John Bolton’s departure from the White House has been seen in Israel as a sign of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's weakened standing with President Trump, and it will exacerbate Netanyahu's anxiety over Trump’s push for direct talks with Iran.
Why it matters: Bolton's ouster is a big blow for Netanyahu both in substance and in timing. Bolton was Netanyahu’s most important ally in the White House on Iran and other foreign policy issues, and he was forced out a week before Israel's elections.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the U.S. should "put warmongers aside " following President Trump's sudden dismissal of John Bolton as a national security adviser, the AP reports.
Why it matters: Bolton's departure removes one of the strongest opponents of detente with Tehran. Rouhani "signaled approval" of Trump's decision, the AP notes. But he also reiterated that Iran is only interested in talks with the U.S. if suffocating economic sanctions are lifted, per Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
North Korea-linked hackers have expanded their campaign to spy on experts researching nuclear deterrence, North Korea’s nuclear submarine program and North Korean economic sanctions, according to research from Prevailion.
The big picture: Countries often use espionage to prepare for upcoming actions like new sanctions, improve their bargaining position by better understanding their adversary's goals, or to see what other people know. This could be an example of any of those.
Scotland's Court of Session, its highest civil court, ruled Wednesday that the ongoing suspension — or "prorogation" — of the U.K. Parliament by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government is unlawful, per the BBC.
What's next: The court's ruling did not include an order to cancel the prorogation, so Parliament will remain out of session. The case now heads to the U.K.'s Supreme Court next week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday his intention to promote annexation steps in the occupied West Bank, including the Jordan Valley and areas north of the Dead Sea, if he wins next week's elections.
Why it matters: Netanyahu had already spoken about annexation before Israel's elections last April, but he didn’t commit or promise anything. Netanyahu’s statement is directed at his right-wing base and the settler lobby in order to boost support for his Likud party over other right-wing parties, ensuring that Likud wins most seats in the elections to gain an upper hand in building a coalition.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff say North Korea has fired 2 unidentified projectiles into the Sea of Japan, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reports.
Why it matters: The launch came hours after Pyongyang offered to resume nuclear talks with the U.S. This is the 10th such launch since May, in what appears to be yet another demonstration of North Korea expanding its weapons arsenal apparently with the intention of increasing leverage ahead of possible negotiations with the U.S.
