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 Welcome to the weekend. There are 450 facilities in the Persian Gulf that provide what the CIA calls the region's "strategic commodity." Despite being protected under international law, the plants have been attacked during the Iran war. What do the facilities do? Find out with this week's Pointed quiz. Also on Iran: This weekend we look at why Tehran isn't breaking, lessons from Iraq, the long game for the Gulf, tensions in India, angst in Dubai, and the gut-wrenching choice facing an Oscar-nominated Iranian director. Watch live coverage on Bloomberg This Weekend, which airs from 7-10am ET on Bloomberg TV, Bloomberg Radio, Bloomberg.com, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to train your brain with today's Alphadots word puzzle, and don't miss tomorrow's Forecast. For unlimited access to Bloomberg.com, please subscribe. Staying PowerHas the US "won" its war with Iran or does it still need to "finish the job"? Donald Trump made both claims in one speech this week — ambivalence that Vali Nasr, a leading interpreter of Iran at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, says reflects the president's misconceptions. "He was hoping this would be a very quick war," Nasr tells Mishal Husain. But pressure can harden regimes as easily as it breaks them. A more conflict-prone world is also upending assumptions in Japan. After World War II, the US oversaw a sweeping demilitarization that dissolved the Imperial Japanese Army and ushered in a constitution renouncing war. Nearly 80 years into Japan's longest stretch of peace in modern times, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is poised to revisit that bargain — a shift that could reshape East Asia's security landscape, Alastair Gale writes. The fragility of peace is top of mind in Dubai, as Gulf cities come under Iranian missile and drone attacks. Some companies are evacuating staff, as countries run repatriation flights and private jet traffic surges. What it means for Dubai's future as a global hub is unclear — but Hong Kong's Covid-era expat exodus shows how capital and talent can decamp when a city no longer feels safe, open or predictable, Richard Frost and Mary Hui write. Questions about staying power are also haunting Hollywood. The movie industry has survived the supposed death blows of TV, consolidation and at-home viewing, but faces mounting pressures as Oscars Sunday approaches: layoffs, fewer productions and falling theater attendance. "The theater business is in a very dark and troubled place," media analyst Rich Greenfield tells Thomas Buckley. Survival may hinge on winning over one cohort in particular. What to WatchThe Oscars, live: Industry malaise aside, one longtime fan still stays up through the night to catch the ceremony wherever he's living — from VHS watch parties in Seoul to Bloody Mary breakfasts in Tokyo. It Was Just an Accident: The Oscar-nominated film about political prisoners in Iran confronting the man they believe tortured them was shot secretly in Tehran. Its director, Jafar Panahi, plans to return home after the ceremony — even though he faces prison. A Pale View of Hills: The new film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's debut novel revisits postwar Nagasaki through the memories of an unreliable narrator, probing how trauma and guilt lingered long after the atomic bomb.  A still from A Pale View of Hills featuring Suzu Hirose (left) and Fumi Nikaido. Source: Vue Lumière Conversation StartersDefeating a regime is easier than replacing one. The Iraq wars showed how toppling a government can unleash instability that proves harder to control. India's conglomerates are holding it back. Their sprawl encourages breadth over scale, limiting the dynamism needed to bolster the middle class. Plutocrats derail democracy. Despite a new book's counterintuitive view that the rich strengthen democratic debate, wealth is corrupting US politics. Fraying Trust"They were just like us... out at sea for over 40 days and missing home." Dileep Palla India's National Cadet Corps A US torpedo strike that sank an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka has sparked outrage in India — in part because many of the sailors had just been guests at a naval exercise hosted by New Delhi. The deaths of more than 80 crew members are testing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's delicate balancing act as Washington's war with Iran strains ties with a key Asian partner. Is It Worth It?La Colombe's 2,395-rand ($125) tasting menu. Only if you're already in Cape Town. The nine-course spectacle is widely considered Africa's best dining experience — but it's also an expensive full-evening commitment. The $299 Sonos Play speaker: Eh. It's the company's first hardware release since its app fiasco, but the bigger pitch is the whole-home system that only pays off if you buy several speakers. Psilocybin to quit smoking: Maybe! In a small trial, more than 40% of smokers given a single supervised dose stayed cigarette-free after six months, versus about 10% using nicotine patches. Promising, but still early science. A "prescription" to go fishing: Hell yeah. Doctors are increasingly experimenting with "social prescribing," sending patients to activities like angling to combat loneliness, depression and chronic illness. Smithwick's Irish Red Ale: Yes. Skip the dyed-green lager this St. Patrick's Day. The malty, copper-hued Irish classic is smoother and easier to drink than a stout, and far closer to what people in Ireland actually order. Ben Stiller's soda: Sure — red ale isn't for everyone! As Americans drink less alcohol, celebrities are riding the sober-curious wave by pivoting from tequila and vodka to booze-free drinks. (Plus: Stiller's is low-calorie.) A $900,000 Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1 watch: If you're Mark Zuckerberg. The ultra-rare timepiece — the company makes just 200 watches a year — is less about telling time than showcasing obsessive craftsmanship.  Source: Greubel Forsey Everyone's ReadingOne Last ThingMore from BloombergEnjoying Bloomberg Weekend? Check out these newsletters:
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