r/foreignpolicy Feb 05 '18

r/ForeignPolicy's Reading list

67 Upvotes

Let's use this thread to share our favorite books and to look for book recommendations. Books on foreign policy, diplomacy, memoirs, and biographies can be shared here. Any fiction books which you believe can help understand a country's foreign policy are also acceptable.

What books have helped you understand a country's foreign policy the best?

Which books have fascinated you the most?

Are you looking to learn more about a specific policy matter or country?


r/foreignpolicy Apr 06 '26

On Iran, Trump Keeps World Off Balance With Ever-Changing Threats: Global leaders are struggling in their efforts to find a way to end the American-Israeli war on Iran, and they are spooked about what President Trump might do next.

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nytimes.com
2 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 5h ago

The dismantling of USAID and the firing of its staff was illegal

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thehill.com
7 Upvotes

A new op-ed in The Hill lays out something worth reading if you've been following the USAID story.

It's co-authored by J. Brian Atwood (USAID Administrator under Clinton, 1993-1999) and an attorney who's represented federal employees for over three decades. Their argument: USAID's career staff were fired without the misconduct or performance findings the Civil Service Reform Act requires, and the administration is now calling it a "reorganization" to get around due process protections.

The interesting part is that government lawyers have reportedly conceded in court that no one was fired for misconduct or poor performance. The authors argue that concession alone undercuts the legal basis for the firings.

There's also reporting cited in the piece that the White House pressured the Merit Systems Protection Board behind closed doors to adopt a broad theory of presidential removal power, which the board then adopted in March. That ruling is now under review by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Worth a read regardless of where you land politically on USAID itself. The legal question here (can career civil servants be removed without due process) applies well beyond one agency.

Op-ed: https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/5981243-doge-usaid-lawsuit-civil-servants/

More on the case and the organization backing the legal defense: https://www.usaidemployeefund.org


r/foreignpolicy 11h ago

'Imagine All the Better Things That Could Have Been Done': Trump Has Blown $37.5 Billion on Iran War | Common Dreams

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commondreams.org
6 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 9h ago

Opinion | Trump's reported attempts to bury Iran war casualties won't work

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2 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 5h ago

I think I speak for 7.8 billion people around the world who are sick of the disruption to our lives and the rising cost of living caused by the US and Iran and their childish war. Stop playing games with each other and sort this mess out. We have run out of patience with both countries.

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0 Upvotes

7.8 billion people have had enough of these 2 countries jumping between peace and war almost daily in some cases . They are adversely impacting people around the world who can not afford high oil prices , the rising cost of food and other flow-on events . The conflict needs to stop . Grow up, come to an agreement and let the world return to normal.


r/foreignpolicy 5h ago

Escalation & Alignment

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1 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 6h ago

Trump approves landmark U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal

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nbcnews.com
0 Upvotes

Are you sure it's just...."a landmark civilian nuclear deal"

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has explicitly stated that if regional rival Iran develops a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia must follow suit.


r/foreignpolicy 7h ago

What's the exit strategy?

1 Upvotes

It's seems like The Adjudicated Rapist has only one idea in how to deal with the war he started: if the Iranians refuse to submit to his will, he will continue to use violence against them.

Obviously the Iranians aren't going to do what The Great Negotiator demands. So what's the exit strategy? How the hell do we get out of this war?


r/foreignpolicy 11h ago

To Be Revised Upward At A Later Date...

2 Upvotes

War in Iran has cost the United States more than $37 billion dollars https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/war-iran-billions-pentagon-5Hjddz8_2/


r/foreignpolicy 8h ago

‘You, Sir, Are The Failure’: Senator Answers Hegseth’s Self-righteousness

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open.substack.com
1 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 8h ago

Trump approves nuclear agreement that may allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, 2 AP sources say

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apnews.com
1 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 12h ago

‘Imagine All the Better Things That Could Have Been Done’: Trump Has Blown $37.5 Billion on Iran War: “THIS from the administration that said there was no money for food assistance, Medicaid, and healthcare tax credits.”

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2 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 10h ago

Pentagon Not Just Running Out of Weapons—But Also Money | Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran has put the Pentagon in a tough spot five months later.

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newrepublic.com
1 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 1d ago

Trump Flips Out When Asked What Exactly the Plan Is in Iran - Donald Trump couldn’t handle a simple question from a reporter about the escalating war with Iran.

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newrepublic.com
7 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 12h ago

US FINALLY DESTROYS IRAN? America ERASES Iran’s Military Capabilities? I...

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0 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 21h ago

Question on the war in Iran?

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0 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 21h ago

North Korea developed a nuclear weapon in 2006 and nothing has happened. Why do we think it would be different with Iran?

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1 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 23h ago

Trump's New Year's Resolution: Peace on Earth, Trump's War Deeds: Hell o...

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0 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 1d ago

Burnham Approves Use of UK Bases for Some US Strikes on Iran

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bloomberg.com
1 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 1d ago

Marandi: Iran is inflicting extensive damage on U.S. assets in Persian G...

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youtube.com
0 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 1d ago

Houthis announce Saudi naval blockade, threatening new front in US-Iran war

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3 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 1d ago

Could an Arab Coalition Enter the War Against Iran?

0 Upvotes

A wider Sunni military coalition is probably unlikely, but I don’t think the possibility is zero.
If Saudi Arabia or Qatar were directly attacked, some Arab countries could try to organize a coalition under the argument of defending Sunni Muslim territory. Pakistan and Turkey could also come under pressure to support them, especially because both countries have military and political ties with Gulf states.
That does not automatically mean they would send large ground forces. More likely, support would begin with air defense, intelligence, logistics, weapons, naval protection, or limited deployments.
The main obstacle is that these countries do not all have the same interests. Pakistan would have to consider its relationship with Iran and its own internal problems. Turkey would act based on its national interests, not simply religious solidarity. Arab states are also divided and have struggled to act as one military bloc.
So a full-scale coalition of Arab armies, Pakistan, and Turkey is still a low-probability scenario. But if Saudi territory, Qatar, or major Islamic sites were directly threatened, the political pressure for some kind of joint intervention could become much stronger.


r/foreignpolicy 2d ago

Tehran and Washington Face a ‘Wake Up Moment’ Over the War

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nytimes.com
2 Upvotes

r/foreignpolicy 1d ago

First-person account: PTSD diagnosis after USAID's dismantling, confirmed by bloodwork

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usaidemployeesupportfund.substack.com
1 Upvotes