Liam

Covered the G20 summit for @PolitlcsUK 🇧🇷🇿🇦 | Former editor at @LADbible.

[Liam @LiamDavid_]

🇿🇦 I’m in South Africa for this year’s G20 Summit - the first ever held in Africa.

This year’s focus: Solidarity, Equality & Sustainability, with a major spotlight on global inequality.

President Trump will not be attending.

Full coverage on @PolitlcsGlobal over the weekend.

[Ed Conway @EdConwaySky]

📽️ WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Another 24 hours on the Trump/Iran economic rollercoaster🎢
Here's our latest primer on the extraordinary economic events and the latest from the Persian Gulf👇

[Ed Conway @EdConwaySky]

👀
EXCLUSIVE- QATARENERGY CEO TELLS REUTERS: WE MAY HAVE TO DECLARE FORCE MAJEURE ON LONG-TERM CONTRACTS FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS FOR LNG SUPPLIES TO ITALY, BELGIUM, KOREA AND CHINA
- From Reuters.
This is bad.

[Trey Yingst @TreyYingst]

NATO air defense shot down an incoming Iranian missile launched toward Turkey.

[Phil Stewart @phildstewart]

BREAKING-US EMBASSY IN SAUDI ARABIA HIT BY TWO DRONES, TRIGGERING 'LIMITED' FIRE, SAUDI DEFENSE MINISTRY SAYS

[Open Source Intel @Osint613]

SEC. RUBIO KEY TAKEAWAYS ON IRAN OPERATION 🔴

— Iran is producing 100+ ballistic missiles per month and thousands of one way attack drones, aiming to build a retaliatory shield that would make its nuclear program untouchable

— Iran is approaching a “point of immunity” within 1 to 1.5 years, where its missile and drone stockpiles would deter any strike

— Sanctions have failed to stop the weapons buildup

— The operation was timed while Iran is weakened and before it reaches that immunity threshold

— U.S. intelligence assessed Iran would immediately retaliate against U.S. forces, so preemptive action reduced potential American casualties

— Mission focus is destroying ballistic missile launchers, stockpiles, drone capabilities, and naval assets threatening global shipping

— No ground invasion planned; air and missile strikes are sufficient for objectives

— Regime change is not the official goal, but the U.S. would welcome the Iranian people replacing the current leadership

— Congress was notified through the Gang of Eight and in compliance with the 48 hour War Powers reporting requirement

— The U.S. denies targeting civilians and says any alleged incidents are under investigation

— Iran controls roughly 20% of global energy flows via the Strait of Hormuz; mitigation plans are being prepared to stabilize markets

— No active diplomacy underway; operations will continue as long as necessary with no fixed end date

[Barak Ravid @BarakRavid]

🚨🚨🚨Three U.S. soldiers have been killed during the operation against Iran, CENTCOM says

[Mark Meredith @markpmeredith]

You have to give @TreyYingst and his team incredible credit for his reporting today. Truly a masterclass in storytelling while coming under fire...he took viewers into the action in a way no other correspondent could.

[Dominic Waghorn @DominicWaghorn]

News of their supreme leader's death being greeted with fireworks by the people of Tehran according to video emerging from there tonight.

[Fox News @FoxNews]

BREAKING: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei confirmed dead, @TreyYingst reports.

[Barak Ravid @BarakRavid]

🚨🚨🚨Israeli ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter told U.S. officials that Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has been killed in the Israeli strike on his compound, a source with knowledge said

[Alistair Bunkall @AliBunkallSKY]

Netanyahu to deliver a statement shortly.

[Alistair Bunkall @AliBunkallSKY]

47 yrs ago today Ayatollah Khomeini stepped off an Air France plane from Paris, returning to Iran from exile two wks after The Shah fled

It was the beginning of the Islamic Republic

Now a US armada is off the coast & the world waits to see if Trump will give the order to attack

[Telegraph Politics @TelePolitics]

✍️ 'Reform’s expansionist welfare policy must make him uncomfortable' | Writes @Helen_Whately

Read the column ⬇️
https://t.co/iw7chC5G7e

[Karim Sadjadpour @ksadjadpour]

1) 5 conditions are often needed for a revolution: fiscal crisis, divided elites, a diverse opposition, a convincing narrative of resistance, and a favorable international environment. Iran meets nearly all of them. My @TheAtlantic essay w/ @jgoldsto 🧵 https://t.co/Imc7x9avHf

[Mark Dubowitz @mdubowitz]

This weekend could be decisive for #IranRevolution2026.

Three open questions:

1. Will President Trump respond to the regime’s massive repression—and if so, how forcefully?
2. Will Iranians heed @PahlaviReza’s call and continue to take to the streets in sustained, nationwide numbers?
3. Will regime coercion fracture—or consolidate—elite and security-force cohesion?

What other variables should we be watching closely over the next 72 hours?

[Adam Lucente @Adam_Lucente]

NEW🚨Major developments in Iran as 1000s take to streets on 12th day of protests:

•at least 16 cities partake, huge crowds in Tehran (oppo media)
•pro-shah chants, burning of IRGC banner & other property
•gov alleges violence
•Trump repeats threat

https://t.co/CWlBZs8tcn

[Liam @LiamDavid_]

We now know the answer…

The US has been told to collect the handover at the Department for International Relations.

[Liam @LiamDavid_]

Sunday will be interesting. Will the US send an official to hand over the G20 Presidency?

White House says they will send an official from the Embassy, but South Africa will not accept 👇

[Beth Rigby @BethRigby]

NEW: Joint statement from European leaders, incl UK, on Ukraine.

- Borders must not be changed by force

-Concern over proposed limitations on Ukraine’s army

- Elements relating to NATO & EU requires consent

https://t.co/LKn2YQQY5l

[Liam @LiamDavid_]

The summit declaration was adopted very early on and with an ‘overwhelming consensus’.

The US tried to block a G20 joint statement - going back to my other point that this is an important day for EU, BRICS, Global South.

#G20SouthAfrica

[Liam @LiamDavid_]

Big day for BRICS and Global South at this year’s summit - maybe the most important yet.

The absence of the US opens up room for emerging economies like Brazil & India to influence talks in their benefit.

Today highlights a changing order in world politics, where US is not at the top. Messaging from leaders today show that they can pursue the agenda without the US - but all of that may be irrelevant when Trump takes over the G20 presidency in December.