International
United Nations on brink of financial collapse
MxM News
Quick Hit:
The United Nations is teetering on the edge of a financial collapse, with internal projections showing the organization could run out of money to pay salaries and suppliers by September.
Key Details:
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The UN has reportedly already slashed $600 million from its $3.7 billion operating budget this year, freezing hiring and moving some jobs out of New York in a desperate bid to avoid default.
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A memo shows the Trump administration is weighing a full halt in payments to the UN, potentially triggering a $1.1 billion deficit this year.
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Late or missing payments from 41 countries—including the U.S., China, Argentina, and Mexico—totaled $760 million last year, with just 49 member states paying on time.
Diving Deeper:
The United Nations is confronting a full-scale financial emergency that could leave it unable to pay staff or fund its core functions within months, according to a report published this week by The Economist. Secretary-General António Guterres has already slashed the UN’s core operating budget by $600 million—about 17%—in a bid to avoid a shutdown, but the crisis appears to be spiraling beyond his control.
Internal UN projections now warn that without additional cost-cutting or a surge in payments, the organization will run a $1.1 billion shortfall by year’s end. That would exhaust its reserves and leave the global body unable to fund its General Assembly, peacekeeping missions, or human rights operations as early as September. Guterres, in a letter seen by The Economist, has warned that the peacekeeping budget could run dry by mid-year.
The UN’s budget problems stem from a mix of chronic late payments and uncollected dues. Member states are required to pay their assessed contributions annually, based largely on the size of their economies. But many now pay late—some not at all. In 2024, nearly 15% of total contributions arrived in December, undermining the UN’s ability to manage expenses throughout the year. As of now, 41 countries—including the U.S., Argentina, and Venezuela—owe a combined $760 million in unpaid dues. Just 49 nations paid on time.
The U.S. and China, each responsible for about 20% of the UN’s total budget, are among the most consequential delinquents. While China did pay its bill in 2023, the money didn’t arrive until December 27th—too late to be fully spent, triggering a rebate under UN rules that forced the organization to return unused funds to all members, even those who hadn’t paid. The UN now estimates that it will have to issue a $300 million rebate in 2026 and a $600 million rebate in 2027—roughly 17% of its entire operating budget.
The situation with the United States is potentially more destabilizing. A White House memo reportedly indicates that President Trump is considering a total suspension of America’s $2.3 billion in annual dues as part of a broader reevaluation of U.S. involvement in international organizations. Trump had previously frozen payments to global bodies, dismantled USAID, and ordered a sweeping review of U.S. commitments to multilateral institutions, including the UN.
Under Article 19 of the UN Charter, any country that fails to pay its dues for two consecutive years risks losing its voting rights in the General Assembly. The U.S. currently owes around $3 billion—just shy of the $4.5 billion threshold that would trigger the rule. If Trump follows through, the U.S. could lose its vote by 2027.
This would not be the first time a major power tested the limits. During the Cold War, both France and the Soviet Union withheld payments over disputes regarding peacekeeping missions. To avoid enforcing the penalties, the General Assembly simply stopped holding votes—paralyzing the body out of fear that enforcing the rule would break it entirely.
Today, with cash drying up and political will fraying, UN diplomats are again sifting through precedents from the past—searching for answers, and bracing for what could be a seismic blow to the institution.
MxM News
Quick Hit:
Iran launched four waves of missile attacks Friday night, breaching Israel’s defenses and killing at least one person. Over 60 others were injured, with the IDF confirming direct strikes on civilian areas in Tel Aviv and central Israel.
Key Details:
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The Israel Defense Forces reported four rounds of Iranian missile fire, with at least ten missiles making impact inside Israel.
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One person was killed and 63 wounded, including several in critical condition, according to The Jerusalem Post.
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The IDF said Iran deliberately targeted civilians, contrasting its own earlier strikes that focused on Iranian military assets.
⚠️RAW FOOTAGE: Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles toward Israel in the past hours.
The IDF cannot, and will not, allow Iran to attack our civilians. pic.twitter.com/IrDK05uErm
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 13, 2025
Diving Deeper:
Several Iranian missiles broke through Israel’s air defenses during Friday night’s attack, striking Tel Aviv and other civilian areas. According to The Jerusalem Post, at least 63 people were wounded and one person was killed after four waves of Iranian ballistic missile strikes hit cities across Israel.
The IDF reportedly said roughly 100 missiles were fired in total. While the Iron Dome intercepted many, multiple missiles made it through and exploded in densely populated areas. Dramatic video showed a missile striking near downtown Tel Aviv, sending fire and debris into the air as people ran for cover.
Army Radio confirmed that ten missiles landed inside Israel between the first two waves. By the time the third and fourth waves hit, injuries had climbed sharply, with several listed in critical condition. The one fatality was reported late Friday night.
The Israeli Home Front Command temporarily allowed civilians to exit shelters but quickly reversed that guidance, urging residents to stay near protected areas amid fears of further attacks.
The IDF emphasized the nature of the targets, calling out Iran for targeting civilians. The IDF also released maps showing where air raid sirens were triggered throughout the night. Though Israel’s Home Front Command briefly allowed civilians to exit shelters, it advised them to remain nearby in case of continued strikes. As of late Friday, Iranian officials claimed a fifth wave could follow.
With tensions still high, Israeli defense officials are preparing for potential further escalation—and weighing how to respond to a direct Iranian attack on civilians.
From LifeSiteNews
Reports state that U.S. peace talks were a ruse and that Trump gave Netanyahu a ‘green light’ to hit Iran’s nuclear and military sites, killing top commanders.
A senior Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post that Tel Aviv and Washington worked together to convince Tehran that diplomacy was still possible after Israel was ready to attack Iran. Just hours before Israel’s massive assault began, President Donald Trump maintained he was still committed to talks.
The Israeli outlet reports, “The round of U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations scheduled for Sunday was part of a coordinated U.S.-Israeli deception aimed at lowering Iran’s guard ahead of Friday’s attack.”
READ: Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear sites, kills top commanders in massive air assault
In a post on Truth Social shortly before the Israeli strikes began, Trump declared that “We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue! My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
After the Israeli attack was in progress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the U.S. was involved. However, American officials have said the White House was aware Israel was set to begin striking Iran, with Trump telling Fox News he was briefed on the operation.
Barak Ravid of Axios, moreover, later reported that Tel Aviv was given “a clear U.S. green light” to start bombing, citing two unnamed Israeli officials.
Sources speaking with Axios said the perceived split between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was coordinated behind the scenes. “Two Israeli officials claimed to Axios that Trump and his aides were only pretending to oppose an Israeli attack in public – and didn’t express opposition in private,” the report explained. “The goal, they say, was to convince Iran that no attack was imminent and make sure Iranians on Israel’s target list wouldn’t move to new locations.”
The sources said that Trump and Netanyahu discussed the attack during a phone call on Monday. After the call, reports said Trump pressed Netanyahu not to attack Iran, but that was another effort to deceive Iran.
In a second post following the attack, Trump said he gave Iran the opportunity to make a deal, and suggested that Israel used American weapons in the massive air raid. “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done,” the president wrote.
The post continued, “I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it.”
The U.S. and Iran began negotiations on establishing a new nuclear agreement in April, with the two sides engaging in five rounds of Omani-mediated talks. At times, a deal appeared possible, with Iranian officials saying the dialogue was leading to progress. A sixth round of talks was scheduled for Sunday, but now appears unlikely.
A second source speaking with the Jerusalem Post said the goal of Israel’s military operations was not the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities, but rather to hit missile sites and top Iranian leaders to bring down the government.
Israel has conducted several rounds of strikes so far, hitting nuclear facilities, residential buildings in Tehran, and military sites. Iran has confirmed that several military leaders and nuclear scientists were killed in the bombing.
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