Still no certainty on Iran, if you can believe
In today's edition:
The Iran conflict continues to move fast. At the start of my writing of this edition of the newsletter, the lead item on The Post's homepage was about the Iran-Israel truce; now, it's about the violation of the Iran-Israel truce.
George Will's headline is therefore judicious: 'But then what?' This is the evergreen question of foreign policy, and it's especially relevant now after the United States jumped into commitments far bigger than what it can know them to be. As George writes, 'It will be a major surprise if there is only a negligible surprise from Iran.'
Emily Harding, a former Iran director at the National Security Council, works through three of the more worrisome scenarios that might unfold: 1) The strikes didn't work, and Iran sprints toward a bomb; 2) Iran launches a broad missile counterstrike on U.S. bases in the region or even into Europe; or 3) Iran throttles the world's oil supply.
Granted, Harding thinks each of these is 'low-probability' — and that the strike was therefore the right call.
Plenty of observers have agreed on the right call part but have argued the execution was wrong, saying that it was unconstitutional for President Donald Trump to order the strike without congressional approval. But law professors Geoffrey Corn, Claire Finkelstein and Orde Kittrie write that Trump did have the authority to act unilaterally — just like the presidents before him who ordered the military to do something big to protect U.S. interests that was just small enough to not quite count as 'war.'
From American Federation of Government Employees leaders Sheria Smith and Brittany Coleman's essay on how this legal limbo created by Trump serves neither taxpayers who are wasting money nor education staff who are eager to serve the public.
So far, more than $21 million has been spent on these workers — to, as the authors write, 'silence us and strip people of the aid they rely on.' They suggest that the legal saga is not anywhere close to being done, either.
So here we are, stuck in this mess because — surprise, surprise — 'the 'move fast, break things' motto praised by tech billionaires and powerful corporations does not work in government,' Smith and Coleman write, 'and it does not save money.'
Chaser: While Americans are paying for no benefits from these federal workers, Spain is not paying and still receiving plenty of benefits from NATO. The Editorial Board has a problem with that.
Bonus chaser: And speaking of tech billionaires, another piece from the board provides an autopsy of Elon Musk's government ambitions.
As your evenhanded concierge to this Opinions section, I don't have favorite contributors, but if I did — actually, you know, I do have favorite contributors, and one of them is Tove Danovich, whose animal-focused dispatches always delight.
Her latest is on 'bird banding,' the tagging of birds that has been going on for over a century, and on all that we stand to lose if the preservation program gets defunded. First, though, she shares some lovely stories — and breathtaking photos — of owls.
It's a goodbye. It's a haiku. It's … The Bye-Ku.
Some of school crowd spurns
Education's finest perk:
Summer vacation
***
Have your own newsy haiku? Email it to me, along with any questions/comments/ambiguities. See you tomorrow!
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CBS News
15 minutes ago
- CBS News
Transcript: Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," June 29, 2025
The following is the transcript of an interview with former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, Pfizer board member and non-executive chairman of the board at Illumina, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on June 29, 2025. MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, who joins us from New York. Welcome to "Face the Nation." AMB. IRAVANI: Thank you for having me. MARGARET BRENNAN: Ambassador, can you give us some clarity? Does Iran intend to reconstitute a nuclear enrichment program on its soil? AMB. IRAVANI: You know that we are a member, responsible member, of the NPT, and according to the- this treaty, we have the mutual rights. It means that the right of one side will be the obligation of the other side. In the NPT, it has been defined that we have two very explicit right. The first is that we can have research on development, we can have the production of uranium, and we can have, to use, the peaceful energy. And the second right is that the legal protection by the IAEA for our activity and technical cooperation for our development program. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. AMB. IRAVANI: And in return, also, it will be two right for the agency in this regard, that they should have the full access according to the safe, comprehensive safeguard agreement. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. AMB. IRAVANI: And the second one is that to preserve our peaceful nuclear activity, will remain always in peaceful manner. So the enrichment is our right, and an inalienable right, and we want to implement this right. MARGARET BRENNAN: So you do plan to restart enrichment, that sounds like? AMB. IRAVANI: I think that enrichment will not- never stop. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, when you mentioned NPT, just for our listeners, you're talking about some of the international agreements Iran has made with the UN on nonproliferation and safeguards. You mentioned the UN nuclear inspectors. Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement yesterday saying that there were calls in Iran, this, I believe, is from a newspaper that the Supreme Leader oversees, accusing our prior guest, Rafael Grossi, of being an Israeli spy and calling for his arrest and execution. To be clear, is Iran threatening UN inspectors? AMB. IRAVANI: No, there is no any threat. It is a very clear law of the- our parliament that they have been suspended, our cooperation with IAEA, because the agency has not implemented their rights, their responsibility. Due to this it is a conditional law, and as long as this condition has not been set, so our cooperation with IAEA will be suspended. But whenever it set out as according to the law, so we can have- resume our cooperation. But there is no any threat against the general director of the IAEA. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, that was published in Israel- in Iran's "Kayhan" newspaper. Your foreign minister did also say that the IAEA and Grossi himself are malign in intent. Are the IAEA personnel, are the inspectors already inside Iran safe? And can they go back to their work of inspecting your sites? AMB. IRAVANI: Exactly. They are in Iran. They are in the safe condition, but the activity has been suspended. They cannot have accesses to our site, but maybe some one, it is individual, opinion of the people that may criticize the IAEA or threat the general director. But we criticize IAEA. We- our assessment is that they have not done their jobs, so they failed and they prepared [inaudible] for such aggression against us. MARGARET BRENNAN: I imagine that you would condemn the calls for his execution? AMB. IRAVANI: Yeah. MARGARET BRENNAN: President Trump's-- AMB. IRAVANI: (INAUDIBLE) --media. MARGARET BRENNAN: I know, and you're speaking to us from the UN. President Trump said Friday that Iranian officials want to meet with him personally, and he said that will be soon. Mr. Ambassador, is Tehran planning to drop this demand of indirect communication with the United States, and will you begin speaking with the Trump administration? AMB. IRAVANI: See you, we were in the negotiation, but because we know that any dispute between Iran and United States or other parts of the JCPOA cannot be resolved without the negotiation and using the peaceful means for- to resolve this dispute. So we are in the negotiation, and we are ready for the negotiation, but after this aggression, it is not proper condition for a new round of the negotiation, and there is no request for negotiation and meeting with the president. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the United States is wanting to meet with Iran to talk, and while the supreme leader issued a statement saying Iran had dealt the U.S. a slap in the face, after that, President Trump said he had actually stopped Israel from going further and had stopped Israel from an attempt to kill your supreme leader. Why not take the offer of a diplomatic lifeline? Because he seems to be offering one. AMB. IRAVANI: It is very gross violation of the international law that- threatening the Supreme Leader of Islamic Republic of Iran or any head of state, they have impunity from any attack. So we should understand that, what is the principle and condition for any negotiation? Negotiation is- has its- the principles, and it is a give and take process. So we should engage in the negotiation and discuss with each other, maybe we reach to a conclusion or not, but the unconditional surrender is not negotiation. It is dictating the policy toward us. If they are ready for negotiation, they will find us ready for that, but if they want to dictate us, it is impossible for any negotiation with them, MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Ambassador, thank you for your time today. We will be watching and waiting to see if there are any diplomatic opportunities. We'll be right back.
Fox News
26 minutes ago
- Fox News
Revealed: The extensive perks UN officials receive amid budget crisis
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has directed staff to slash budgets ahead of the 2026 budgetary vote as part of a wider reform effort through his UN80 Initiative. Much of the belt-tightening comes at a time when the Trump administration has looked to save money with the help of DOGE. In March, Guterres warned about cuts to U.S. spending at the U.N., stating that "going through with recent funding cuts will make the world less healthy, less safe, and less prosperous." The U.S., as the top funder to the world body, has given billions over the last few years, while paying around a third of its budget. However, organizational belt-tightening does not appear to have hit senior-level U.N. staff. "The American people don't even see this," a diplomatic source told Fox News Digital. "These people that are appointed to care for the poor of the world, get better perks than any investment banks out there." The diplomatic insider told Fox News Digital that the current "zero-growth" budget for 2026 still includes "a lot of perks" for professional- and director-level U.N. staff along with assistant-secretaries, under-secretaries and the secretary-general. Fox News Digital recently reported that Guterres earned $418,348, which is a higher base salary than President Donald Trump receives. And that doesn't include some of the perks the U.N. chief gets, including a plush Manhattan residence and chauffeur-driven car. Additionally, though U.N. documents say senior-level U.N. staff are "going to be the first thing to be reduced," the source says that "in the budget of 2026, none of that is touched." Here is a list of perks: U.N. professional staff, including Guterres, are paid a general salary as well as an additional multiplier of their salary based on their post. Multipliers are meant to "preserve equivalent purchasing power for all duty stations" and can range from 16% in Eswatini, Africa, to 86.8% in Switzerland, according to data provided to Fox News Digital by a U.N. source. The U.N. pay scale has been set to compare with "equivalently graded jobs in the comparator civil service in Washington, D.C.," with compensation about "10 to 20% ahead of the comparator service" to "attract and retain staff from all countries, including the comparator." Other expenses that may be compensated for include taxes paid and housing costs. U.N. staff's rent may be subsidized by up to 40% if it "exceeds a so-called rent threshold" based on an employee's income. Many member states exempt U.N. employees from paying taxes, but employees of the organization who must pay taxes at their duty station are reimbursed for the cost. There are substantial benefits for staff with dependents. Staff receive an allowance of 6% of their net income if their spouses earn less than an entry-level general service U.N. salary. Staff who are parents receive a flat allowance of $2,929 for children under 18, or who are under 21 and in secondary schooling. A second child allowance for staff without spouses is set at $1,025. U.N. employees may receive grants to cover a portion of the education costs for dependent children through up to four years of post-secondary education. Reimbursements are calculated on a sliding scale. In a sample calculation, the U.N. explains that it would reimburse $34,845 of a $47,000 tuition. Boarding fees may also be reimbursed up to $5,300 during primary and secondary education. U.N. staff have access to the U.N. joint staff pension fund, which allows employees to contribute 23.7% of "pensionable remuneration, with two-thirds paid by the organization and one-third by the staff member." The U.N. pays travel expenses for staff "on initial appointment, on change of duty station, on separation from service, for travel on official business, for home leave travel, and on travel to visit family members." In some instances, the U.N. also pays for eligible spouses and dependent children to travel. Travel expenses include a "daily subsistence allowance (DSA)" meant to cover "the average cost of lodging and other expenses." Eligible family members receive half the DSA, while director-level staff and above receive an additional DSA supplement. For staff who change assignments at certain duty stations, U.N. mobility incentives begin at $6,700 and can grow to more than $15,075. If changing stations for an assignment lasting more than a year, settling-in benefits comprise 30 days' DSA for staff and half-DSA for eligible families, as well as one month of net pay and one month of post adjustment at the assignment duty station. Moving expenses may include the full or partial removal and transport of household goods, or the storage of those items. Hardship allowances of between $5,930 and $23,720 may be granted for non-local staff in certain duty stations. The U.N. issues allowances of $19,800 for staff with dependents and $7,500 for staff without dependents stationed at non-family duty stations "to recognize the increased level of financial and psychological hardship incurred by involuntary separation." Danger pay of $1,645 may also be allocated to staff whose association or employment may make them "clearly, persistently, and directly targeted," or in duty stations where there is a "high risk of becoming collateral damage in a war or active armed conflict." Terminated employees are also allowed separation payments, typically constituting several months' pay if their appointment has been terminated due to "abolition of post or reduction of staff; poor health or incapacitation for further service; unsatisfactory service; agreed termination." Those terminated for unsatisfactory service or misconduct may receive half the typical separation payment. A repatriation grant may additionally be paid to staff who have been in expatriate service for at least five years, unless staff were "summarily dismissed." In response to questions about Fox News Digital's source's statements about U.N. employee compensation being on par with that of an investment banker, Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the assertion was "ludicrous" and "demonstrates an ignorance of both the United Nations and the investment banking worlds." Dujarric did not deny that the 2026 budget proposal includes no cutting of senior personnel or benefits. "The budget proposal for 2026 was prepared before the launch of the UN80 initiative," he said. "We are currently working on identifying efficiencies, including reductions in post, and a revised proposal will be submitted to the General Assembly in the Fall for its deliberations, which usually take place between October and December." Dujarric added that the International Civil Service Commission, an independent group of 15 expert appointees which creates the system of salaries, benefits and allowances for the U.N., is "undertaking a comprehensive review of the compensation package for the international Professional and higher category of staff," with the results due for presentation in 2026. "The secretary-general has no authority of the decisions of the ICSC or the appointment of its members," he said.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Says He Doesn't Expect to Extend July 9 Tariff Deadline
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he doesn't think he'll need to extend the July 9 trade deadline he has imposed on countries to secure deals with the US to avoid higher tariffs. Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares Squeezed by Crowds, the Roads of Central Park Are Being Reimagined Sprawl Is Still Not the Answer Mapping the Architectural History of New York's Chinatown Sao Paulo Pushes Out Favela Residents, Drug Users to Revive Its City Center 'I don't think I'll need to,' he said in an interview on Fox News's Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo that was taped Friday. He then added, 'I could, no big deal.' The comments follow Trump's remarks on Friday that the administration could do 'whatever we want' with the deadline, including extending it or making it shorter. 'I'd like to make it shorter. I'd like to just send letters out to everybody, 'Congratulations, you're paying 25%,'' he told reporters Friday in a press briefing. Trump and his advisers earlier this year laid out ambitious plans for a negotiating period, and have said repeatedly they're in talks with dozens of trading partners on reducing trade deficits and eliminating barriers. On Friday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cast doubt on the timeline, saying 'we have countries approaching us with very good deals' but they all might not be finished by the date when Trump's April 2 country-based tariffs are set to kick back in. 'If we can ink 10 or 12 of the important 18 — there are another important 20 relationships — then I think we could have trade wrapped up by Labor Day,' Bessent said on Fox Business. It's also unclear how comprehensive the trade deals the administration is hoping to secure will be. The pact with the UK that Trump has touted as comprehensive still leaves critical points unresolved, and the recently inked China accord leaves questions unanswered with regard to fentanyl trafficking and US exporters' access to Chinese markets. Trump has suggested India is one nation that could be close to finalizing a deal. A team of Indian trade officials held meetings with officials in Washington last week. America's Top Consumer-Sentiment Economist Is Worried How to Steal a House Inside Gap's Last-Ditch, Tariff-Addled Turnaround Push Apple Test-Drives Big-Screen Movie Strategy With F1 Luxury Counterfeiters Keep Outsmarting the Makers of $10,000 Handbags ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
