Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 💥 Iran conflict update
• ⚔️ Game of Thrones movie
• 🧜 The rise of “mermaiding”

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.34-minute read (889 words).

Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here for free.

“The most virtuous are those who content themselves with being virtuous without seeking to appear so.”

–Plato (428 BCE – 347 BCE)

The conflict in the Middle East escalated further yesterday, as Israel stepped up airstrikes on Iranian missile launchers and other sites, while Iranian attacks threatened to shut air travel and oil shipping in the nearby Strait of Hormuz.

The latest: The US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was struck by two Iranian drones, while the parking lot of the US consulate in Dubai was also struck by a drone, with no injuries reported from either incident. The US State Dept. is warning Americans to "DEPART NOW" from over a dozen Middle Eastern countries.

• Israel struck the building Iranian clerics use to choose the new supreme leader in an attempt to disrupt that process, though Iran says the building was evacuated.
• The UAE—which is the country most attacked by Iran in recent days, even above Israel—is reportedly considering unprecedented military strikes against Iran in order to stop their attacks.

Death tolls continue to rise. Nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran since the conflict began, according to the country’s Red Crescent Society. Israel has reported 11 deaths, while the US confirmed six service members were killed. Other Middle Eastern nations have also reported deaths from recent strikes, including 50 killed in Lebanon by Israeli missiles targeting Hezbollah.

Trump provides an update: In remarks at the White House yesterday, President Trump said Iran's military has been largely neutralized after four days of joint US-Israeli airstrikes.

• In separate comments one day earlier, Trump outlined four objectives in Iran: destroying Iran's missile capabilities, wiping out its navy, preventing access to a nuclear weapon, and removing its ability to fund proxy militias.
• He didn’t rule out sending US ground troops, though later said they likely won’t be necessary.

Trump has also pledged to offer "political risk insurance and guarantees" for energy tankers and other ships operating near Iran, saying the US Navy will escort tankers through the critical Strait of Hormuz if needed.

Looking ahead…The US operation against Iran could take 4-5 weeks and potentially longer, according to Trump. This timeframe is echoed by top Israeli officials, who say they need more time to achieve three objectives in Iran: “no nuclear weapons, no missile threat, no terror infrastructure.”

📊 Flash poll (long-form): What are your thoughts on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East? The most insightful answers will be featured in tomorrow’s newsletter.

• Click here to leave a response

Enso doesn’t just free you from busy work; it automates components of your business that are a massive time sink but essential for growth, including:

• SEO/GEO blog — get your brand mentioned in AI searches
• Newsletter — Enso can write, design, and send engaging emails to your subscribers
• Lead generation — automate lead qualification, follow-ups, and pipeline management

Each system bundles 5-8 specialized AI agents that work together autonomously, completing entire business workflows from start to finish 24/7.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📉 US stocks dip as much as 2.5% across the board in intraday trading amid conflict in Middle East, before closing at a more modest decline (S&P: -0.9% | Dow: -0.8% | Nasdaq: -1.0%).
• 💰 Activist investor Elliott Management injects $1 billion into Pinterest for the company to repurchase shares at a ~30% premium to current prices.
• 🎯 Target unveils plans to spend $2+ billion on revamping stores and hiring new workers in a renewed effort to attract shoppers.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🎥 Game of Thrones movie officially in the works at Warner Bros Discovery with writer Beau Willimon (Andor; House of Cards).
• 🏈 Arizona Cardinals inform QB Kyler Murray the team plans to release him on the first day of the league year (next Wednesday), barring a trade between now and then; he’ll be due the league minimum salary for next season from a new team, if released.
• 🙏 Deadliest Catch crew member Todd Meadows, 25, dies at sea during the latest season’s filming.

The DeFi Report is the crypto newsletter with skin in the game. The week before October's crash, they told their entire list they were moving to majority cash. Then, they called Bitcoin heading to 65k.

TDR Pro gives you their full portfolio, trade alerts, and clear analysis in plain English. No sponsored “research”, no hidden agendas. When they win, you win.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 📱 Apple introduces lower-cost iPhone 17e, faster iPad Air, and new MacBook Pro/Air models with M5 chips; tech giant is expected to announce more new products in the coming days.
• 🌡️🌎 NOAA reports 50% to 60% chance that El Niño, which pushes global temperatures higher, will form starting this July.
• 🦠🪐 Certain bacteria can survive a potential ejection from Mars after an asteroid hit, as well as the inhospitable conditions during a journey to Earth, new study finds.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🗳️ Primary elections were held yesterday in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas, including races for US Senate seats.
• 🤖🏛️ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the company has made some revisions to its recent deal with the Pentagon, including new language regarding topics like AI-enhanced surveillance of Americans.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Justice Dept. abruptly reverses course and now plans to press forward with the defense of President Trump’s executive orders sanctioning law firms; decision comes less than 24 hours after the DOJ asked to drop the cases. | Georgia jury finds father of school shooter guilty on 27 charges—including second-degree murder—in connection with his then-14-year-old son’s mass shooting. | Federal judge rules against the Trump admin’s attempt to block NYC’s congestion pricing law.

👆 A total lunar eclipse occurred in the early hours of yesterday morning, producing a “blood moon” seen by millions of stargazers across North America, Australia and East Asia. It will be the last total lunar eclipse for nearly three years.

🤔 Did you know? Neanderthals, the closest known human relative, had considerably larger eye sockets compared to Homo sapiens. This means they likely had much better vision than modern humans, with larger areas of their brains dedicated to processing sight.

📰 Worth a read: Scans of Buddhist monks reveal how meditation affects the human brain

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• People are 'mermaiding' all over the world
• How AI can read our scrambled inner thoughts
• The “perfect” color that scientists struggle to re-create

🤯 Your bathtub has been a cold plunge this whole time… Skip the tank cleaning, chemicals, and constant maintenance with HomePlunge. Easily fits any tub. TIME’s Best Invention 2025 and CES winner. Save 10% with code DONUT10.

How it works: We provide an incorrect stat. Your challenge is to guess whether the actual number is over or under the given value.

1. 🛫 90,000: Number of flights per day worldwide
2. 🦠 85%: Percentage of human immune cells that are in the gut
3. 🎓 20%: The ratio of Americans hold a master’s degree or higher

🐴 Fancy the horse now has an accolade to match her name: the Virginia mare was just crowned the world’s oldest living horse at nearly 38 years old.

1. 🛫 Over; between 100,000-130,000
2. 🦠 Under; between 70-80%
3. 🎓 Under; 14.9%

Advertise with us: Want to reach other smart and inquisitive readers like you? Become a DONUT partner here.