"Good luck."

Hi Global Recap readers,

I kept expecting some major strike from Iran after everything that went down, but it never came. Or maybe it did, and I just didn’t realize that was it.

• Sure, Iran launched their new next-gen missile. It looked intense, but the US shot it down with THAAD pretty quickly.

• Or was that just the warm-up for something bigger?

• But if Iran was gearing up for an all-out response, why are they suddenly trying to set up a meeting with Trump at the White House?

I’m hesitating to hit send on this newsletter (who knows what could happen as soon as I do it), but here goes. 👇

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

🇨🇦 Canada Blames India. Canada’s intel agency just linked India to the 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, calling it a “significant escalation” in assassinating dissidents abroad. This report dropped one day after Canadian PM Mark Carney shook hands his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, at the G7 in Alberta, and promised to patch up diplomatic ties. SO here's the current situation: this same killing torched relations last year, with Modi and then-Canadian PM Justin Trudeau expelling diplomats. Now, Carney is getting flack for playing nice while intelligence points to a state-backed assassination on home soil.

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🇷🇺 North Korea Sends Troops. Kim Jong Un is dispatching 5,000 military construction workers and 1,000 deminers to Russia’s Kursk region, according to Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu, who just wrapped a June 17 visit to Pyongyang. North Korea’s official media didn’t confirm it, but it did say Kim “unconditionally” supports Russia’s war and plans to honor North Korean soldiers killed fighting for it by building memorials. The US, South Korea, and Japan are calling it a blatant UN violation and a serious escalation, especially since about 15,000 North Korean troops are already reportedly in Russia. So what does North Korea get in return? Air defense tech, drones, and spy satellite gear.

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🇯🇵 Nippon Buys US Steel. Nippon Steel just sealed its $14.9 billion buyout of US Steel after 18 months of political drama and union pushback. Both the Biden and Trump admin tried to block it, but Trump’s team stepped in with a new deal: Nippon gets the company, but the US holds a “golden share” to name a board member and veto anything that risks American jobs, like closing plants or shifting work overseas. Nippon also promised $11 billion in US investments and agreed to keep US Steel’s name, HQ, and execs American. The deal is being touted as less of a foreign takeover and more like a co-parenting arrangement.

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🇺🇸 US Demands Social Vetting. The US just brought back student visa processing, but here’s the twist: every applicant now has to make their social media accounts public or risk denial. The State Department warned that anything but a fully public profile could look like you're “trying to hide” something, and consular staff will screen posts for signs of anti-American sentiment. The change follows Trump’s recent student visa freeze and hits just as international students scramble to book travel before fall term. Students from India to Mexico are already venting online as they refresh booking sites, worried their Instagram feed might cost them entry.

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📊 POLL
Vetting Social Media:
Government Overreach?

🇮🇷 IRAN & 🇮🇱 ISRAEL
Iran’s Sudden
White House Ask

As Israel pummels Iranian military sites and Iran’s retaliatory strikes shrink by the day, raising questions about whether it’s conserving ammo or simply running out, Tehran has reportedly made an outreach to Washington.

The White House Request

At a flagpole construction event at the White House, President Trump fielded a mix of questions from reporters.

• When asked about the Iran vs Israel conflict, he said Iran floated a White House meeting this week.

• Trump called the request “very late” and added, “There's a big difference between now and a week ago.”

• He’s demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” on nuclear weapons.

Khamenei’s Rebuke

Here’s where things start to get a little weird. Before Trump gave that interview, Iran’s Supreme Leader jumped on X and dropped a string of posts. Around 10 of them, rapid fire.

• Panic posting? Maybe.

• But why the tough talk toward the US if they’re trying to talk to Trump? Most likely, it’s just for internal propaganda.

• Many are also roasting Khamenei, saying things like, "Did WiFi get restored in your bunker?"

He also gave his first public statement since Israelis started striking Iran.

• He declared that “Iran will not surrender,” and “any US strike will have serious, irreparable consequences.”

• He called Israel’s bombing a “grave mistake” and promised retribution.

• “We do not speak the language of surrender,” he added.

Trump’s response to Khamenei’s unwillingness to surrender? “Good luck.”

Israel Warns Khamenei(?)

Moments after Khamenei's broadcast, Israel reportedly bombed Lavizan, a Tehran neighborhood where he is believed to be sheltering in a bunker.

Iran's New Gen Missile

But the fight isn’t entirely one-sided. Some online observers are now comparing footage of Iran’s recent missile launches to Russia’s Oreshnik IRBM, noting similarities.

• The missile in question is reportedly Iran’s next-generation, two-stage Sejjil.

• However, the US's anti-ballistic missile defense system THAAD successfully intercepted it.