2025 Year in Review: Politics, War, and Major Policy Shifts

Major Political and International Events

• 🇺🇸 Donald Trump was sworn into his second non-consecutive term, immediately signing executive orders to undo Biden-era policies and advance his agenda, facing legal challenges from Democrats.
• 🇮🇱🇵🇸 A ceasefire in Gaza, brokered by President Trump's envoy, lasted until March when Israel launched a new offensive, with a subsequent ceasefire in October leading to peace agreement talks.
• 🇺🇦 The relationship between the US and Ukraine's President Zelensky was strained over US support, leading to a public argument on live TV, but new talks are now underway.
• 🇮🇷🇺🇸 The US conducted Operation Midnight Hammer, hitting three Iranian enrichment sites in June, reportedly setting back Iran's nuclear program by at least two years.

Domestic Policy and Social Impact

• 🍎 The Make America Healthy Again movement aimed to remove harmful ingredients from the food supply, but sparked controversy by targeting vaccines, with HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. claiming they cause autism, leading to decreased vaccination rates and the firing of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee.
• 🇲🇽 President Trump initiated a mass deportation program, with ICE raids becoming common, initially targeting criminals but expanding to include farm workers and those with temporary protected status, leading to protests and the deployment of National Guard members in several cities.
• 🇨🇺 The US hit three main Iranian enrichment sites in a series of devastating blows, an operation known as Operation Midnight Hammer.

Tragic Events and Societal Shifts

• دہشت In New Orleans, a terrorist attack on New Year's Day killed 15 people when an ISIS-linked attacker drove a truck into a crowd and opened fire.
• 🔥 Southern California experienced massive wildfires that burned for 24 days, destroying towns, killing at least 31 people, and causing over $50 billion in economic losses.
• 🕊️ Pope Francis passed away, and the subsequent conclave elected the first American Pope, Pope Leo XXIV, from Chicago.
• 🌊 Deadly flooding in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend claimed at least 135 lives, many of them young girls from a Christian summer camp.
• 🇺🇸 Two West Virginia National Guard members were targeted in a deliberate ambush in Washington D.C., leading President Trump to halt immigration applications for all Afghan nationals and asylum claims for most third-world countries.

Looking Ahead

• ⚽ The year 2026 will see continued focus on the Gaza ceasefire, the US performance in the World Cup, and the upcoming midterm elections.