HEADLINES |  | | ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP | | NEWS ANALYSIS | | Military victory, political stalemate: The US's strategic myopia in the Middle East | Two weeks after launching the war against Iran alongside Israel, the Trump administration appears not to have anticipated Iranian strikes against neighboring countries, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz or the organized succession within the Iranian regime. It is also becoming clear that the two allies do not share the same priorities. | | Jake Sullivan was still national security adviser to Joe Biden at the end of September 2023 when he made what would become a famous remark: "The Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades." That "calm" was precarious. Eight days later, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a terrorist attack of unprecedented scale and brutality against Israel, triggering historic upheavals in the Middle East, with the war in Iran now the latest chapter. | | By Piotr Smolar | | Read more |
| IN DEPTHEmmanuel Macron announced the death of a French service member in a drone strike claimed by a pro-Iranian armed group. Six other soldiers were wounded. By Elise Vincent |
| NEWS ANALYSISEver since Israel and Lebanon signed a theoretical truce in November 2024, which Israel never respected, the international community has stayed almost entirely silent, implicitly accepting the rule of force over international law. By Laure Stephan |
| NEWSTen years after Alejandro Aravena, Radic has become the second Chilean to be awarded what is considered the Nobel Prize of architecture. By Isabelle Regnier |
|  | | KAMIL ZIHNIOGLU FOR LE MONDE | | IN DEPTH | | France's far right sets measured ambitions for local elections | While the Rassemblement National is fielding candidates in 34 municipalities with over 100,000 residents, its highest hopes lie with Perpignan – already under the party's control – Toulon and Nice. It is mainly focusing on medium-sized cities in the northeast and southeast of France, its two traditional strongholds. | | Six hundred and fifty, according to Jordan Bardella; 750, claims Marine Le Pen. As the municipal elections on March 15 and 22 approach, the two leaders of the Rassemblement National (RN) boasted about the number of cities in which the far-right party is fielding candidates. Their estimates, and their claim of a "record," are inaccurate. According to a count by Le Monde, the RN and its proxies will field candidates in nearly 550 towns with more than 3,500 residents – fewer than they hoped. And in towns with over 10,000 residents, the RN will have fewer candidates than in 2014 or 1995. | | By Corentin Lesueur | | Read more |
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EDITOR’S PICKS | INVESTIGATIONBy Jérôme Lefilliâtre , Vincent Nouvet , Stéphanie Pierre and Ivanne Trippenbach |
| REVIEWBy Philippe Dagen |
| COLUMNBy Gilles Paris |
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OPINION | | EDITORIAL | | The 2026 municipal elections herald a pivotal political period for France | | As the far right comes to power in many Western countries and in a world rocked by anxiety-inducing geopolitical shocks, the March 15 and 22 elections, while local in scope, also reflect the broader political climate. | | Voting rights only wear out when neglected. On Sunday, voters will be able to send a clear signal about the state of French democracy. On March 15 and 22, the two rounds of municipal elections will take place in France's 34,875 cities, towns and villages. This vote, a cornerstone of the republican pact, remains one of the most accurate barometers of the mood in a country that is both paradoxical, complex, rich in diversity and yet where national cohesion is vital. | | Read more |
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MORE STORIES | | IN DEPTH According to a report by a US-based NGO published on February 18, Hong Kong is enabling European products banned from export to Russia to circumvent allied sanctions. By Florence de Changy |
| | NEWS The French energy company faces setbacks from reduced production in the Persian Gulf, but soaring oil and gas prices are expected to be beneficial. By Marie de Vergès |
| | NEWS The suspected attacker, released from prison in 2024, was identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former National Guard member who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group. |
| | FEATURE Doubt has taken root in Lens ahead of the March 15 and 22 municipal elections. A century-old Socialist stronghold, the town with a mining past could fall to the far-right Rassemblement National. By Eric Collier |
| | REVIEW The Musée National du Moyen Age welcomes representations of the mythical creature from every culture and era, though even this exploration does not exhaust the mysteries of the legend. By Emmanuelle Jardonnet |
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