The missiles are testing advertising logic, and the slogan of the grand Al Bahar hotel did not account for the third Gulf War: "Enjoy a perfect combination of luxury and serenity."

Donald Trump's roller coaster doctrine has permeated the third Gulf War from the outset. This weekend we have seen another abrupt, precipitous turn: from the moderate optimism generated by the start of talks between Americans and Iranians in Islamabad, after the last-minute agreement on Tuesday that averted "hell" in the Middle East; to worrying pessimism due to the lack of agreement in Pakistani meeting rooms and the return to the most visceral threats between Washington and Tehran, which hint at bombing the strategic Hormuz, the epicenter of this war, again.hint at a renewed bombing of strategic Hormuz, the epicenter of this war.Tehran responded quickly, stating that it will consider it a violation of the ceasefire if military ships approach Hormuz and that, therefore, it will respond forcefully. The blockade of Hormuz by the Iranians —their strategic philosopher's stone— has indeed stifled the global economy, and with sufficient effectiveness, placing Washington in a compromised position.

The navy of the ayatollah regime was disseminating on Thursday a map from another era: on paper, and in black and white. According to the Iranian agency ISNA, the document shows the approximate location of naval mines that the Revolutionary Guard has installed in the precious waters of the Strait of Hormuz during five weeks of war. The paper recommends alternative routes to oil tankers and other commercial vessels to safely cross the passage, avoiding the bombs.

The day after the night when an entire civilization was about to be annihilated, a robot-man and a robot-dog were doing somersaults in Dubai. Tourists were photographing them as they waited to enter the future. The future has been very dizzying these days in the Gulf countries. The uncertain future of the Gulf is still dizzying.

This article is being written from the 41st floor of one of the many superlative hotels in Dubai. 

The future of the world is being decided these days in the petroleum-blue waters of Hormuz. The headline is blunt, but it didn't scare Captain Ibrahim. Business comes before Trump's war. And business is in crisis because of Trump's war. 

Trump, a confessed believer, might find solace in a biblical mantra: the ways of war are inscrutable. The slogan should sound familiar. Pentagon generals had warned him of the high risk of getting bogged down in an operation against Tehran. Four weeks of bombs later, the mud is undeniable, the war has never gone as the president imagined, and Washington finds itself in a very complicated position, on the brink of geopolitical failure.

We've had three weeks of bombing in Tehran—and in Tel Aviv, and Beirut, and Riyadh, and Doha...—and the war, the third Gulf War, has entered a thorny phase for Washington.

Before dropping the first bombs on Tehran, the Pentagon conducted military and political calculations, issuing a forecast: the war in Iran would last four weeks. The Pentagon's calculations, which were agreed upon with President Trump, They defied a historical norm: it is easy to start a war and difficult to end it. Albert Camus defined it with more sophisticated literature: "When a war breaks out, people say this can't last, that it's too stupid. And, undoubtedly, a war is obviously too stupid, but that doesn't stop it from lasting. Stupidity always persists."

Due to both context and necessity, international policy has become a priority for Pedro Sánchez's government. La Moncloa, which has a very large team of foreign policy advisors, cannot hide the fact that, for months now, it has been pursuing a clear objective: to establish Sánchez as the leading progressive figure in EuropeThe aim is not only European, but also to have an impact beyond the borders of the European Union, especially in Latin America, a region neighbor And a future that could soon improve Sánchez's strategic standing in Brussels.

Russian invasion of Ukraine. Year five –five!–. The war, that Vladimir Putin was supposed to resolve in three days and that Donald Trump would solve in 24 hours, continues.

With war raging in Europe and the continent threatened from multiple fronts, the governments of the European Union have broken the taboo and are advocating—with varying degrees of intensity—the need to rearm. This new scenario once again puts the spotlight on European militaries and their potential capabilities to confront external aggression. Enrique Pérez de Tena, a retired frigate captain with decades of experience in the Spanish and NATO armed forces, is an advisor on institutional relations for the Joint Cyber ​​Command.

The arrival of 2026 has confirmed a new global landscape that we had been hinting at for some time: In the world, definitely in an unpredictable way, the law of the strongest prevails once again. The return of a more radicalized version of Donald Trump to the White House has shaken the international order, and especially Europe, which feels slighted by its traditional ally and threatened from several fronts. We spoke with Jaume Duch Guillot, advisor to the Department of European Union and Foreign Action of the Government of Catalonia, who has extensive professional experience at the forefront of European institutions. Duch also emphasizes the role that Catalonia must play in strengthening a European Union that, inevitably, needs to be strong.

The war in Ukraine, a European war, had a peculiar landscape this week: impressive views of Toledo, a fortified city.

At the end of August, I spent a Sunday in Kiiv with soldier TarasTaking advantage of the vacation leave granted to him by the Ukrainian army to rest for a few days at home, Private Taras returned to the trenches a week later, fighting on the front lines as commander of a drone unit. He was there for four months. Now he has returned to Kyiv, coinciding with the Christmas holidays. Soon he will be called back to his positions. "War is like that movie," he said. Groundhog Day; "Everything repeats itself," she says jokingly. Private Taras, who knows her well, also says that war is "the most horrible invention ever created by humankind."

This year, at the Christmas toast held by the European Parliament and European Commission offices in Barcelona—a gesture usually reserved for celebration—there was a sense of pessimism. Among the attendees—politicians, journalists, Brussels correspondents, and other professionals connected to current affairs in the European Union— A mantra-like phrase was repeated: a complicated year is coming for Europe.Even the fraternal spirit in the room, courtesy of a jazz group playing Christmas carols, couldn't disguise the fact that these are dark days for European self-esteem. Despite ending with "Merry Christmas and long live Europe!", the speech given by the socialist Javi López, Vice-President of the European Parliament, also sounded less than festive: "The challenges that Europe will have to face in 2026 are enormous. [...] The threats come from the west, from the east... and also from within."

It only took us 48 hours to witness the first major event of 2026: The United States has bombed Venezuela with imperial force. Subsequently, a group of elite US soldiers captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Some interpretations of Washington's aggression help explain the urgent moment and the world in which we live.

In Russian, подсвинки (podsvinki) means little pigs, marranets, pigletsIt is the nickname that on Wednesday He used President Vladimir Putin to refer to the leaders of the European Union. The phrase, reread, is frightening and sets the tone for today's world: "Everyone thought they would quickly destroy Russia, and the European pigs banded together hoping to profit from our country's collapse, recover something lost in earlier periods, and try to get revenge."

Since the war began, Ukrainian songs have become anthems for Volodymyr Zelensky's troops. hit of this Christmas is Obimí, by the group Okean Elzy, very popular in the country. The title of the song means hug. The lyrics are simple: "When the day comes, the war will be over. There I lost myself, I hit rock bottom. Hold me, hold me, hold me sweetly and don't let go. Hold me until spring arrives." The lyrics are less combative than those of previous anthems.

The scene took place last September in a refined restaurant in Strasbourg, a very European city. Two prominent voices from the European Parliament were discussing tanks, drones, and the risk of war in Europe while enjoying a meal. chicken in cream sauceThe conversation proceeded normally among those at the table: politicians and journalists. "Does Europe have enough soldiers to fight?" "European armies must modernize; tanks no longer win wars.""If Russia were to attack us, with the weaponry we have, we could only hold out for a few days." These were slogans heard during dinner.