The Israel/US Proxy War for Regime Change in Iran

June 20, 2025

The Israel/US Iran offensive is not about nuclear weapons. It is about still another unwarranted proxy war. It aims at the restoration of the pre-1979 Iran.

Only days ago, President Trump reiterated that Iran will never have nuclear weapons. Yet, according to US intelligence assessments, Iran was up to three years away from being able to produce and deliver a nuclear weapon. While Israel built its case for war, the US didn’t buy it. The problem is that Trump did.

In the process, a misguided concept of Israel’s national security morphed into an even more twisted view of US national security. Ironically, Iran is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which Israel shuns.

Only days ago, the leaders of the G7 countries issued a joint statement stating Iran should not have nuclear weapons and affirming Israel’s right to defend itself. After October 7, 2023, these countries resorted to a similar argument, which then paved the way to Israel’s genocidal atrocities in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

Only days ago, the Trump administration insisted it was working for a peaceful resolution in the US-Iran talks, opposing the Netanyahu war cabinet’s unilateral military plans. Yet, by June 17, President Trump said the US demanded Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.” Threatening the life of Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he was considering “all options,” including a potential US strike against Iran.

Reminiscent of the West’s imperialist cartels in the late 19^th century, this is what the much-touted international “rules-based order” looks like in the early 21^st century, when the gloves are off and might makes right at the expense of the Global South.

The deception campaign

Not so long ago, the Iran-US negotiations still appeared to be promising. But expectations were revised almost overnight on Thursday June 12, when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran wasn’t complying with its nuclear obligations. That triggered a slate of diplomatic efforts to restore the UN sanctions on Tehran later this year.

As international debate amounted on the IAEA compliance issues, Iranian media began releasing images of the documents related to Israel’s nuclear program obtained by Tehran, claiming collusion between the IAEA and Israel.

Oddly, only a week before, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported Iranian intelligence services had obtained a large volume of sensitive material from Israel, including documents on its secretive nuclear and strategic facilities. As international debate amounted on the IAEA compliance issues, Iranian media began releasing images of the documents related to Israel’s nuclear program obtained by Tehran, claiming collusion between the IAEA and Israel.

On Friday June 13, Israel began a major military operation against Iran, including air strikes and reported covert action. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue attacks for “as many days as it takes” presumably targeting “existential threats” posed by Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missiles.

In a letter to the United Nations, Iran’s foreign minister described Israel’s attack as a “declaration of war,” calling on the UN Security Council to immediately address the issue.

These perilous developments, which Europe too is supporting, are taking place against the backdrop of the continuing US/NATO-led proxy war in Ukraine against Russia and Israel’s genocidal atrocities in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

Concurrently, U.S. diplomacy, including Special Envoy Witkoff’s talks and President Trump’s personal reassurances, have served as a bilateral ploy, basically to cover for the Israeli surprise attack. Building on disinformation, the deception campaign has reaped extraordinary short-term benefits. By the same token, it is likely to undermine US’s international credibility for years to come.

Neutralizing the Axis of Resistance

Ever since the Islamic Revolution, when President Carter froze billions of dollars in Iranian assets, Washington has sought to restore the pre-1979 status quo ante in Iran. It was the Shah’s rule that made Iran safe to American capitalism in the postwar era, thanks to the US-UK coup in 1953, US military aid and SAVAK, Iran’s dreaded secret police, partly trained by Israel.

Nonetheless, US regime-change initiatives moved to a new stage during the Bush Jr. administration. Since 2003, US Army has conducted an analysis called TIRANNT (Theater Iran Near-Term) for a full-scale war with Iran.

At the turn of the 2010s, the US and Israel deployed the Stuxnet virus, the world’s first offensive cyber weapon, to destroy almost a fifth of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges.

In 2015, years of challenging talks resulted in a nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA) between Iran, the US and a set of world powers. Despite Iran’s adherence to it, the Trump administration, in its anti-Obama zeal, pulled the US out of the deal in 2018.

The ultimate objective has been the obliteration of the Iran-led Axis of Resistance in the region. Hence, the Biden and Trump administrations’ tacit acceptance of Israel’s obliteration of Gaza, the destruction of Hezbollah’s footholds in Southern Lebanon, the efforts to rule-and-divide in Syria and Iraq, and the bombing of the Houthis in Yemen (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Western view: Iran’s Axis of Resistance

US-led “normalization” vs. Chinese development

Following the first Trump administration, the Biden cabinet struggled to have Saudi leaders establish diplomatic ties with Israel. There was talk about a security deal with the US, modeled loosely on the US-Japan mutual defense pact, with cooperation in a civilian nuclear program.

Preceded by Israel’s peace treaties with Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) and the Oslo Accords with the Palestinian Authority (1993-95), Biden’s “grand bargain” was predicated on Trump’s Abraham Accords (2020-2021) between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, respectively.

Like most of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia seeks both US and Chinese benefits. It has joined the BRICS alliance, remains one of China’s largest oil suppliers and is selling oil in multiple currencies. It is also the world’s second-largest arms importer and 74 percent of those weapons come from the US. That’s the leverage the US administrations have tried to use to limit Riyadh’s cooperation with Beijing on trade, technology and military matters.

Unlike the US, Beijing has invested significantly in the Middle East, defused tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, unified Palestinian forces and launched a historic strategic partnership with Egypt. The launch of another Silk Road ensued after major Chinese investments in Saudi Arabian stocks and the signing of memorandums of understanding worth $50 billion with six major Chinese financial institutions.

The US seeks exclusive military partnerships, whereas China builds inclusive economic alliances. Iran is the latest flashpoint of these conflicting goals.

Iran’s huge untapped oil and gas reserves

In the White House, regime change in Iran is seen as tempting, due to Iran’s huge regional economic and geopolitical importance. Connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea, the Strait of Hormuz, is one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints. Flows through the Strait make up over one-quarter of global seaborne traded oil. In addition, one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade transits the Strait annually. It is Iran’s insurance.

Iran is also the OPEC’s fourth-largest crude oil producer and the world’s third-largest dry natural gas producer. Most importantly, it holds some of the world’s largest deposits of proved oil and natural gas reserves. It is these lucrative resources that have paced the West’s external interventions in the country for a century (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Iran’s largest oil and natural gas fields

China has exclusive rights to several Iranian oil and natural gas fields. As part of a 2016-2017 agreement, Beijing cautioned it would regard any foreign attack on these areas as attacks on its own sovereign territory. Two years later, Iran joined China’s Belt and Road (BRI) initiative. In March 2021, the two countries signed a 25-year and $400-billion strategic cooperation agreement.

Based on tanker tracking data, China imports nearly 90% of Iran’s crude oil and condensate exports, up from 25% in 2017, the year before US-led sanctions were re-imposed.

Dire, direr and direst scenarios

Three years ago, the escalation of the proxy war in Ukraine drove Brent oil prices to record levels. Except for a brief spike amid Israel’s Gaza offensive, oil prices had halved from $120 to $60 in early May, even as gold continues to soar. In the past week, Israel’s attacks against Iran fueled the prices up to $77 (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Dramatic gold rallies, mild oil spikes

Until recently, this status quo was in line with the investment banks’ base case, which is premised on a limited strike scenario. In this narrative, Iran’s response stays moderate, elevated Israel/US-Iran tensions will not explode and trade routes remain largely unaffected. Except for brief spikes, Brent oil won’t exceed $75 per barrel.

This status quo is now at crossroads. When President Trump left the G7 Summit prematurely, he suggested he wasn’t looking for just ceasefire in the Middle East, but “A real end.” With further escalation, the White House is now setting the stage for a new, direr status quo.

In an elevated scenario, Iran will engage in heavier than anticipated retaliation (which has not happened), but Israel will continue its offensive and the Trump administration flirts with escalation. However, all actors still seek to avoid a full-scale regional conflict, which will become challenging as human and economic costs climb and if oil prices exceed $100.

Ignoring the sober advice of his own head of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump has single-handedly dragged the conflict closer to a broad and protracted conflict scenario. That has potential to involve not just Israel and Iran but the US, as evidenced by the Pentagon’s ongoing huge asset transfers into the region. In the absence of restraints, the consequent damage of regional energy infrastructure could prove extensive and result in blockages of chokepoints, such as the Strait of Hormuz. In such a scenario, oil prices could trade around $100-$150, with spikes even above $150.

It is still another unwarranted proxy war, but one in which global economic prospects would not be unaffected.

The original version was published by China-US Focus on June 19, 2025.

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About the Author

Dr Dan Steinbock The author of The Fall of Israel (2025), Dr. Dan Steinbock is an internationally-renowned visionary of the multipolar world and the founder of Difference Group. He has served at the India, China and America Institute (USA), Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more, see https://www.differencegroup.net

Trump Signals Iran Threat as Rift Grows Over Possible Military Action

June 19, 2025

President Donald Trump has suggested Iran is nearing the capability to build a nuclear weapon, a claim that puts him at odds with his top intelligence adviser and deepens internal divisions over whether the United States should join Israel’s military campaign.

On board Air Force One following his early departure from the G7 summit in Canada, Trump dismissed the view of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who testified in March that Iran had not resumed its long-dormant nuclear weapons program.

“I don’t care what she said,” Trump told reporters. “I believe they’re very close.”

Gabbard later responded by highlighting Iran’s rising uranium enrichment levels, claiming she and the president both recognize the danger. But the exchange reveals a growing divide within Trump’s administration and the broader “America First” movement over how the U.S. should respond.

Officials aligned with more aggressive policies, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and hawks in Congress, point to a recent International Atomic Energy Agency report accusing Iran of violating its nuclear commitments for the first time in two decades. They argue that military pressure is needed to halt Tehran’s progress.

Others, like Vice-President JD Vance and conservative voices including Tucker Carlson, urge caution. They warn that overstating Iran’s threat could drag the U.S. into another costly conflict, similar to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which was justified using flawed intelligence.

“The real divide isn’t over Israel or Iran,” Carlson said on X. “It’s between those who casually promote war and those trying to stop it.”

Trump, who rose to power as a critic of foreign entanglements, now faces pressure from both sides. While some Republicans call for regime change in Tehran, few within the White House appear eager to replicate the sweeping military intervention of the early 2000s.

As debate grows, the president’s decision to dismiss his intelligence chief’s sworn testimony raises questions about how he weighs advice — and whose judgment will shape the next major U.S. move in the region.

Related Readings:

Military Intelligence: The Future of Trust Between Allies
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U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Make Progress in Rome, Third Round Scheduled in Oman

Middle East on Edge as Israel Vows Retaliation for Massive Iranian Missile Strike

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Gainesville Coins Explores How Technology and Recycling Could Shape the Future of Silver Mining

June 19, 2025

Silver mining faces significant challenges as rich deposits become increasingly difficult to find and extract. With industrial demand growing for this critical metal, innovative recycling methods are emerging as vital solutions to potential supply shortages.

Mining limitations driving innovation

According to precious metals experts, the mining industry has reached a critical juncture at which traditional extraction alone may struggle to meet future demand.

“I just see the evidence for this is getting more and more dire as far as not being able to find new big deposits of gold and the time it takes to get a mine up and running,” says Everett Millman, precious metals specialist at Gainesville Coins.

These constraints come as industrial uses for silver continue to expand, particularly in green technologies like solar panels and electric vehicles.

Recycling revolution underway

Technological innovations in metal recovery are developing rapidly to address these supply challenges. Gainesville Coins identifies three key areas showing promise:

Electronics recycling advances

One of the most established recycling streams involves recovering precious metals from discarded electronics.

“We’ve gotten more and more efficient at getting the gold out of those electronics, where, yes, only a small portion of the components are gold,” explains Millman. “The rest of it is basically waste.”

These improved extraction methods make recycling increasingly economically viable despite the relatively small amounts of precious metals in each device.

Mining waste reprocessing

Mining operations typically generate substantial waste material containing trace amounts of valuable metals. New technologies target these previously overlooked resources.

“They have these big tailings that are basically just waste. They’re just toxic sludge. But there are small amounts of gold and silver and the other valuable metals still in there,” says Millman.

Advanced filtering and processing technologies now make it possible to extract these remaining metals, effectively mining the waste from previous mining operations.

Roadway metal recovery

Perhaps the most surprising innovation involves recovering microscopic precious metal particles from highways and roads.

“Catalytic converters and the exhaust of automobiles are always imperceptibly releasing small microscopic amounts of metals like palladium, platinum, gold, and silver onto the surfaces of highways and roads,” Millman notes.

Specialized street sweeping equipment can now collect these previously lost metals in economically meaningful quantities.

“There are sophisticated, highly efficient ways of kind of street sweeping now that are yielding some recycled metals, like a significant amount that makes economic sense for us to go and do it,” according to Gainesville Coins.

Economic viability improving

The economic case for these recycling methods strengthens as primary mining becomes more challenging and costly.

Traditional silver mining faces declining ore grades, making each new ounce more expensive. Mexico and Peru, the world’s largest silver producers, have reported declining output in recent years.

This reality shifts the financial equation toward recycling technologies that would have been uneconomical previously.

“We’re obviously going to have to ramp up these efforts to more effectively and efficiently recover little bits of precious metal that are already here if there are less new discoveries and less newly mined metal forthcoming,” Millman says.

Investment implications

These supply dynamics create challenges and opportunities for investors in the silver market.

Physical silver remains an accessible investment, with Gainesville Coins noting that anyone can begin investing with less than $100. However, the growing gap between industrial demand and primary mining capacity may support higher prices in the long term.

Recycling innovations, while promising, are unlikely to fully offset mining constraints in the near term, potentially creating a favorable environment for silver prices.

As technology continues to advance, the precious metals industry appears increasingly focused on maximizing recovery from existing materials rather than solely pursuing new mining discoveries—a transformation that may fundamentally alter how silver supply meets growing global demand.

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How the Best Missouri Auto Accident Attorneys Help Maximize Compensation After a Crash

June 18, 2025

Attorneys play a key role in boosting compensation after a Missouri crash. As the best Missouri car accident lawyers, Beck & Beck Attorneys ensure timely medical documentation, persuasive negotiation, and protection under Missouri’s pure comparative-fault rules, maximizing your legal claim.

In 85% of cases, claimants are contacted by lawyers—and those who hire them typically secure higher settlements. In Missouri, moderate injury settlements average around $22,400, while severe cases can reach $209,000. With legal counsel, 91% of plaintiffs receive payouts, compared to just 50% without it.

Experiencing a car crash can be a life-altering event, and most people feel overwhelmed in the aftermath. To qualify for the best medical help and otherwise deal with the situation, they need to understand their rights, work with insurers, and protect themselves legally.

Attorneys can assist in all of these aspects and more to ensure that their clients receive the full extent to which they are entitled. This post explains how lawyers come in handy in such tough situations.

Understanding Rights and Options

Attorneys explain to their clients what they are legally entitled to and their options. They help the persons involved in the crash understand how the personal injury law functions to make an informed decision. Such a situation is complicated and confusing, and knowing one’s rights and having a plan of action greatly simplifies things.

Gathering Essential Evidence

To create a winning argument, one needs a wealth of evidence. Attorneys know the necessary documentation and have the skills to obtain and organize it. In many cases, they gather and organize information about the victims’ treatment, accident reports, and witnesses’ testimonies and analyze them. If necessary, they hire experts to help them reconstruct the events properly. This results in stronger support for their case, which, in turn, leads to larger compensations.

Negotiating with Insurers

Insurance companies’ adjusters work hard to lower compensation for accidents, so they rely on victims’ ignorance in most cases. Attorneys, however, understand how they work and can negotiate more forcefully. They make sure that all conceivable factors, such as medical bills, lost wages, and emotional suffering, are considered when determining compensation value. Only then do they settle, and, in most cases, compensations end up substantially larger.

Calculating True Compensation Value

When it comes to medical bills, people often forget about several factors that should be considered when calculating losses due to a crash. Attorneys consider future treatment, long-term consequences for victims’ carriers, and emotional suffering. It is not a simple sum. Compensation should be calculated based on a person’s so-called baseline, a net of all factors, and predictions for the future. Attorneys understand that completely and never miss a detail.

Guiding Through Legal Procedures

It can be difficult for those outside of the legal system to understand legal procedures. Attorneys consistently voted as the best auto accident lawyers in Missouri provide clients with invaluable assistance in completing paperwork and ensuring it is completed on time.

With their experience in the field, everything becomes significantly less stressful for a person who has already had to deal with the aftermath of the crash. Clients can be secure in knowing that they will deal with the complexities of the law, all the while concentrating on their well-being.

Representing in Court

Sometimes, these issues will end up being taken to court, and the attorneys are the ones who will offer recommendations on these points. Moreover, experienced legal professionals will be able to present the case well, which will usually lead to a favorable judgment. The fact that there is someone to represent the point of view of another person in court makes them feel secure.

Maintaining Communication

Throughout the entire process, effective communication is essential. Attorneys keep in touch with the clients, letting them know the news concerning the situation. The transparency of communication is mission-critical; hence, great professionals ensure open dialogue with their clients.

This way, attorneys make sure that the clients are part of the process and can share their opinions whenever they want to do so. In addition, frequently updating the clients on what is happening in their cases helps attorneys to have more information.

Conclusion

Attorneys play a vital role in the path to receiving the highest compensation after car accidents. Their knowledge, persistence, and kind approach help people to feel safe and make the right choices. They educate regarding the law, gather as much information as possible, and communicate effectively. Attorneys’ roles rely on providing legal assistance, emotional relief, and various resources. After crashes, attorneys provide help and support to the victims, facilitating the auto injury claim process. Thus, with professional attorneys, people are more likely to get the fairest possible compensation and find the necessary peace of mind.

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Trump Sends Mixed Signals as Israel-Iran Conflict Deepens

June 18, 2025

President Donald Trump has shifted positions repeatedly on the escalating military confrontation between Israel and Iran, drawing criticism both at home and abroad.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists his country’s airstrikes were “fully coordinated” with Washington, Trump has offered conflicting messages. He initially voiced strong support for Israel’s campaign, then distanced the United States from any direct involvement.

On Thursday, after Israeli missiles struck Tehran, Trump warned Iran of “even more brutal” action from Israel, which has been using US-made munitions. But he later posted on social media that the American government had “nothing to do with the attack.”

The confusion deepened after Trump abruptly left the G7 summit in Canada, citing urgent business in Washington. The White House said his return was linked to developments in the Middle East, though Trump later claimed it had “nothing to do with a Cease Fire.”

Behind the scenes, Trump is balancing pressure from hawkish advisers who want a tougher stance on Iran, and others urging restraint. Talks with Tehran, which had been planned for Sunday in Oman, have collapsed.

Some Republican lawmakers are calling for regime change in Iran, believing sustained pressure could force its leaders to negotiate from a weaker position. But Trump, who has long styled himself as a dealmaker, has also floated diplomacy as a solution.

Inside his political base, a different struggle is unfolding. While many Republicans in Congress support Israel, some prominent voices within the Make America Great Again movement are urging Trump to pull back.

Right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson accused the White House of misleading the public about its involvement. He warned that the conflict could lead to the deployment of US troops to fight on Israel’s behalf.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene echoed those concerns, declaring that full-scale engagement would betray the America First agenda.

Amid rising tensions, Trump has attempted to reposition himself. Over the weekend, he joined Russian President Vladimir Putin in calling for an end to hostilities. By Sunday, he publicly urged Israel and Iran to pursue a deal, reiterating that the US played no role in the latest attack.

With Iran threatening retaliation against US military bases in the region, any American casualties could reshape the political calculus, pushing Trump further toward a more isolationist response.

Related Readings:

Ethnic Cleansing for “Gaza’s Riviera”? – A Secret Israeli Memorandum and President Trump’s Idea to Displace 2.3 million Palestinians

Intensifying Violence: Israel Strikes Beirut Amid Rising Regional Tensions
.

Middle East on Edge as Israel Vows Retaliation for Massive Iranian Missile Strike

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Emperio Capital’s Founders are Rewriting the Rules of Small Business Growth: One Strategic Stack at a Time

June 18, 2025

When Joshua Velazquez and Chase Alley launched Emperio Capital, they were not entering the finance world from the outside: they were battle-tested entrepreneurs who had fought, clawed, and innovated their way through some of the most unforgiving capital deserts in business. The traditional system had not worked for them, and they had no intention of perpetuating it.

Instead, they built a firm from the ground up to serve founders like themselves, entrepreneurs with vision, velocity, and the kind of operational urgency that traditional finance just does not understand. Emperio Capital is not a bank. It is not a VC. It is a funding execution partner engineered for speed, trust, and strategic leverage. Before Emperio, Velazquez and Alley had forged impressive entrepreneurial paths.

Velazquez, a seasoned growth strategist, scaled multiple ecommerce brands into seven-figure operations without access to traditional capital. He mastered the art of strategic debt by reinvesting revenue and crafting bootstrapped growth plans in the face of systemic funding roadblocks.

Alley’s trajectory was equally global and dynamic. He built and exited companies, and navigated complex financial logistics across the Middle East, Caribbean, China and United States while securing distribution deals that included royal clients. But even with these wins, accessing growth capital remained unnecessarily complex.

Those shared frustrations were the spark behind Emperio. Velazquez said, “We knew there had to be a better way. Not just faster money, but smarter money. Capital that fuels a vision, not just plugs a hole.”

Launched with the belief that capital should never be the bottleneck to business growth, Emperio Capital set out to reimagine how entrepreneurs access and use funding.

Their solution is equal parts financial innovation and customer empathy. Emperio does not offer loans. It offers custom capital stacks, personalized funding architectures designed to accelerate momentum without compromising ownership or liquidity.

Unlike banks, Emperio does not demand tax returns, P&Ls, or collateral. Instead, their proprietary vetting process evaluates a business based on behavioral signals, cash flow patterns, and strategic potential. It is possible for their private clients to receive funding options within 24 to 72 hours.

Alley said, “Our process was designed for the way founders actually operate. We are not here to say no. We are here to engineer the right, yes.”

The results speak for themselves. To date, Emperio Capital has structured over $100M in funding for clients across the SaaS and e-commerce industries to home services and construction.

For Emperio’s founders, capital is not a product. It is a strategy and they have built their company to reflect that.

Where traditional lenders treat funding as a transaction, Emperio treats it as a partnership. Every deal is structured with the client’s long-term success in mind. That could mean bridge capital to hit a milestone, stacked funding to support a new service rollout, or a growth round aligned with seasonal expansion.

One client, a direct-to-consumer brand on the verge of a national retail launch, used Emperio’s funding to secure inventory and ad placements within a week, timing that would have been impossible through traditional channels.

They do not just inject cash. They build a framework around the capital so that it creates compounding effects. It’s not just money, but momentum.

What makes Emperio especially distinct in a sea of fintech platforms is its commitment to the human element. The company sits in a unique lane: fast enough to rival algorithmic lenders, but personal enough to navigate real-world nuance.

At Emperio, real humans vet every deal. Advisors structure every offer. Clients are never routed through a call center or left in the dark.

This hybrid model, tech-enabled, trust-driven, has earned Emperio a Net Promoter Score over 90, and a fast-growing client base of repeat customers.

Alley said that they knew that they could not automate trust, so they didn’t try to.

Perhaps Emperio’s greatest contribution is its ability to serve what the founders call the “underfunded middle”, entrepreneurs who are too real for banks, too early for VCs, and too busy to wait for either.

They are not chasing unicorns. They are backing the gritty, the scrappy, the builders in the middle who need real capital right now.

These clients, coaches scaling their practices, contractors expanding their crews, and SaaS founders chasing product-market fit, are often overlooked by traditional finance. But they are also the backbone of the American economy.

By designing for their realities, Emperio has carved out a space that no one else seems willing or able to serve.

As Emperio scales, the focus remains on depth and breadth. The founders are expanding their roster of funding partners by refining their vetting technology and investing in deeper strategic advising for clients.

Velazquez said, “Capital is just the beginning. Our goal is to be the most valuable partner a founder has, for funding and growth.”

With over $100M in capital pipelines already engineered and a client base that spans industries and business stages, Emperio is proving that you do not need to play banker games to build big. You just need a better playbook.

To learn more, visit https://emperiocapital.com.

All the photos in the article are provided by the company(s) mentioned in the article and are used with permission.

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EY Announces Publication of Bold 12-Point Plan to Help Reignite Foreign Investment in Europe

June 18, 2025

New 12-step plan reflecting views of business leaders across Europe published as the continent faces a decrease in foreign investment.

Potential actions include reducing energy prices, simplifying regulation, boosting investment in innovation and AI.

Recommends ‘Choose Europe’ campaign to help promote key strengths, including skilled workforce and commitment to sustainability.

LONDON, 17 JUNE 2025. In a new report, the EY organization is calling on European business and government leaders to consider 12 collective steps to help enhance the continent’s attractiveness after foreign direct investment (FDI) into Europe hit a nine-year low in 2024.

The plan follows the publication of the latest EY Europe Attractiveness Survey, which found that European FDI fell by 5% in 2024, with double-digit declines in France, the UK and Germany ‒ the top three destinations for FDI in Europe.

The survey also found that 37% of surveyed businesses have either postponed, cancelled, or scaled back their investment plans in Europe, citing high energy prices, regulatory complexity, as well as trade and geopolitical tensions as key deterrents.

Julie Linn Teigland, EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner and EY Global Vice Chair – Alliances & Ecosystems, says:

“Europe is facing a critical moment and decisive action taken now can help transform adversity into opportunity. By focusing on these essential measures and taking action, Europe could enhance its global competitiveness by attracting the foreign investment that will help drive sustainable growth for years to come.”

To address key challenges and restore investor confidence, today’s publication outlines 12 actions Europe could take, focused on helping boost competitiveness, reinforcing resilience and firing up growth. The key potential actions are:

Reduce the energy gap: Businesses rank reducing energy prices and increasing energy independence as a top priority. Electricity prices in Europe remain significantly higher than in the US, and immediate action should be considered to help create a more competitive energy landscape.

Lead on sustainability: Europe’s commitment to sustainability is considered a competitive advantage – with two-thirds of business leaders saying that Europe’s sustainability efforts have boosted investment appeal. However, to maintain a leading position, policymakers must accelerate the low-carbon energy transition and simplify access to decarbonization programs.

Supercharge innovation: Europe lags other advanced economies in R&D investment. Europe should consider improving access to funding for early-stage businesses and enhancing collaboration to help drive innovation and attractiveness to leaders across a range of areas including AI and clean energy.

Simplify the rules: The complexity of operating in Europe frustrates businesses – 45% of businesses surveyed say that Europe’s approach to tax has decreased its attractiveness as an investment destination. Streamlining regulations and harmonizing approaches across Member States may be essential for boosting Europe’s investment appeal.

Make tax lower and predictable: Concerns over rising public sector debt and tax unpredictability are deterring investment and surveyed businesses say a more predictable tax environment is crucial, in addition to a reduction in corporate tax rates.

Shape a new trade strategy: Businesses cite tariffs and trade barriers as significant obstacles. Europe should work to further reduce internal trade barriers and build new trade relationships to enhance market access.

Champion strategic sectors: Protecting critical industries and promoting innovative sectors like clean energy and AI is considered to be vital for securing future growth and investment.

Support SMEs: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential to the investment ecosystem and targeted support and simplification of SME-related regulations is considered critical to help them thrive.

Invest in defense: Geopolitical tensions require increased defense spending, and a coordinated approach would be needed to increase confidence in European security.

Unlock access to finance: The availability and cost of capital are crucial for investment. Europe should therefore consider enhancing its capital markets and creating a more favorable environment for venture capital to thrive.

Foster and attract top talent: A skills deficit poses a significant challenge for Europe, which should consider investing in the right education to foster and attract top talent, especially in data and technology.

Choose Europe: A unified investment promotion push could help project Europe’s strengths and attract global investors, showcasing its skilled workforce, commitment to sustainability and the measures already taken to address longstanding barriers to investment.

For a comprehensive view of the findings and recommendations, please visit here, in addition to further detail on investment attractiveness of a range of other countries.

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Trump Returns to G7 Amid Global Tensions and Shifting Alliances

June 17, 2025

President Donald Trump joined fellow world leaders in the Canadian Rockies on Monday for the first G7 summit of his second term, stepping back into a global spotlight he has often treated with skepticism.

The gathering, held in Kananaskis, Alberta, comes seven years after Trump’s last appearance at a Canadian-hosted G7, where tensions boiled over and a now-iconic photograph captured the moment he clashed with allies over a joint statement he later rejected.

Today, much has changed. The world leaders who surrounded Trump in that 2018 photo — including Germany’s Angela Merkel, Japan’s Shinzo Abe, and Canada’s Justin Trudeau — have either left office or, in Abe’s case, been lost to tragedy. Four of the seven heads of government attending this year’s summit are first-timers, reflecting rapid turnover in leadership across the world’s top economies.

The stakes remain high. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, economic instability, and global trade disputes all compete for attention. Leaders are also expected to address issues such as AI development, drug trafficking, and climate disasters like wildfires.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that the rising threat from Iran and the risk of nuclear escalation will feature prominently in discussions. Still, Canadian officials have already scrapped the traditional end-of-summit communiqué, seeking instead shorter, issue-focused statements to avoid the type of friction seen in 2018.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the summit in hopes of reinforcing international support, particularly from Trump, who has remained cautious about imposing new penalties on Russia.

While Trump’s aides have played down expectations for breakthrough agreements, they have prioritized trade talks, especially with new tariffs looming. So far, his administration has secured only a framework deal with the United Kingdom.

This year’s format favors shorter sessions and one-on-one meetings, in line with Trump’s preferences. He is also expected to speak with Mexico’s President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who has criticized his immigration policies.

Trump’s return to the G7 offers a glimpse into how he plans to navigate global diplomacy in his second term. Once critical of multilateral summits, he has now chosen to reengage — at least for now.

“President Trump doesn’t view these gatherings as necessary for American power,” said Rachel Rizzo of the Atlantic Council. “But he clearly enjoys being around the world’s most powerful people — as long as he’s the one leading the room.”

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Protesters Rally Nationwide Against Trump as Military Parade Draws Criticism

June 16, 2025

Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled streets across the United States on Saturday in a coordinated wave of protests against President Donald Trump, timed to coincide with a military parade held in Washington, DC.

Branded “No Kings,” the protests spanned cities including New York, Philadelphia, Houston and Los Angeles. Organizers said hundreds of events were held, drawing millions to oppose what they describe as Trump’s authoritarian use of power in his second term.

The demonstrations came in response to a rare military parade staged on the president’s birthday and in honor of the US Army’s 250th anniversary. Trump, flanked by tanks and marching bands, stood in salute and declared, “They fight, fight, fight. And they win, win, win.”

But critics said the parade resembled a political spectacle rather than a tribute to service. The event’s estimated cost of up to $45 million drew rebukes from lawmakers and former military leaders, who called it an unnecessary display amid domestic unrest.

Protesters voiced concern over Trump’s immigration policies, particularly a new wave of deportation raids. In Los Angeles, where tensions had already been high, National Guard troops clashed with demonstrators near the Federal Building. Tear gas was deployed, though large groups nearby continued their march peacefully.

“This is about defending democracy,” said Karen Van Trieste, a nurse protesting in Philadelphia. “When you gut public health and tear families apart, people rise up.”

Polling suggests a majority of Americans still support Trump’s immigration approach. A CBS/YouGov survey last week showed 54% in favor of deporting undocumented immigrants, with 53% believing the focus remains on criminals.

The protest movement’s name, “No Kings,” reflects growing alarm over what critics call Trump’s disregard for constitutional limits on executive power. Despite the president’s warning of “heavy force” against protesters near the parade, most events unfolded without major incident.

In Washington, veterans and their families gathered for the parade, many of them separating the politics from the celebration. Vietnam War veteran Melvin Graves said, “We never got a parade. This is for all of us who served.”

While the crowd at the capital was smaller than expected—dampened by rain and public criticism—some attendees welcomed the rare show of recognition for military personnel.

Still, analysts noted a troubling overlap. “There’s an unsettling contrast between honoring troops in one city and using them to police protests in another,” said security analyst Barbara Starr.

In Minnesota, some protests were cancelled after flyers were linked to a man accused of killing a state lawmaker and her husband. Governor Tim Walz urged caution, though thousands still took to the streets.

As the country grapples with sharp political divides, Saturday’s demonstrations showed that opposition to Trump remains deeply mobilized—just as his policies continue to draw support from a substantial portion of the electorate.

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Trump Sends 2,000 National Guardsmen to Los Angeles Amid Migrant Raids Unrest

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Gen AI Gave Us Time to Think Bigger in Customer Support

June 16, 2025

By Dr. Gleb Tsipursky

For Sterling Parker, Executive Vice President of Global Support at Ivanti, customer support has never been a static function. Over his nearly 14-year journey with the company—starting from taking support calls on the front lines to now overseeing a global operation—he told me in our interview about witnessing firsthand how technology can transform not just how support is delivered, but also how teams think, collaborate, and innovate. Today, generative AI is at the heart of that transformation.

Turning Curiosity Into Capability

Ivanti’s journey with AI in customer support didn’t begin with the Gen AI boom of late 2022. The company started weaving machine learning into its support infrastructure as early as 2018. The initial goal was straightforward: automate low-effort, repetitive support tasks to improve the self-service experience and free up human agents to focus on higher-value interactions. This early integration used machine learning to analyze a customer’s behavior just before submitting a support case—where they’d been, what documentation they had already accessed, what entitlements they had—and then recommended related support articles. This modest beginning already produced measurable impact, deflecting up to 12% of incoming support requests.

But Parker and his team weren’t satisfied with marginal gains. “We really wanted to take it to the next level,” he said. With the maturity of large language models, Ivanti moved to embed Gen AI into customer-facing forums and community platforms. Now, users—whether logged in or not—can pose questions and receive dynamically generated responses drawn from a federated search across forums, product documentation, and internal knowledge bases. And unlike earlier iterations, these responses are not just links—they’re full explanations, augmented with traceable source references and immediate feedback mechanisms so customers can rate the AI’s helpfulness.

This evolution didn’t just enhance the user experience. It created a ripple effect internally, giving Parker’s team new roles as AI trainers and quality monitors. “It shifted from curiosity to capability,” Parker noted. “Now it’s something my team can’t live without.”

The Human-AI Partnership

Any implementation of AI in a human-dominated space invites questions about job displacement. But Parker’s team met the technology with open arms. “Because we’re a tech-first culture, the excitement outweighed the fear,” he explained. Still, skepticism lingered—would Gen AI really create value? That question was answered as soon as the technology began tackling some of the most frustrating tasks in the support process.

Any implementation of AI in a human-dominated space invites questions about job displacement.

Take case summarization. Before AI, engineers would spend hours post-call compiling notes from marathon troubleshooting sessions. Now, Gen AI auto-summarizes voice calls, assigns action items, and prepares documentation. This automation eliminated what Parker calls “low work”—necessary, yet soul-sapping administrative duties—freeing agents to focus on solving complex problems. “It made my team’s work more meaningful,” he said. “They’re happier, more engaged, and their job satisfaction has increased because they get to spend their time on higher-value contributions.”

This partnership between human expertise and AI augmentation is now a critical part of the team’s identity. As Parker put it, “AI isn’t replacing us. It’s helping us become better versions of ourselves.”

Guardrails for Accuracy and Trust

One of the most pressing challenges in using Gen AI in customer support is managing the risk of hallucinations—those confidently incorrect answers AI systems sometimes produce. Ivanti has built a robust system of human-in-the-loop oversight to combat this. The backbone of this process is its Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS) framework. Dedicated KCS coaches continuously monitor generative outputs and customer feedback to ensure the AI’s responses are grounded in verified knowledge, not assumptions or speculation.

“It’s a heavy lift,” Parker admitted. “But it’s absolutely necessary.” Ivanti’s use of a proprietary internal LLM also adds a layer of control, reducing exposure to the unpredictability of public models. This closed-loop training approach ensures responses remain accurate, relevant, and policy-compliant.

The result? AI that customers can trust—and that Parker’s team can stand behind.

Measuring What Matters

In an environment where speed and accuracy are paramount, quantifying the impact of AI is essential. Parker uses a blend of traditional KPIs and AI-specific metrics to evaluate performance. Deflection rate remains a cornerstone—tracking the percentage of support requests resolved without human intervention. But satisfaction is equally critical. “We marry deflection with CSAT,” he said. “If AI handles a case but frustrates the customer, that’s not success.”

Another powerful metric is the “effort score,” captured at the close of every human-handled incident. This tells Parker whether the interaction felt seamless and easy from the customer’s perspective, an essential measure in the support experience.

On the learning and development side, AI has dramatically reduced content production timelines. What once took four days to localize, caption, segment, and embed into training modules can now be done in minutes. Parker tracks this efficiency gain as another indicator of Gen AI’s value, helping his team accelerate onboarding and internal upskilling.

And there’s a financial side, too. Ivanti calculates cost savings by estimating the average cost per incident and comparing it to the number of cases deflected by AI. These hard numbers bring clarity to AI’s business impact.

Looking Ahead: The Rise of AI Agents

As the capabilities of AI continue to evolve, Parker’s vision for the next phase of support is centered on proactive, intelligent AI agents. In his ideal future, customers no longer need to explain the basics—product versions, tenant information, environment details. The AI agent already knows. It identifies the customer, understands the context, flags known issues, and even initiates next steps like sending notifications or preparing post-mortem documentation.

The AI should not only pass along logs and diagnostic information, but also suggest likely causes—ensuring that the human agent enters the interaction equipped and ready.

“It’s not just about reducing complexity for my team,” Parker explained. “It’s about reducing complexity for the customer.” The most powerful use cases, he believes, lie in automating the low-effort, high-volume interactions that clog up the pipeline. But even as AI takes on more of these roles, Parker emphasizes the importance of the handoff. When a problem needs human insight, the transition must be frictionless and well-informed. The AI should not only pass along logs and diagnostic information, but also suggest likely causes—ensuring that the human agent enters the interaction equipped and ready.

This is not about removing people from the equation. It’s about giving them room to think bigger, act faster, and deliver more.

Redefining the Role of Support

In an era where customer expectations are rising and loyalty is hard-won, the support experience can make or break a brand. By leaning into Gen AI, Sterling Parker and his team at Ivanti are proving that technology isn’t a threat—it’s a tool for transformation. AI has shifted their operating model, reframed their metrics, and re-energized their workforce.

Most of all, it’s created space. Space to innovate. Space to connect. Space to think bigger.

And in the fast-changing world of customer support, that may be the most valuable outcome of all.

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About the Author

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was named “Office Whisperer” by The New York Times for helping leaders overcome frustrations with hybrid work and Generative AI. He serves as the CEO of the future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Gleb wrote seven best-selling books, and his two most recent ones are Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams and ChatGPT for Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI. His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles in prominent venues such as Harvard Business Review, Fortune, and Fast Company. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox and over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist at UNC-Chapel Hill and Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.

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