On What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead discusses why China, Russia, and North Korea haven’t come to Iran’s aid; what Zohran Mamdani’s primary victory in New York could mean for national politics; how Donald Trump understands Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization better than Barack Obama or Joe Biden did; and what the long-term significance of the United States’ bombing of Fordow might be.

Caption
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 22, 2025. (Andrew Harnik via Getty Images)