Today’s briefing:
— Yacht diplomacy
— Tariffs are back
— Tomato, tomatoe
Your Insider’s briefing:
— Yacht diplomacy
— Tariffs are back
— Tomato, tomatoe
Good morning {{first_name | Intriguer}}. Intrigue’s group-chat was bantering earlier this week about America’s newly nominated ambassador to Malaysia, who apparently speaks Arabic, Croatian, French, Italian, Polish, and Slovenian… but not Malay. What a slacker!
Anyway, for all AI’s translation capabilities, it’ll never replicate the undiluted smug satisfaction of being surprisingly fluent in an unexpected language, particularly if folks were literally just talking smack about you, in front of you. In my experience, however, the most jaw-dropping linguists have actually been missionaries!
True story: a foreign missionary in India once attended a big cricket match, and casually dropped some fluent Hindi when the team rushed over to the boundary to celebrate. When the stunned players mentioned a few of them coincidentally hailed from this missionary’s same new home state in India, the foreigner casually switched to their regional language. Then when one of those players realised this missionary actually lived in his own home town, the two switched to an ultra-niche indigenous tongue while the rest of the team and surrounding fans apparently watched in awe.
Anyway, enough linguistic flexing, because we’re wrapping the week today with a briefing on some veeeery different ambassadorial flexes. Shall we?
 | Managing Editor Jeremy Dicker |
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Number of the day
$100
That’s where Brent crude oil has been trading as the US-Iran war re-escalates. That’s up 7% in a day, 14% in a week, and 37% in a month, with no immediate off-ramp in sight.
The haves and have yachts
Here you were thinking diplomacy is all champagne and trophy real estate and private jets, but... oh actually yes that's exactly what we're writing about today, as we brief you on four of the latest top ambassadorial flexes, starting with...
🇮🇹 America’s ‘Freedom 250 Coastal Diplomacy Tour’
That's how the US ambassador to Rome (Tilman Fertitta) is dubbing the current 13-stop cruise aboard his $450M superyacht that's now triggering protests around Italy. He's not worth $11B because he worked really hard as a career diplomat and pulled some epic overtime. Rather, he's a Trump donor who owns the Houston Rockets, the Landry's restaurant empire, and Golden Nugget casinos and hotels.
When not at America's historic Villa Taverna in Rome, he entertains aboard his Boardwalk yacht: helipads, pools, mini-golf, cinema — the full floating package. And to celebrate America's 250th birthday, he's taking this show on the road waves.
You might argue the theory is this projects US power and prestige in a way embassy canapés can not. Plus it becomes a must-have invite for Italian elites, politicians, and generals, doing a bit of business among NATO allies between sips.
So... why the protests? Sure, it's a mix of anti-Trump, anti-billionaire, and anti-overtourism, plus, complaining is the national pastime — all with some pro-Palestinian solidarity sprinkled on top. But it's also the cost to Italian taxpayers.
How? The Vienna Convention requires host governments to take "all appropriate steps" to protect foreign envoys. For most ambassadors, that means a single bored cop sleeping outside the embassy. But for those deemed high-threat (usually the US and Israel, plus others depending on the location), hosts go further, citing Vienna, intel, and/or just the political risk of something happening under your watch.
So that's why this $400M ambassadorial superyacht is now surrounded by Italian naval vessels, choppers, and snipers, with Italians picking up the tab. And yes, there’s something circular about spending more taxpayer money to protect against protestors angry about spending more taxpayer money, but we don’t make the rules.
Anyway, while Fertitta's Boardwalk draws Italian side-eye, wait 'til you see...
🇦🇪 The Emirati foreign minister's floating palace
That's right, the UAE's top envoy (Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan) owns the 147m (480ft), Lürssen-built Opera, which routinely features among the world's 10 biggest superyachts, plus the most-travelled (~29,450 nautical miles last year).
How'd AbZ get so rich? No, he didn't work really hard and make partner by 32. He's the son of his petrostate's founding father (an older brother now runs the show).
AbZ better be paying those deckhands handsomely to keep them loyal against the inevitable intel targeting, because we know he too uses Opera for official business: Albania's PM was just onboard last year (perhaps to chat about the new resort that's triggering protests), but AbZ otherwise keeps his own official guests pretty low-key.
And maybe there's the difference — he's signalling wealth, stability, and access via a frankly on-brand Emirati flex, but maybe with a little more discretion to avoid all the protests and local-paid goons (let’s be honest, AbZ does roll deep though).
Now from floating Gulf palaces, join us over in...
🇬🇷 Nightclub diplomacy, Athens edition
Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump's new ambassador (and ex-daughter-in-law), has made a splash you don't see often: via a full-blown nightclub party at Kentro Athinon in downtown Athens, hosted by Greek pop star Konstantinos Argyros.
Invites went out via the US embassy for a 9pm kick-off, with Guilfoyle somehow arriving fashionably late (~10pm?) to her own welcome, which then featured a personal serenade by Argyros, then traditional syrtaki and kalamatiano dances with Greek cabinet ministers, shipowners, and billionaires. When later presenting credentials to the Greek president, she apparently joked about working on a new husband.
But jokes and controversy aside, if an ambassador's aim is to reach a country's key players, maybe that A-list turnout suggests mission initially-accomplished?
Anyway, once you've finished dancing on Athenian tables at 1.30am, maybe chug a quick Gatorade then catch some zzzzs because we're starting early over at...
🇦🇺 DC's only grass tennis court
In the world's most powerful city swamped with 200+ ambassadors and endless lobbyists hustling for access and influence, Australia said hold my beer (probably literally, tbh).
You see, the ambassador's residence is called White Oaks, and was once home to General Patton. But these days, thanks to Australia's billionaire Lowy family (of Westfield fame), White Oaks is also now home to DC's only grass tennis court.
You might think who cares, but you'd be stunned how many powerful, closet tennis-nerds now make the pilgrimage for a quick hit: we're talking cabinet members, chiefs of staff, members of congress, and generals. Take that, superyachts.
Weird how sometimes the best soft power can be as simple as having the nicest lawn?
Intrigue’s Take
The above specifics aside, it’s hard not to notice that…
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Intrigue’s Take
The above specifics aside, it’s hard not to notice that the envoys most enthusiastic about yacht diplomacy or nightclub diplomacy or fashion diplomacy also tend to be the ones who already really liked yachts, nightclubs, and fashion.
And yes, we’ve worked with some truly awful political appointees over the years — bunch $250k in campaign donations to get that sweet sweet ‘ambassador’ name-plate at every family wedding for the rest of your life? Priceless.
But many of the political appointees we’ve seen over the years have been truly legit, and bring something most career diplomats will never match: a direct WhatsApp chat with the world leader who appointed them.
And yes, as uneasy as we may feel, in this emerging, more transactional, more multipolar world of ours, it’s that kind of direct personal leverage that’ll matter more than ever.
So by all means, go ahead and keep things old-school — lodge that formal diplomatic note with the local US embassy, wait a week for it to filter back to DC, where it may or may not get read given everything else on DC’s plate. But then don’t act surprised when someone else just hosts Guilfoyle at the hottest bar in town and maybe she’ll get a text back from the US president himself before the sambuca arrives.
Or to put it another way, the question for many capitals is becoming less about whether or not something is appropriate, and more whether you just want to hold your nose and win.
So yes, half-billion dollar yachts feel way too far down one end of the spectrum for us. But also, trust us when we say you don’t want to try conducting diplomacy stuck way down the other end either, which looks like rolling into an oligarch’s estate hoping they’ll make a big and nationally-significant investment, only to realise the guy stopped taking your cabinet minister seriously the moment you dropped him off in the embassy’s clapped-out Tarago that HQ still hasn’t approved replacing.
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Meanwhile, elsewhere…
🇺🇳 UNITED NATIONS — Auditions for next boss.
Germany’s Annalena Baerbock moderated the first public town hall debate for UN secretary-general candidates in New York last night, ahead of an initial secret straw poll due in the all-powerful UN Security Council next week. The matchup included a sixth new candidate, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (ambassador to the UN). (UN Web TV)
Comment: There’s been little coverage outside UN-watchers for two reasons: first, the candidates know this type of debate is really just a public legitimacy exercise, so they give the kinds of rehearsed, non-controversial answers that also make for dull TV. The other reason is that (absent any major gaffe) their answers don’t really matter — the next UN boss will realistically be decided via the usual horse-trading among the Security Council’s permanent five (US, UK, France, Russia, China). There are no guarantees, but our initial take remains unchanged: the favourite is still Rafael Grossi (Argentine diplomat running the UN nuclear watchdog), but he’s made enough enemies that Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan (ex-veep) could come through the middle as the least-hated alternative. Talk of FIFA’s Infantino becoming a candidate seems more a meme at this stage.
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES — Rebuilding the tariff wall.
President Trump has announced new 10%+ tariffs on 60 countries, including allies like Japan and Korea, key players like Europe and India, plus swing powers like Nigeria and Indonesia. (FT $)
Comment: These tariffs cite ‘forced labour’ concerns, not so much because Switzerland or Australia just got busted, but because that’s how s301 of the Trade Act empowers US presidents to impose tariffs in lieu of IEEPA’s ‘economic emergency’ basis rejected by a US court. The notice cites alleged labour breaches higher up the supply chain to widen the legislature’s net, and thereby help Trump rebuild his tariff wall against China’s oversupply. But tactics aside, a better strategy might be corralling partners then negotiating with Beijing as a bloc (like the TPP aimed to do), rather than tariffing them one-by-one while Beijing plays the stable and sympathetic bystander.
🇰🇷 SOUTH KOREA — Diplomat data hacked.
It turns out unknown hackers just spent 10 months inside South Korea’s online diplomatic training system, yoinking the personal data of past and present Korean diplomats. (TOI)
Comment: Mapping a diplomatic corps is classic intelligence work, so it’s hard to see how hacker-happy North Korea hasn’t played a role here. Also, show your HR department this story next time they pester you about completing that mandatory online training haha.
🇪🇺 EUROPEAN UNION — Fine, have it your way.
Brussels has handed down a giant $1B fine to Google, accusing it of favouring its own apps in anticompetitive behaviour. (EuroNews)
Comment: The most interesting part of this fine is maybe not the size but the tool, being Google’s first fine under Europe’s new Digital Markets Act. Interestingly, Brussels has paired the fine with some conciliatory rhetoric (praising Google’s constructive vibes), perhaps hoping Trump doesn’t again weigh in and threaten another broader trade war of attrition.
🇺🇦 UKRAINE — The palace intrigue continues.
After firing his defence minister (Fedorov) to placate his top commander (Syrskyi), then firing Syrskyi to placate citizens angry over his firing of Fedorov, it turns out the young, popular, and tech-savvy Fedorov is now refusing President Zelensky’s offer to return in another capacity! Fedorov’s preferred defence minister job is now with a former top spy (Khmara). (BBC)
Comment: It’s unclear what happens next, but Fedorov’s public profile only seems to rise each day this remains unresolved. Ditto the claims that President Zelensky’s real weakness, for all his wartime strengths, has always been managing the homefront politics.
🇵🇭 PHILIPPINES — ASEAN family photo.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has used this week’s ASEAN foreign ministerial in Manila to reassure Southeast Asian allies that DC isn’t walking away from the region while it tries to stabilise ties with Beijing. (Reuters)
Comment: Manila (a US ally) needs that kind of explicit reaffirmation, but the broader ASEAN regional bloc will be more sceptical after years of shifting US strategy, from Obama’s “pivot” to Trump’s “constructive relationship of strategic stability” — a term coined by China, which reacted to Rubio’s ASEAN cameo by again water-cannoning Philippine sailors.
🇦🇴 ANGOLA — Russians charged.
A local court has convicted two Russians of espionage, finding they used cash and other means to stir up anti-government and anti-West protests, plus even intervene in next year’s elections. One told the court he was merely a businessman in town to establish a Russian cultural centre. (BBC)
Comment: Angola, a major oil producer, is a key prize for East-West competition in Africa, but the current president (Lourenço) has been quietly moving Angola out of Moscow’s Cold War-era orbit. No doubt the Kremlin sees this as a strategic loss, hence the attempted ✌️cultural centre✌️.
🇧🇷 BRAZIL — Winners from the war?
Brazil’s oil output just reached an all-time high of 4.5 million barrels per day in June, a 19% increase (YoY). (Oilprice.com)
Comment: As we flagged earlier this year, Brazil is one of several energy-producers enjoying a price bump from the Hormuz energy squeeze.
Extra Intrigue
Some weekend recommendations:
Read: About Iraq’s current dilemma, stuck between a rock (Iran) and a hard place (the US).
Listen: Groovy, summery, light, but never banal. That’s Marechia’ by Neapolitan duo Nu Genea.
Watch: Need an explainer of Homer’s Odyssey before heading over to watch Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation? Look no further.
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Prize of the day
Ruiz and Gavi holding a box of tomatoes at their municipal celebrations. Credits: RTVE.
You may be done with World Cup content, but World Cup content is not done with you.
That’s because Spain’s star midfielders Ruiz and Gavi just returned for a victory lap through their hometown of Los Palacios y Villafranca, famous for its tomatoes.
And how did the locals say thanks for bringing home that sweet sweet trophy? The traditional way, of course, literally gifting them crates of the famous local ‘bombón colorao’ tomatoes to match their exact body weight. For those playing at home, it’s…
84kg for Ruiz, and
68.5kg for Gavi (bro needs more than tomatoes at that weight).
Can someone from Thailand’s town of Si Racha (famed for its hot sauce and crocodile farms) pls win a world medal, we want to check something.
Friday’s game
Match the international convention to the quote.