December 1917 to March 1918, Brest-Litovsk and Petrograd • Iran's 14-point counter-proposal to the US ceasefire offer (2 May 2026) attempts the maximalist diplomatic gambit Trotsky tried at Brest-Litovsk in February 1918.
Brest-Litovsk, February 1918. Tehran, May 2026. The same gambit, in two languages.
•7 min read
November 1956 to January 1957, London and Washington • US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth orders 5,000 US troops out of Germany after Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticises US strategy in the Iran war.
In 421 BC Athens and Sparta agreed a peace that was supposed to last fifty years. It lasted eighteen months. The breathing room was used by both sides to make their next war worse. This week, eight years into a different total peace, dozens of bombings preceded a presidential election in Colombia.
•4 min read
1939-1941 United States and the United Kingdom • King Charles III's April 2026 state visit during US-UK strain over the Iran war
In June 1939 a British king ate his first hot dog at Hyde Park, three months before the world went to war. This week, his grandson is in Washington at another moment when London and Washington need to be photographed liking each other.
•5 min read
1071-1080 Byzantine Anatolia • JNIM-FLA coalition seizes Mali cities as Russian Africa Corps mercenaries withdraw under escort
In August 1071 the Byzantine emperor brought a polyglot army to defend Anatolia. The hired half walked away the night before the battle. The empire never recovered. This week, a similar exit happened on a different continent.
•5 min read
1507-1622 Persian Gulf • Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz draws three US aircraft carriers to the Middle East
Four hundred and four years ago this week, a Persian shah hired a Western fleet to break a Western tollkeeper's grip on the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is in the news again.
•5 min read
1807-1809 United States • US naval blockade of Iranian ports during the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
In 1579, Drake stole Spain's gold and Elizabeth used it to build the navy that defeated the Armada. In 2026, the EU is using Russia's frozen assets to fund Ukraine's war.