The Evening: Iran, South China Sea, Sgt. Pepper Surprise and More

Rocket Strike Near U.S. Embassy in Baghdad

Hard-line pro-Iran militias in Iraq denounced the late-night rocket strike near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, seeking to distance themselves from an attack that threatens to inflame tensions amid efforts to de-escalate a crisis between Washington and Tehran, as the WSJ’s Ghassan Adnan and Isabel Coles report.

And, as Reuters reports, Iran urged the United States on Monday to address the Islamic Republic with respect, not threats of war, a day after President Trump stoked concerns with provocative tweets about a potential U.S.-Iran conflict.

Dive Deeper: “Escalating U.S.-Iran Tensions: What’s Next?” by CFR’s Philip Gordon.

OPEC Reflects on a Month of Uncertainty and Decides to Stay the Course—at Least for Now,” by CSIS’s Frank Verrastro.

South China Sea

The U.S. military said one of its warships sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal claimed by China in the South China Sea on Sunday, angering Beijing at a time of tense ties between the world’s two biggest economies, as Reuters’ Idrees Ali reports.

Dive Deeper: “China’s Most Destructive Boats Return to the South China Sea,” via CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

Google Restricts Huawei’s Access

The Chinese technology giant Huawei on Monday began to feel painful ripple effects of a Trump administration order that effectively bars American firms from selling components and software to the company, as the NYT’s Adam Satariano reports.

Enroll for Fall

Now enrolling for the Fall, CSIS & Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs offer a new Executive Master's in International Relations. Information here.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify” and “High Resolution.” In under 90 seconds, CSIS experts tell you what they told Congress in testimony, or use high-resolution satellite images and advanced mapping to break down national security issues. And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

30%

China is Iran’s largest trading partner, supplying and consuming more than 30% of the its imports and exports.

Source: DefenseOne

Critical Quote

“If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!”

— President Donald Trump

iDeas Lab

CSIS
Satellite analysis of the IRGC-Quds Force Imam-Ali training facility outside of Tehran shows combat training facilities, firing ranges, and headquarters and housing areas.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and video.

Optics

CSIS
(Photo credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images). Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage is escorted to a car after having a milkshake thrown over him as he visits Northumberland Street in Newcastle.

Recommended Reading

The Abandoned Farms Behind the Global Coffee Craze,” by the FT’s Emiko Terazono, Jude Webber and Andres Schipani.

This Town Tomorrow

At 10:00 a.m., attend a CSIS forum on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The forum will feature research and analysis from CSIS experts exploring how different facets of automation, emerging digital technology, and other changes will impact the developing world.

Also, at 5:30 p.m., stay at CSIS for a public discussion with Zalman Shoval, Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., on his new memoir detailing his life in politics and international diplomacy.

Finally, at 2:00 p.m., the Atlantic Council will host Sen. Michael D. Crapo, (R-ID) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, (D-R.I.) in a conversation on innovation and challenges associated with U.S. nuclear power leadership.

Video

Last week, CSIS expert James Andrew Lewis testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on issues of security of 5G telecommunications. Watch a short summary of his testimony in the latest installment of CSIS’s Testify video series here.

Podcasts

Die Welt
In a new episode, the Trade Guys try to make sense of the latest escalation in the U.S.-China trade spat and predict that the trade war may just be getting starting.

Listen on SoundCloud, Spotify, & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“So Sgt. Pepper took you by surprise
You better see right through that mother's eyes.”

Last week, on an early morning flight to New Orleans. I took to Netflix and watched “John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,” the 2018 documentary which tells the story behind the album “Imagine.”

No matter how much you think you know about John and Yoko or the Beatles, it seems like there is always more to learn. This film delivered more for me, especially in terms of place and context in which the music was created. 

One unforgettable musical moment occurred when Lennon and the remarkable band he assembled plus Phil Spector at the control boards laid down the tracks for “How Do You Sleep?” live in John’s studio on the grounds of his county home at Tittenhurst Park. With George Harrison on slide guitar, Klaus Voormann on bass, Alan White on drums and Nicky Hopkins on piano among others, Lennon delivers venomous lyrics aimed at Paul McCartney with whom he was feuding at the time.