Middle East and North Africa

FP’s guide to the 2026 tournament

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report, where Rishi is back in the hot seat just in time for the start of the World Cup.

On that note, here’s what’s on tap for the day: Trump’s Iran-World Cup-UFC whiplash, new sanctions on Russia and Iran, and the Taiwan opposition leader’s visit to Washington. 

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report, where Rishi is back in the hot seat just in time for the start of the World Cup.

On that note, here’s what’s on tap for the day: Trump’s Iran-World Cup-UFC whiplash, new sanctions on Russia and Iran, and the Taiwan opposition leader’s visit to Washington. 

U.S. President Donald Trump this week conducted fresh strikes on Iran and threatened to restart his full-scale war in the Middle East before abruptly backing down on Thursday. But if you looked at the White House right now, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the president might not be laser-focused on foreign affairs.

The U.S. capital is preparing for an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match on the White House’s South Lawn this Sunday, which is Trump’s 80th birthday. A massive arena containing the fight cage now towers over the president’s residence, and most of the surrounding streets are closed to vehicular traffic going into the weekend. Motorcycle stuntman Travis Pastrana will be doing a backflip on his dirt bike at the White House on Saturday as an amuse-bouche.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada, also begins today, with participation by soccer teams from 47 countries and fans and officials from many more. Over the next month, matches will take place in 11 metro areas across the United States alone (compared to just three in Mexico and two in Canada).

Trump is juggling those two major events while simultaneously trying to end his war against Iran, which is now in its 15th week. It would be a lot for any president to deal with, let alone one with a notoriously short attention span.

Iran whiplash, again. The U.S. president spent Thursday morning telegraphing a massive escalation against Iran after a weekslong cease-fire was undone by the (possibly accidental) downing of a U.S. military helicopter. “The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT,” he posted on Truth Social, also threatening to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil refining hub, “at some point in the not too distant future.”

U.S. forces struck several Iranian targets on Tuesday and Wednesday in retaliation for the downed helicopter, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated the threat of further violence during a visit to U.S. Central Command on Wednesday. “If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs,” he said.

But in a Truth Social post on Thursday........

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