as Israel’s centrist and left-leaning opposition submitted a bill to dissolve parliament and won support from two ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu’s own coalition. In the end, Netanyahu survived the vote. According to Hamas health officials, more than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. Concerning humanitarian aid, 36 Palestinians and hundreds more were injured while trying to get desperately needed aid, as the head of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation refuses to reveal who funds it. First reported by CBS News, US officials were informed Israel was fully ready to launch an operation into Iran. This comes hours after the US withdrew diplomats from Iraq amid Iran tensions, while the US military authorized the voluntary departure of troops’ dependents across the Middle East.

NBC News shared similar reports on Thursday, writing that Israel’s proposed military actions against Iran would come without US support, while Trump was trying to hammer out a new Iran deal with officials in Tehran. Things went from bad to worse when the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, found that Iran was not complying with its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years. Soon after that news broke, Iran said it would create a new uranium enrichment facility. Trump acknowledged the possibility of Israel’s military operation on Iran, saying “I don’t want them going in” and “I think it would blow” the progress made to shut down Iran’s easiest pathway to building a nuclear weapon.

By Thursday night, it happened. The Israeli Air Force conducted preemptive strikes on Iran as the defense minister, Israel Katz, announced a "special state of emergency." Iranian state media have reported that explosions were heard in the capital, Tehran. US officials told Reuters that there is no American assistance or involvement in the strikes, as we gradually learned Israel is conducting the extremely high-risk operation of targeting Iranian nuclear and missile sites across the country. Netanyahu said the strikes would continue until the threat is removed, with officials telling CNN it is “not a one-day attack.” Israel has long seen Iran’s potential to build a nuclear weapon as a threat to its existence. On a post on social media, the IDF’s English Twitter (X) account said dozens of Israeli Air Force jets "completed the first stage" of the attack, adding “Israel has no choice but to act” to protect its citizens Iran has temporarily closed its airspace over Tehran, as it scrambled to put jets in the air to deter the attacks. In the markets, oil prices jumped more than 10% in response to the attacks. As the dust began to settle a bit on “Operation Rising Lion,” Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Hossein Salami, top advisor Ali Shamkhani, and Army chief Mohammad Bagheri were killed in an Israeli targeted strike. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Israel will receive "harsh punishment" following the attack and proclaimed, "The Zionist regime (Israel) unleashed its wicked and bloody hand in a crime against Iran this morning and revealed its vile nature. With this attack, the Zionist regime has prepared a bitter fate for itself, which it will definitely receive.” In response, Iran launched 100 drones into Israeli territory, calling Israel’s actions a “declaration of war.”

By Friday, Israeli security officials told the AP that the country’s famous spy agency, the Mossad, had smuggled weapons into Iran before the attack. On Truth Social, Trump posted Iran has to make a nuclear deal now before it is too late, writing, "There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!" As Israel said they have planned out 14 days of operations, Trump told the WSJ he and his team were read in on Israel’s plans to attack Iran, and Axios that Trump tells Axios that Israeli strikes could help him get the Iran deal he so desperately wants. More broadly, the US shifted its military resources in the Middle East in response to the Israel strikes and a possible Iran attack, UK PM Keir Starmer called for de-escalation and said the country has “grave concerns” over Iran’s nuclear program, while the Dow plunged by more than 700 points by the end of Friday.

Continuing its retaliation against Israel, Iran launched two rounds of ballistic missiles at Israel on Saturday midnight, with around 100 in total. Some of the missiles struck Tel Aviv as sirens were triggered across Israel. The AP reported that the US military was helping intercept missiles fired by Iran, indicating the first US involvement in the escalating conflict. According to Iran’s UN Representative, the ongoing Israeli attacks have killed 78 people and wounded over 320 more, including civilians and children. Iran’s government noted Israel has derailed the path of diplomacy and has officially pulled out of nuclear talks with the US. One (slightly) positive thing that the Iran-Israel conflict has led to is Voice of America bringing back 50 staffers to report on the situation, given that many VOA reporters are in limbo or fired due to Trump’s DOGE cuts. By morning, Iran launched another round of strikes into Israel that injured more people and killed one Israeli citizen. Fearing Iranian retaliation, Israel closed its embassies worldwide. Israel’s defense minister threatened, “Tehran will burn” if Iran continues to fire missiles into Israeli territory. Later in the day, Israel bombarded several oil facilities while Iran continued to launch missiles at Israeli targets. As countries around the world condemned and expressed hopes to de-escalate the already flaming conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Iran without irony, before holding a phone call with US President Donald Trump to discuss such matters.

Pouring gasoline on the fire, Sunday saw Trump issuing his warning to Iran, saying on Truth Social, “If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before.” Israel warned residents in Tehran to stay away from weapons production facilities, as Iranian strikes killed at least 13 more people in overnight attacks. An Israeli military official said Israel still has a large list of targets it plans to hit in Iran, but refuses to say how long the strikes will continue. According to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group, Israeli strikes in Iran had killed at least 406 people and wounded 654 more. We also learned Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran's supreme leader, which follows Netanyahu’s interview on Fox News, where he neither directly confirmed nor denied the initial Reuters report about the proposed assassination attempt.

The Trump Show: Series 2 - Trump's Military Parade And Riot Power Grabs

Before Monday, the situation in Los Angeles had only worsened. Last Sunday, thousands of protestors gathered in downtown LA in response to Trump’s extraordinary decision to deploy the National Guard. Some protestors set Waymo’s autonomous vehicles on fire and blocked off a major freeway, while police used tear gas and rubber bullets to control the crowd. One of the more harrowing instances was footage clearly showing police shooting a nonlethal round at Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi, a 9News correspondent, leading to someone shouting, “You just shot the f**king journalist.” By midnight on Monday, the LAPD announced another protest outside the Metropolitan Detention Center was “unlawful.” It quickly escalated, with downtown LA declaring it an “unlawful assembly.” After Border Czar Tom Homan threatened to arrest Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, Newsom responded by saying, “So, Tom, arrest me. Let's go." Meanwhile, Newsom said California would sue Trump over deploying the National Guard, which was followed hours later with the California government actually doing so. When asked about Newsom’s provocation of getting arrested, Trump said, “I would do it if I were Tom, I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity.“I like Gavin Newsom, he’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent.” One of the people arrested is union leader David Huerta, who was later released on bail. Further escalating the situation, the Pentagon sent 700 Marines to protect federal property and personnel, while Newsom was informed that Trump sent 2000 more National Guard troops. Outside of the LA protests that didn’t affect the vast majority of the city’s population, RFK Jr removed all members of the CDC panel advising the US on vaccines in an unprecedented move.

Tuesday saw the Trump regime justifying the politicization of the armed forces, while scholars warned that the president’s use of dubious emergencies is a bid to amass power for the executive. During a heated congressional hearing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the president is right to send troops to quell the LA situation because “we ought to be able to enforce immigration law in this country.” Hours later during a speech at Fort Bragg, the president announced plans to restore the names of Army bases named for Confederate leaders, publically name-shamed Newsom and Karen Bass, said his big military parade is on Sunday even though it’s on Saturday, and threatened protestors who want to protest at the Washington military parade would be met with “heavy force.” This came as both Trump and White House deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller have called the protests a “migrant invasion” and “insurrection,” while former Trump advisor Steve Bannon says Trump should "double down" on ICE raids after LA protests. As Newsom asked a court to block the Trump administration from using troops in immigration raids, the Pentagon estimated the deployment would likely cost $134 million. While National Guard troops are protecting ICE agents while arresting civilians, the Trump regime considers slashing federal education money for California as punishment. By night, LA Mayor Karen Bass imposed a curfew in downtown LA from 8 pm to 8 am in fear of looting. Some were arrested for breaking the curfew that night. First covered by MeidasTouch, Gavin Newsom said in a late-night speech to Californians that “Democracy is under assault right before our eyes - the moment we’ve feared has arrived.” In a broader perspective, it is part of the Trump regime’s rapidly escalating bid to deport anyone that they see as “illegal,” from the fact that some arrested in last weekend’s California ICE raids were already deported, to the DOJ seeking to pause a ruling that orders due process for deported Venezuelans, the DHS’s orders to mobilize 20,000 National Guardsmen to hunt and transport immigrants, and Trump wanting to ramp up transfers to Gitmo. One of the individuals detained by ICE is TikTok influencer Khaby Lame, whose departure from the US on Tuesday was followed by pro-Trump influencer Bo Loudon taking credit for the news. In other depressing headlines, Representative LaMonica McIver was indicted on federal charges from skirmish at a New Jersey immigration center, DNI Tulsi Gabbard claimed the world is “closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before” in an ominous social media video, the DOJ said Trump can completely abolish national monuments and protected areas established by former presidents, Trump claimed governors should be able to handle disasters without FEMA, while the White House proposes axing the 988 suicide hotline services for LGBTQ youth that have received more than 1.2 million contacts since it began in 2022. It was also a bad day for press freedom in the US, Terry Moran was fired from ABC News claiming his post that criticized Stephen Miller was a “clear violation” of its policies but was seen by outsiders as another capitulation to the Trump regime, reporters were shot and roughed up when covering the LA riots, and the Associated Press has asked for a full appeals court hearing on access to Trump administration events after an appeals court allowed Trump to restrict the outlet’s access.

As protests continue not just in LA, but in places like Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said he’ll deploy the National Guard to locations across the state “to ensure peace and order.” The commander in charge said 500 National Guard troops in LA are trained to accompany agents on immigration raids, but later corrected to the AP that they have not detained civilians. Saying they “went too far,” Elon Musk admitted on Wednesday that he “regrets” some of his posts on Trump last week. It comes as the WSJ reported Vice President JD Vance and WH Chief of Staff Susie Wiles pushed Elon Musk to repair his relationship and had privately called Trump before the Twitter (X) post. In a bit of utter irony, Trump visited the new MAGA-fied Kennedy Center to watch Les Misérables, a play about a mass uprising against a tyrannical king. RFK Jr appointed eight new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices after he ousted every member earlier this week. The new members include a longtime member of the nation's oldest anti-vaccine group and at least two critics of coronavirus vaccines. On foreign policy, the Pentagon ordered a review of the AUKUS submarine deal with the UK and Australia, throwing the security pact into doubt amid a rising China in the Indo-Pacific region. The dozen board members of the prestigious Fulbright program, which promotes international educational exchanges, have told the State Department they are resigning over Trump’s policies. In other news, a judge ruled the US cannot hold or deport Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil as NBC reported how ICE rejected the student activist’s request to be detained closer to his newborn son, the Democratic National Committee kicked out David Hogg and Malcom Kenyata from national party posts after months of turmoil over primarying ineffective Democratic candidates, an appeals court will take the case on whether the Supreme Court’s immunity decision can wipe out Trump’s conviction in the hush money case in 2024, and Trump plans to revoke Biden's climate rule on power plants.

During DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference, California’s Democratic Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed after being tackled and handcuffed by officers with FBI-identifying vests after he interrupted it with a question. The interaction received much backlash on social media and in Democratic circles, condemning the arrest and altercation against a senator who just wants to ask questions. Hours later, a federal judge ordered Trump to revert control of the National Guard to California and Governor Newsom, deeming the president’s act illegal. However, that was followed by an appeals court ruling that Trump can keep the National Guard in LA. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth won’t commit to obeying courts on Marines in Los Angeles when asked by reporters, claiming, “What I can say is we should not have local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country.” Further punishing California, Trump signed joint resolutions of Congress blocking the state from phasing out gasoline-powered vehicles. In the employment front, the former Missouri congressman who once sought to abolish the IRS was confirmed as the agency's commissioner, while the head of FEMA’s disaster command center quit after Trump said he would phase out the agency and let states fend for themselves. House Republicans voted for a rescission package that would claw back $9.4 billion in funding for foreign aid, NPR, and PBS. On immigration, as the Russian scientist Kseniia Petrova was finally freed on bail after four months in federal custody, 43 immigration detainees were shipped to Guantánamo Bay.

A federal judge blocks Trump’s attempt to overhaul elections in the US, siding with a group of Democratic state attorneys general against a March 25 executive order that would have required proof of citizenship for voting. Hours later, Trump was dealt another loss as an appeals court rejected the convicted felon’s bid to overturn the verdict in the civil E. Jean Carroll case, while a judge blocked the State Department from carrying out its layoff plans. On immigration, the Trump administration gave personal data of immigrant Medicaid enrollees to deportation officials, Kilmar Abrego Garcia pled not guilty to human smuggling charges a week after he was sent back from El Salvador, a judge ruled the Trump regime can still detain Mahmoud Khalil, and four people detained at a Newark immigration facility have escaped. Concerning other headlines, national parks were told to delete any “negative” information that “disparages Americans,” New York Mayor Democratic primary candidates Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander cross-endorsed each other in hopes of defeating mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, and the National Portrait Gallery director stepped down following Trump threat to fire her weeks ago.

Saturday was a big test for American democracy, both in Washington and across the country. Starting with Washington, DC, Trump’s military parade to celebrate Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the US Army took place, coinciding with the current president’s 79th birthday. In an unprecedented event, thousands of marching soldiers, dozens of helicopters, and hundreds of military vehicles paraded through the country’s capital. Bear in mind, Trump wanted to do a military parade during his first term but was blocked by his generals at the time, and note that the current president dodged the Vietnam draft because his father’s podiatrist, who lived in Trump Tower, said Donald had bone spurs so he cannot be in the military. In a bit of divine irony, it seemed like thunderstorms might stop the military parade, literally raining on the parade! On the other side, the “No Kings” protests were held in over 2,000 cities following a week of anger and discontent over Trump’s actions in LA and encroaching authoritarianism by his administration. The nationwide day of action was first held in April. Still, interest has soared recently, with protest organizer Ezra Levin saying individuals in 200 more cities have signed up to host No Kings events just this week. At least tens of thousands of protestors gathered for the No Kings protests against the Trump administration, including celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, Ayo Edebiri, Kerry Washington, Glenn Close, Anna Kendrick, Gina Rodriguez-LoCicero, and Tessa Thompson. However, the protests were shadowed by the tragic and “politically motivated” assassinations of two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota. An assailant allegedly impersonating a police officer killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. The assailant also shot Minnesota Democratic state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. A manhunt was underway for the 57-year-old suspect, Vance Luther Boelter. Police found a manifesto identifying "many lawmakers and other officials” during a vehicle search, targeting prominent individuals who support abortion rights in Minnesota and Democratic politicians like Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The No Kings protest in Minnesota had to be cancelled, as fliers for the protest were found in the suspect’s car. In Virginia, a man was arrested for intentionally driving an SUV into protestors, striking at least one person. Concerning Trump’s military parade, long story short, military equipment and soldiers paraded across Washington in front of bored diplomatic and security leaders while actual wars were going on outside of the US and tensions were flaring in LA. Oh, by the way, way fewer people attended the military parade! Outside of the spectacle of parades and protests, we learned from Trump’s 2024 calendar year financial disclosure form that he earned more than $600 million in income from crypto, golf clubs, licensing, and other ventures, while the Washington Post reported the Trump administration is considering adding 36 countries to its travel ban list.

Trade Off - A Meh Deal

In London, Chinese and US representatives met on Monday for a new round of trade talks, in the first meeting of the China-US economic trade consultation. Before the meeting, China released its May export figures, which showed growth missing expectations in May, despite a temporary trade truce with the US that month. After six hours of talks, both sides said the meetings would continue on Tuesday, with Trump saying he had received “good reports” from London.

As Chinese and US officials continued talks on Tuesday, the World Bank sharply downgraded its forecast for global economic growth, citing the trade wars without mentioning Trump. The World Bank predicted that the US economy would grow half as fast this year as it did in 2024, falling from 2.8% to 1.4%. By the end of the second day of talks, negotiations were going well and eventually led to a breakthrough. China’s top trade negotiator Li Chenggang told reporters that “The two sides agreed in principle a framework for implementing the consensus” based on the Geneva agreement last month and what Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had said. Each side will bring the framework to their respective countries’ leaders for review, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said they will head back to Washington to make sure Trump approves it. Back in the US, a federal appellate court keeps most of Trump's tariffs in place for now.

On Wednesday, we learned from Trump that the agreed-upon deal includes provisions that China would provide the US with the full necessary supplies of rare earth materials, and also permit visas for Chinese students. Trump said it was a done deal pending confirmation by President Xi, the US leader, who added that Chinese goods would now face 55% tariffs. On the Chinese side, Beijing put a six-month limit on rare earth export licenses for US automakers and manufacturers. Getting another tariff synapse in his brain, Trump plans to send letters to trading partners in the next one to two weeks, setting unilateral tariff rates ahead of a July 9 deadline. Meanwhile, US inflation rose by 0.1% in May from the prior month, less than expected. In Beijing, China led African nations in a statement opposing Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs.

Because I’m Too Busy For Memeing: Some Other Important News From The Rest Of The World

Dateline Hong Kong:

On Tuesday, the city invoked national security laws to ban a video game for the first time. Hong Kong police warned residents from downloading the app Reversed Front: Bonfire, and those who have already downloaded it must uninstall it immediately, saying those who did would risk breaking the Beijing-imposed 2020 National Security Law for possessing a seditious publication. Police said the game promotes secessionist agendas, advocates “armed revolution,” provokes “hatred towards the Central Authorities and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,” and the overthrow of the “fundamental system of the People’s Republic of China.” According to the game, created by Taiwanese developers ESC Taiwan, players can "pledge allegiance" to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet, or Uyghurs, among other options, "to overthrow the Communist regime."

In a case of the Streisand effect, Google searches of the “secessionist” game surged after the police announcement, and the app temporarily topped the Apple App Store download chart on Tuesday evening. Embracing the ban news, ESC Taiwan wrote in a post that the game had been "introduced to the entire Hong Kong" as a result of the news and thanked the government for “borrowing arrows,” a reference to Chinese folklore. By Wednesday, both the Apple App Store and Google Play had taken down the game.

Dateline Kyiv, Ukraine:

Ukrainian authorities report that Russia launched its largest drone assault of the war, with the Russians deploying more than 500 drones to attack Kyiv and Odessa. Meanwhile, Ukraine targeted a Russian drone factory, while NATO chief Mark Rutte called on the alliance to make a “quantum leap in our collective defense” and told those unwilling to make unpopular budget decisions to “learn to speak Russian.” On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the government will hit the 2% NATO spending target this fiscal year, five years earlier than promised. During a testy exchange between former Senate leader Mitch McConnell and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, McConnell said the US reputation is at stake in Ukraine and asked, “Will we defend democratic allies against authoritarian aggressors?” Over the weekend, Ukraine held its first-of-a-kind war crimes trial as a Russian soldier took the stand for an alleged battlefield execution.

Dateline Rome, Italy:

An Italian referendum that sought to make it easier for foreigners to apply for citizenship failed to come to fruition as the turnout rate did not meet the requirement for it to be passed. Only around 30 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot, below the requirement of 50% plus one person required for a referendum to be valid. The vote lasted from last Sunday to this Monday, with labor rights also included in the referendum. If it had succeeded, foreigners could have applied for citizenship after living in Italy for five years instead of ten. The vote results came as a huge relief for PM Giorgia Meloni, who vocally opposed the referendum.

Dateline Warsaw, Poland:

Polish PM Donald Tusk survived a vote of confidence in the Polish parliament on Wednesday, a week after the victory of nationalist and Eurosceptic Karol Nawrocki won the presidential race. Tusk won with 243 votes in favor and 210 against, and the victory was not unexpected as the center-left figure wants to reorient its political agenda as it faces more political gridlock under the new president.