Al Majalla’s cover story last week covered the historic US-Iran deal from a range of perspectives. Robert Ford explains how the agreement differs from Obama’s 2015 JCPOA, while Kaswar Klara gives his insights on Pakistan’s pivotal role in brokering the Memorandum of Understanding. Providing the Gulf perspective is Zaid bin Ali al-Fadhil, while Michael Horowitz explains why Israel was left out of the deal.

For his part, Sharif Mohammad asserts that although Hormuz is open, states will still invest in workarounds, while Ibrahim Hamidi warns the agreement is still strewn with mines, much like the Strait itself. Can the agreement get over the 60-day mark? Con Coughlin warns of the difficulties. Meanwhile, Ahmed Maher interviews Luigi Di Maio, the EU Representative for the Gulf, who details how Brussels has responded to the US-Iran war and the concrete steps it has taken to help its GCC allies.

Moving on to the World Cup, Abdul Fattah Khattab explains how FIFA turned the football tournament into a giant cash cow, while Marco Mossad pens a piece titled A smarter ball, or a safer one? The header dilemma facing world football. “The official World Cup ball showcases the latest advances in football technology, but new research questions whether future designs should prioritise brain safety as well as performance, he writes.” And finally, Najeeb Mubarak traces the evolution of World Cup Songs.

Switching gears, Omer Onhon explains how Türkiye’s opposition is now a shell of its former self. “Since the CHP defeated the ruling AKP party in the 2024 local elections, its leaders have either been deposed or imprisoned, in what its supporters call a targeted campaign,” he says. And last but not least, Leila Amar interviews French actress and director Noémie Merlant in Cannes, on her latest and greatest works.