Sune Engel Rasmussen
@suneengel.bsky.social
Security correspondent for WSJ and author of "Twenty Years: Hope, War and the Betrayal of an Afghan Generation". Eyes on war, the Arctic, organized crime and terror. He/him.
Even at the lower end of estimates, Iran's crackdown on protesters would rank as one of the most violent deployments of state power against protesters, exceeding the toll at China's Tiananmen Square in 1989.
And 10,000 is just an unfathomable number.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
And 10,000 is just an unfathomable number.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Iran’s Protest Crackdown Looks Deadlier by the Day
Rights groups’ estimates grow to 10,000 or more dead as new details trickle out.
www.wsj.com
January 27, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Even at the lower end of estimates, Iran's crackdown on protesters would rank as one of the most violent deployments of state power against protesters, exceeding the toll at China's Tiananmen Square in 1989.
And 10,000 is just an unfathomable number.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
And 10,000 is just an unfathomable number.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
A US aircraft carrier is steaming its way to the Persian Gulf, possibly to help attack Iran.
But a strike, no matter the type, will have unpredictable consequences for Iranian protesters, and may not help them at all. My latest:
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
But a strike, no matter the type, will have unpredictable consequences for Iranian protesters, and may not help them at all. My latest:
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Trump Has Options in Iran. None Are Likely to Help Protesters Much.
A U.S. aircraft carrier is heading to the region. If Trump decides to intervene over Tehran’s crackdown, there could be unpredictable consequences.
www.wsj.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:59 AM
A US aircraft carrier is steaming its way to the Persian Gulf, possibly to help attack Iran.
But a strike, no matter the type, will have unpredictable consequences for Iranian protesters, and may not help them at all. My latest:
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
But a strike, no matter the type, will have unpredictable consequences for Iranian protesters, and may not help them at all. My latest:
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
In Iraq, Martin Tamm Andersen sat beside a dying Danish soldier who had stepped on an IED fighting America's war.
Now Trump threatens to take Greenland and Vance calls Denmark a bad ally.
"You feel betrayed. It’s extremely uncomfortable."
My story from Copenhagen
www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Now Trump threatens to take Greenland and Vance calls Denmark a bad ally.
"You feel betrayed. It’s extremely uncomfortable."
My story from Copenhagen
www.wsj.com/world/europe...
‘You Feel Betrayed.’ In Denmark, Public Stunned by Trump’s Designs on Greenland.
Of all the U.S.’s allies in Europe, Denmark was among those that fought closest alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan
www.wsj.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:37 PM
In Iraq, Martin Tamm Andersen sat beside a dying Danish soldier who had stepped on an IED fighting America's war.
Now Trump threatens to take Greenland and Vance calls Denmark a bad ally.
"You feel betrayed. It’s extremely uncomfortable."
My story from Copenhagen
www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Now Trump threatens to take Greenland and Vance calls Denmark a bad ally.
"You feel betrayed. It’s extremely uncomfortable."
My story from Copenhagen
www.wsj.com/world/europe...
IRAN: Ayatollah Khomeini once described the humiliating 1988 cease-fire with Iraq as drinking from a “poisoned chalice.”
Ali Khamenei now faces a similar situation. To save his rule he must give up lifelong ideological positions and strike a bitter compromise.
My story: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Ali Khamenei now faces a similar situation. To save his rule he must give up lifelong ideological positions and strike a bitter compromise.
My story: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Is Running Out of Road
With his room for maneuver shrinking fast, he faces a climbdown on deeply held beliefs to bring relief to his country.
www.wsj.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:21 AM
IRAN: Ayatollah Khomeini once described the humiliating 1988 cease-fire with Iraq as drinking from a “poisoned chalice.”
Ali Khamenei now faces a similar situation. To save his rule he must give up lifelong ideological positions and strike a bitter compromise.
My story: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Ali Khamenei now faces a similar situation. To save his rule he must give up lifelong ideological positions and strike a bitter compromise.
My story: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Excellent story by my colleague Max Colchester about the kind of economy Trump would inherit in #Greenland: sluggish, subsidized and accustomed to Scandinavian welfare
www.wsj.com/economy/welc...
www.wsj.com/economy/welc...
Welcome to Greenland, an Economy Reliant on Subsidies and Shrimp
Greenlanders get heavily subsidized by Denmark, and any future mining boom will be costly.
www.wsj.com
January 15, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Excellent story by my colleague Max Colchester about the kind of economy Trump would inherit in #Greenland: sluggish, subsidized and accustomed to Scandinavian welfare
www.wsj.com/economy/welc...
www.wsj.com/economy/welc...
When Chinese research submarines this summer traveled thousands of feet beneath the #Arctic ice, it sent a chilling message to the US and its allies.
If #Russia's dominance in the high north wasn't enough, #China is becoming more aggressive as well. Our story:
www.wsj.com/world/china-...
If #Russia's dominance in the high north wasn't enough, #China is becoming more aggressive as well. Our story:
www.wsj.com/world/china-...
China’s Push to Master the Arctic Opens an Alarming Shortcut to U.S.
National-security officials say Chinese submarines and icebreakers pose a new military threat from the High North.
www.wsj.com
December 30, 2025 at 8:45 AM
When Chinese research submarines this summer traveled thousands of feet beneath the #Arctic ice, it sent a chilling message to the US and its allies.
If #Russia's dominance in the high north wasn't enough, #China is becoming more aggressive as well. Our story:
www.wsj.com/world/china-...
If #Russia's dominance in the high north wasn't enough, #China is becoming more aggressive as well. Our story:
www.wsj.com/world/china-...
Drones, robots, sophisticated surveillance and navigation tech. All of it is now a tenet of modern warfare. But in the Arctic, where the risk of the next global conflict is growing, most hi tech equipment doesn’t work. My story:
www.wsj.com/world/where-...
www.wsj.com/world/where-...
Where Drones Drop Dead and GPS Goes Haywire
As the risk of conflict grows in the Arctic, Western militaries and startups are working to tackle the unique challenges of fighting there.
www.wsj.com
December 27, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Drones, robots, sophisticated surveillance and navigation tech. All of it is now a tenet of modern warfare. But in the Arctic, where the risk of the next global conflict is growing, most hi tech equipment doesn’t work. My story:
www.wsj.com/world/where-...
www.wsj.com/world/where-...
“I will keep killing to keep Bashar Assad in power... I will kill half the country if I have to.”
My colleagues @jmalsin.bsky.social and Summer Said on the notorious architect of the Assad regimes campaign to kill and collectively punish the Syrian people
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
My colleagues @jmalsin.bsky.social and Summer Said on the notorious architect of the Assad regimes campaign to kill and collectively punish the Syrian people
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
The Hunt for Assad’s Brutal Enforcer
Jamil Hassan left behind a legacy of deaths and torture when he escaped the Syrian revolution last year. Now his former victims are trying to bring him to justice.
www.wsj.com
December 12, 2025 at 8:57 AM
“I will keep killing to keep Bashar Assad in power... I will kill half the country if I have to.”
My colleagues @jmalsin.bsky.social and Summer Said on the notorious architect of the Assad regimes campaign to kill and collectively punish the Syrian people
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
My colleagues @jmalsin.bsky.social and Summer Said on the notorious architect of the Assad regimes campaign to kill and collectively punish the Syrian people
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Our exclusive: María Corina Machado traveled by boat yesterday to the island nation of Curacao. She is now on her way to Oslo where her daughter has just received the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf
www.wsj.com/world/americ...
www.wsj.com/world/americ...
Exclusive | Machado Made It Out of Venezuela by Boat a Day Before Nobel Ceremony
The opposition leader didn’t reach Oslo in time to collect Peace Prize but said she would be traveling to Norway.
www.wsj.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Our exclusive: María Corina Machado traveled by boat yesterday to the island nation of Curacao. She is now on her way to Oslo where her daughter has just received the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf
www.wsj.com/world/americ...
www.wsj.com/world/americ...
“All these folks that fought our wars should have been granted veteran status. We gotta make sure they get the same benefits as our veterans”
Advocates say the US should allow in more, not fewer, Afghans, and provide mental health counseling. My story:
www.wsj.com/politics/nat... #afghanistan
Advocates say the US should allow in more, not fewer, Afghans, and provide mental health counseling. My story:
www.wsj.com/politics/nat... #afghanistan
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Targets Even Closest Wartime Allies
The door is now shut to some 265,000 Afghans waiting to come, many of whom worked with the U.S. or have loved ones who did.
www.wsj.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:23 PM
“All these folks that fought our wars should have been granted veteran status. We gotta make sure they get the same benefits as our veterans”
Advocates say the US should allow in more, not fewer, Afghans, and provide mental health counseling. My story:
www.wsj.com/politics/nat... #afghanistan
Advocates say the US should allow in more, not fewer, Afghans, and provide mental health counseling. My story:
www.wsj.com/politics/nat... #afghanistan
Reposted by Sune Engel Rasmussen
@suneengel.bsky.social also wrote about a terrifying story (that lives rent free in my head) about this recently --
Stronger Than Fentanyl: A Drug You’ve Never Heard of Is Killing Hundreds Every Year
Ultrapotent synthetics, mostly from China, are easy to smuggle and mix into heroin, recreational drugs and gray-market pharmaceuticals.
www.wsj.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:34 AM
@suneengel.bsky.social also wrote about a terrifying story (that lives rent free in my head) about this recently --
Such an important story by my colleague Nicholas Bariyo. Locals accuse Chinese officials of deception, while Zambian President Hichilema is accused of kowtowing to Sino Metals while negotiating relief from a $6 billion debt to China.
www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...
www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...
China Pushes to Silence Victims of African Mining Disaster
Toxic waste from a Chinese mine in Zambia washed through homes and fields. Compensation offers are tied to nondisclosure.
www.wsj.com
October 28, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Such an important story by my colleague Nicholas Bariyo. Locals accuse Chinese officials of deception, while Zambian President Hichilema is accused of kowtowing to Sino Metals while negotiating relief from a $6 billion debt to China.
www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...
www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...
British Airways pulls sponsorship of Louis Theroux podcast bc of interview with Bob Vylan. Louis is a journalist and documentarian. Every media outlet on the planet tried to get an intv with Bob Vylan. Makes you wonder if the ppl at BA even know Louis' work
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
British Airways pulls Louis Theroux podcast sponsorship after Bob Vylan interview
Airline says singer’s defiant interview breached its policy on politically sensitive or controversial subjects
www.theguardian.com
October 26, 2025 at 8:35 AM
British Airways pulls sponsorship of Louis Theroux podcast bc of interview with Bob Vylan. Louis is a journalist and documentarian. Every media outlet on the planet tried to get an intv with Bob Vylan. Makes you wonder if the ppl at BA even know Louis' work
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
UK media is thriving on Substack. Received two absolute bangers of stories in my inbox this morning, from @londoncentric.media and @vittles.bsky.social.
I will keenly defend (some) legacy media outlets, but I also love the niche deep dives that smaller, independent outlets are able to do.
I will keenly defend (some) legacy media outlets, but I also love the niche deep dives that smaller, independent outlets are able to do.
October 20, 2025 at 2:53 PM
UK media is thriving on Substack. Received two absolute bangers of stories in my inbox this morning, from @londoncentric.media and @vittles.bsky.social.
I will keenly defend (some) legacy media outlets, but I also love the niche deep dives that smaller, independent outlets are able to do.
I will keenly defend (some) legacy media outlets, but I also love the niche deep dives that smaller, independent outlets are able to do.
European countries are scrambling to bolster their defenses before the next wave of Russian drones: Stockpiling shotguns, installing radars and teaching civilians how to knock out out drones. Our story:
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #denmark #nato #poland #ukraine
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #denmark #nato #poland #ukraine
Can Shotguns, Spy Planes and Lasers Protect Europe From the Next Drone Incursion?
A spate of suspected Russian drone appearances across Europe has forced countries to look for novel ways to protect their airspace.
www.wsj.com
October 14, 2025 at 7:45 AM
European countries are scrambling to bolster their defenses before the next wave of Russian drones: Stockpiling shotguns, installing radars and teaching civilians how to knock out out drones. Our story:
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #denmark #nato #poland #ukraine
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #denmark #nato #poland #ukraine
I spent 3 weeks on a cargo ship in the Arctic, from Canada to Greenland. Our only company was blizzards, killer whales, thick fog and icebergs. Here is my story about how the West is lagging seriously behind Russia in the Arctic, and why it's so difficult to catch up
www.wsj.com/world/inside...
www.wsj.com/world/inside...
Inside the West’s Race to Defend the Arctic
Sailors scanned for icebergs on a nine-day journey to the U.S.’s northernmost military installation this summer—part of an effort to erode Russia’s vast advantage in the region.
www.wsj.com
October 12, 2025 at 11:11 AM
I spent 3 weeks on a cargo ship in the Arctic, from Canada to Greenland. Our only company was blizzards, killer whales, thick fog and icebergs. Here is my story about how the West is lagging seriously behind Russia in the Arctic, and why it's so difficult to catch up
www.wsj.com/world/inside...
www.wsj.com/world/inside...
October 10, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Reposted by Sune Engel Rasmussen
📷 Les photos de notre @julietterobert.bsky.social dans ce reportage de @suneengel.bsky.social pour le @wsj.com, sur les militaires de l'OTAN qui s'entraînent à combattre dans l'Arctique suédois par temps chaud. www.wsj.com/world/europe...
October 1, 2025 at 9:26 AM
📷 Les photos de notre @julietterobert.bsky.social dans ce reportage de @suneengel.bsky.social pour le @wsj.com, sur les militaires de l'OTAN qui s'entraînent à combattre dans l'Arctique suédois par temps chaud. www.wsj.com/world/europe...
More drones over Denmark, over multiple airports, including a military airbase home to most of the country's F16 and F35 fighters jets. Govt says it doesn't have the tools to protect against drones and that it needs help, including from Ukraine
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #russia
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #russia
Denmark Says New Drone Flights Over Military Base, Airports Are ‘Hybrid Attack’
The country’s Defense Minister said there was currently no evidence linking the drone activity to Russia, and the unmanned aerial vehicles didn’t pose a military threat to Denmark.
www.wsj.com
September 25, 2025 at 11:14 AM
More drones over Denmark, over multiple airports, including a military airbase home to most of the country's F16 and F35 fighters jets. Govt says it doesn't have the tools to protect against drones and that it needs help, including from Ukraine
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #russia
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #russia
Danish police say a "capable operator" sent drones over Copenhagen airport last night, but can't at this stage confirm allegations by Zelensky that it was Russia
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #ukraine #nato
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #ukraine #nato
Drone Incursions Force Airport Closures in Copenhagen, Oslo
The airports closed for several hours after the drone sightings, the latest in a string of disruptions to European airspace.
www.wsj.com
September 23, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Danish police say a "capable operator" sent drones over Copenhagen airport last night, but can't at this stage confirm allegations by Zelensky that it was Russia
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #ukraine #nato
www.wsj.com/world/europe... #ukraine #nato
Uproar in Denmark over allegations that Trump associates are traveling to Greenland to sow divisions between the island and Copenhagen, and to recruit Greenlandic separatists.
White House official tells us: "We think the Danes need to calm down.”
My story:
www.wsj.com/world/suspec...
White House official tells us: "We think the Danes need to calm down.”
My story:
www.wsj.com/world/suspec...
Denmark Summons U.S. Envoy Over Suspected American Influence Campaign in Greenland
The alleged covert influence campaign aimed at driving a wedge between Denmark and the autonomous territory that President Trump has sought to control.
www.wsj.com
August 28, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Uproar in Denmark over allegations that Trump associates are traveling to Greenland to sow divisions between the island and Copenhagen, and to recruit Greenlandic separatists.
White House official tells us: "We think the Danes need to calm down.”
My story:
www.wsj.com/world/suspec...
White House official tells us: "We think the Danes need to calm down.”
My story:
www.wsj.com/world/suspec...
Good to see more reporting on nitazenes in UK media, and to see London clubs being proactive (stocking naloxone in medical rooms and telling clubbers about contaminated drugs.) In addition, I'll add that nitazene test kits are available to purchase online
www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/op...
www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/op...
Is London on the brink of a deadly opioid crisis?
Up to 500 times stronger than heroin, killer synthetic opioids called nitazenes are flooding the capital’s clubs — masquerading as other recreational drugs. Claire Cohen reports
www.standard.co.uk
August 8, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Good to see more reporting on nitazenes in UK media, and to see London clubs being proactive (stocking naloxone in medical rooms and telling clubbers about contaminated drugs.) In addition, I'll add that nitazene test kits are available to purchase online
www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/op...
www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/op...
221 people have been arrested since the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group in the UK a month ago, according to Counter Terrorism Policing. 10 people have been charged.
August 7, 2025 at 1:39 PM
221 people have been arrested since the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group in the UK a month ago, according to Counter Terrorism Policing. 10 people have been charged.
MY LATEST: Fentanyl fueled the worst drug crisis the West has seen. Now, an even more dangerous drug is wreaking havoc faster than authorities can keep up.
The looming danger is an emerging wave of highly potent synthetic opioids called nitazenes. Read the full story:
www.wsj.com/health/healt...
The looming danger is an emerging wave of highly potent synthetic opioids called nitazenes. Read the full story:
www.wsj.com/health/healt...
Stronger Than Fentanyl: A Drug You’ve Never Heard of Is Killing Hundreds Every Year
Ultrapotent synthetics, mostly from China, are easy to smuggle and mix into heroin, recreational drugs and gray-market pharmaceuticals.
www.wsj.com
July 30, 2025 at 9:09 AM
MY LATEST: Fentanyl fueled the worst drug crisis the West has seen. Now, an even more dangerous drug is wreaking havoc faster than authorities can keep up.
The looming danger is an emerging wave of highly potent synthetic opioids called nitazenes. Read the full story:
www.wsj.com/health/healt...
The looming danger is an emerging wave of highly potent synthetic opioids called nitazenes. Read the full story:
www.wsj.com/health/healt...
Absolutely extraordinary reporting from @jmalsin.bsky.social who got rare testimonies from men who survived years in Syria's notorious Saydnaya prison, and in the process uncovered a mass killing of hundreds of prisoners in 2023 that we didn't know about. Must read:
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
A Syrian Death Factory Gives Up Its Secrets
Under the Assad regime, Saydnaya prison became a mass-killing machine; ‘a symbol of shame for the whole world.’
www.wsj.com
July 10, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Absolutely extraordinary reporting from @jmalsin.bsky.social who got rare testimonies from men who survived years in Syria's notorious Saydnaya prison, and in the process uncovered a mass killing of hundreds of prisoners in 2023 that we didn't know about. Must read:
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
www.wsj.com/world/middle...