PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN THE
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PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN THE
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:18 am
PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN THE GATES
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Re: PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:18 am
IRGC Navy coordinates safe passage of 31 commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz
Thursday, 21 May 2026 4:15 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 21 May 2026 8:28 PM ]
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/05/2 ... Israel-war
This photo shows an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) boat taking part in an operation in the Strait of Hormuz, April 21, 2026.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says 31 commercial vessels, including oil tankers and container ships, have safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours under the coordination and protection of its Navy despite unprecedented insecurity caused by the “terrorist US military” in the Persian Gulf region.
In a statement on Thursday, the Public Relations Office of the Navy of IRGC announced that during the previous 24 hours, 31 vessels, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships, passed through the Strait of Hormuz with the coordination and security protection of the IRGC Navy.
“Despite the aggression of the terrorist US military and the creation of unprecedented insecurity in the Persian Gulf, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC Navy sought to establish a clear and secure route for the passage and continuation of global trade,” read the statement.
The Iranian authority controlling the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf has defined the supervisory management zone of the waterway, announcing on Wednesday that movement through the strategic corridor requires coordination and a permit.
Iran's Strait of Hormuz management authority defines supervisory zone
The Iranian authority controlling the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf defines the supervisory management zone of the waterway.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said the zone is "the line connecting Mount Mubarak in Iran and southern Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, on the eastern side of the strait, extending to the line connecting the end of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates, on the western side of the strait."
Iran has consolidated de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz through military checkpoints, ship vetting, diplomatic arrangements and in some cases security fees for safe passage, Reuters reported, citing Asian and European shipping officials as well as Iranian and Iraqi officials.
The report said the IRGC plays a central role in a new multi-layered transit system that gives preference to ships linked to allies such as China and Russia, while other vessels may require government-to-government arrangements or payments to pass.
The IRGC reviews an affiliation document supplied by a ship owner or operator and during the process they may want to physically inspect the ship.
"The affiliation check is to identify if the vessel has any connection to the US or Israel," a European shipping source told Reuters.
The IRGC requires ship owners to disclose details including the value of the ship's cargo, the flag, its origin and destination, the registered owner and manager, and nationalities of the crew, according to documents sent to shipping industry sources by Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority.
The vetting is carried out by Iranian state institutions including the Ports and Maritime Organization, the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, the national shipping organization, and the security overseer of the Supreme National Security Council, according to the report.
Ship owners' willingness to deal directly with Iran shows the degree to which the strait is under the Islamic Republic's control, Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer who specializes in Iran research and analysis, told Reuters.
"The straits will be blocked or opened up only by the approval of the Iranian government," said Citrinowicz. "Some will get through because of political alliances, others will have to pay, others will be turned back. This is the new norm."
Bilateral arrangements for passage include an additional step: Countries contact Iran's foreign minister to request permission. The minister forwards these to the Supreme National Security Council.
A decision is then made and communicated to the relevant bodies, including the IRGC which then provides the coordinates and instructions needed for safe passage.
Other countries have worked out different arrangements. Among them is India, which imports about 90% of its oil needs and about 50% of its gas, much of which passes through Hormuz.
New Delhi uses its embassy in Tehran to liaise with Iranian authorities, including the IRGC and the Iranian navy, which vets ships India wants to sail out of the Persian Gulf, according to an Indian shipping ministry official cited by Reuters.
"The Indian navy also told us that if the Iranians ask you to stop, then you should stop. If they ask you to move, you should move," the report said, "And we've been following those instructions."
Thursday, 21 May 2026 4:15 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 21 May 2026 8:28 PM ]
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/05/2 ... Israel-war
This photo shows an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) boat taking part in an operation in the Strait of Hormuz, April 21, 2026.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says 31 commercial vessels, including oil tankers and container ships, have safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours under the coordination and protection of its Navy despite unprecedented insecurity caused by the “terrorist US military” in the Persian Gulf region.
In a statement on Thursday, the Public Relations Office of the Navy of IRGC announced that during the previous 24 hours, 31 vessels, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships, passed through the Strait of Hormuz with the coordination and security protection of the IRGC Navy.
“Despite the aggression of the terrorist US military and the creation of unprecedented insecurity in the Persian Gulf, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC Navy sought to establish a clear and secure route for the passage and continuation of global trade,” read the statement.
The Iranian authority controlling the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf has defined the supervisory management zone of the waterway, announcing on Wednesday that movement through the strategic corridor requires coordination and a permit.
Iran's Strait of Hormuz management authority defines supervisory zone
The Iranian authority controlling the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf defines the supervisory management zone of the waterway.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said the zone is "the line connecting Mount Mubarak in Iran and southern Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, on the eastern side of the strait, extending to the line connecting the end of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates, on the western side of the strait."
Iran has consolidated de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz through military checkpoints, ship vetting, diplomatic arrangements and in some cases security fees for safe passage, Reuters reported, citing Asian and European shipping officials as well as Iranian and Iraqi officials.
The report said the IRGC plays a central role in a new multi-layered transit system that gives preference to ships linked to allies such as China and Russia, while other vessels may require government-to-government arrangements or payments to pass.
The IRGC reviews an affiliation document supplied by a ship owner or operator and during the process they may want to physically inspect the ship.
"The affiliation check is to identify if the vessel has any connection to the US or Israel," a European shipping source told Reuters.
The IRGC requires ship owners to disclose details including the value of the ship's cargo, the flag, its origin and destination, the registered owner and manager, and nationalities of the crew, according to documents sent to shipping industry sources by Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority.
The vetting is carried out by Iranian state institutions including the Ports and Maritime Organization, the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, the national shipping organization, and the security overseer of the Supreme National Security Council, according to the report.
Ship owners' willingness to deal directly with Iran shows the degree to which the strait is under the Islamic Republic's control, Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer who specializes in Iran research and analysis, told Reuters.
"The straits will be blocked or opened up only by the approval of the Iranian government," said Citrinowicz. "Some will get through because of political alliances, others will have to pay, others will be turned back. This is the new norm."
Bilateral arrangements for passage include an additional step: Countries contact Iran's foreign minister to request permission. The minister forwards these to the Supreme National Security Council.
A decision is then made and communicated to the relevant bodies, including the IRGC which then provides the coordinates and instructions needed for safe passage.
Other countries have worked out different arrangements. Among them is India, which imports about 90% of its oil needs and about 50% of its gas, much of which passes through Hormuz.
New Delhi uses its embassy in Tehran to liaise with Iranian authorities, including the IRGC and the Iranian navy, which vets ships India wants to sail out of the Persian Gulf, according to an Indian shipping ministry official cited by Reuters.
"The Indian navy also told us that if the Iranians ask you to stop, then you should stop. If they ask you to move, you should move," the report said, "And we've been following those instructions."
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Re: PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:19 am
Intl. scientists call for restoration of Iran’s Pasteur Institute after US-Israeli aggression
Thursday, 21 May 2026 7:41 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 21 May 2026 7:52 PM ]
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/05/2 ... he-Lancet-
A view of the heavy damage at the Pasteur Institute of Iran in Tehran, Iran on April 13, 2026, following military strikes launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. (Photo: Anadolu agency)
A group of international researchers has called on the global health community to take effective action to repair the Pasteur Institute of Iran, which sustained considerable damage from a series of US-Israeli airstrikes in late March 2026.
A paper published in The Lancet, a leading medical journal, warned that “the current destruction poses a fundamentally new threat: not simply disruption, but the possible loss of a cornerstone public health institution.”
The paper, co-authored by researchers from Iran, Europe, New Zealand and other Western countries, underscored that “the Pasteur Institute of Iran has been a pillar of the country's public health system for more than a century.”
“The loss of the institute is not merely symbolic; it represents a real, immediate, and dangerous threat to public health,” the authors wrote.
The researchers noted that, according to their Iranian collaborators, fortunately no one was physically harmed. However, they added: “crucial reference laboratories, including those for genomic surveillance, rabies, HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and vector-borne diseases, were completely lost.”
Daughter of a former Pasteur Institute of Iran director recounts her family
“Consequently, without these crucial facilities, seasonal and regional outbreaks might not receive timely and effective public health responses.”
The authors stressed that the damage is not solely a national issue; regional health security is also at risk.
“We urgently call on the international health communities to deploy their full capacity to protect health-care infrastructures and to foster the full restoration of the Pasteur Institute of Iran's essential laboratory and its diagnostic, surveillance, and vaccine capabilities.”
A century-old institution crippled
The paper noted that the historically important medical institution, founded 106 years ago, has played a key role in combating various human pathogens in the region and has responded to numerous epidemics and pandemics.
The institute houses reference laboratories, departments of vaccine research and production, pathogen surveillance, and outbreak response teams.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has already confirmed that, “following the damage caused by the airstrikes, the institute was no longer functional and could no longer deliver health services.”
The authors pointed out that the attacks occurred after years of sanctions had already left Iran’s public health system in a precarious condition.
“In 2018, we raised concerns in The Lancet that US sanctions were jeopardising Iran's viral hepatitis elimination programme,” they recalled. That programme depends on locally developed and produced vaccines and essential imported medicines.
During the SARS‑CoV‑2 pandemic, Iran suffered multiple epidemic waves while sanctions constrained access to genomic surveillance facilities and other resources crucial to the Pasteur Institute’s preparedness and response.
The institute has provided key public health infrastructure on multiple fronts, including vaccine development and production, national reference laboratory services, diagnostics, and genomic surveillance for infectious diseases such as cholera, rabies, measles, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis.
The unprovoked US-Israeli aggression on Iran began on February 28 with airstrikes that assassinated the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, along with senior officials, commanders and civilians.
The strikes also targeted dozens of cultural and heritage sites, educational institutions, universities, hospitals and medical facilities, as well as civilian infrastructure.
Iranian officials and global health experts have strongly condemned the US-Israeli airstrikes on the country’s medical and pharmaceutical infrastructure.
Thursday, 21 May 2026 7:41 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 21 May 2026 7:52 PM ]
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/05/2 ... he-Lancet-
A view of the heavy damage at the Pasteur Institute of Iran in Tehran, Iran on April 13, 2026, following military strikes launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. (Photo: Anadolu agency)
A group of international researchers has called on the global health community to take effective action to repair the Pasteur Institute of Iran, which sustained considerable damage from a series of US-Israeli airstrikes in late March 2026.
A paper published in The Lancet, a leading medical journal, warned that “the current destruction poses a fundamentally new threat: not simply disruption, but the possible loss of a cornerstone public health institution.”
The paper, co-authored by researchers from Iran, Europe, New Zealand and other Western countries, underscored that “the Pasteur Institute of Iran has been a pillar of the country's public health system for more than a century.”
“The loss of the institute is not merely symbolic; it represents a real, immediate, and dangerous threat to public health,” the authors wrote.
The researchers noted that, according to their Iranian collaborators, fortunately no one was physically harmed. However, they added: “crucial reference laboratories, including those for genomic surveillance, rabies, HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and vector-borne diseases, were completely lost.”
Daughter of a former Pasteur Institute of Iran director recounts her family
“Consequently, without these crucial facilities, seasonal and regional outbreaks might not receive timely and effective public health responses.”
The authors stressed that the damage is not solely a national issue; regional health security is also at risk.
“We urgently call on the international health communities to deploy their full capacity to protect health-care infrastructures and to foster the full restoration of the Pasteur Institute of Iran's essential laboratory and its diagnostic, surveillance, and vaccine capabilities.”
A century-old institution crippled
The paper noted that the historically important medical institution, founded 106 years ago, has played a key role in combating various human pathogens in the region and has responded to numerous epidemics and pandemics.
The institute houses reference laboratories, departments of vaccine research and production, pathogen surveillance, and outbreak response teams.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has already confirmed that, “following the damage caused by the airstrikes, the institute was no longer functional and could no longer deliver health services.”
The authors pointed out that the attacks occurred after years of sanctions had already left Iran’s public health system in a precarious condition.
“In 2018, we raised concerns in The Lancet that US sanctions were jeopardising Iran's viral hepatitis elimination programme,” they recalled. That programme depends on locally developed and produced vaccines and essential imported medicines.
During the SARS‑CoV‑2 pandemic, Iran suffered multiple epidemic waves while sanctions constrained access to genomic surveillance facilities and other resources crucial to the Pasteur Institute’s preparedness and response.
Press TV
@PressTV
Smoke seen in the sky above Tehran's Jomhouri street
11:48 PM · Feb 27, 2026
https://x.com/i/status/2027636908923199874
https://twitter.com/i/status/2027638127452430757
The institute has provided key public health infrastructure on multiple fronts, including vaccine development and production, national reference laboratory services, diagnostics, and genomic surveillance for infectious diseases such as cholera, rabies, measles, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis.
The unprovoked US-Israeli aggression on Iran began on February 28 with airstrikes that assassinated the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, along with senior officials, commanders and civilians.
The strikes also targeted dozens of cultural and heritage sites, educational institutions, universities, hospitals and medical facilities, as well as civilian infrastructure.
Iranian officials and global health experts have strongly condemned the US-Israeli airstrikes on the country’s medical and pharmaceutical infrastructure.
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Re: PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:19 am
Days After UAE Nuclear Plant Attack, Iran Extends Hormuz Boundaries To UAE Territory, Arabs Panic?
Hindustan Times
May 21, 2026 #Iran #Hormuz #UAE
Days after the UAE nuclear plant attack, Iran’s new Persian Gulf Strait Authority has declared a control zone stretching deep across the Strait of Hormuz and up toward UAE waters, demanding ships seek permits to pass. With a dual U.S.–Iran blockade already choking a route that once carried a fifth of global oil, even analysts are half‑jokingly weighing wild “bypass Hormuz” ideas like carving a mini‑Suez through Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.
Transcript
Days after the attack on the UAE's nuclear plant, Iran is now signaling a bold new move by appearing to extend its claimed maritime border in the straight
of Hormuz closer to UAE waters, raising fears of a fresh flash point in an already volatile Gulf. Iran's newlyannounced Hormu Straight Authority
has laid out how much of the crucial waterway it intends to bring under its jurisdiction, revealing detailed plans for tighter control over shipping lanes that carry a significant share of the
world's energy supplies. This development comes as a major shock for the United States and key Arab states as Iran moves to expand its boundaries in
the straight of Hormuz at a time of ongoing war and regional instability potentially giving tan unprecedented leverage over global oil flows. Iran on
May 20th revealed the exact extent of its controlled maritime zone in the straight of Hormuz publicly indicating how far its authority and enforcement
will stretch across one of the world's most critical energy choke points.
Tran's new Persian Gulf Strait Authority announced this move on X using the social media platform to formally introduce its mandate and signal to the
international community that it will play a central role in overseeing navigation through the waterway. The Persian Gulf Straight Authority said and I quote zone is the line connecting
Mount Mabarak in Iran and southern Fujera in the United Arab Emirates on the eastern side of the straight extending to the line connecting the end of Keshum Island in Iran and Amal Quain
in the United Arab Emirates on the western side of the straight. movement within this area for passage through the Straight of Hormuz requires coordination
and obtaining a permit from this body." Iran had effectively closed the Straight of Hormuz following USIsrael strikes on
February 28th, disrupting normal shipping patterns and demonstrating its ability to choke off vital oil and gas routes in response to military pressure.
Beyond Iran's closure of parts of the strait, the United States imposed its own naval blockade in the area. A step that tan has condemned as illegal and as
a blatant violation of its sovereignty and established maritime norms. Iran created the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to formally regulate and
oversee traffic in the Straight of Hormuz, centralizing control in a new body designed to manage shipping security and compliance with Iranian
directives. The PGSA said its account would provide real-time updates on operations in the waterway, turning it into an official channel for alerts,
instructions, and situational reports aimed at both domestic and international maritime audiences. Ships intending to cross the Straight of Hormuz will
receive electronic notifications outlining applicable rules, procedures, and safety requirements, ensuring that all vessels are clearly informed of
Iran's regulations before they enter its declared control zone.
May 17th, multiple reports said that massive explosions were heard in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi.
According to initial information, no casualties were reported, and the exact cause of the explosions has not yet been determined. Al Jazera reported that a
drone attack near the Baraka nuclear power plant ignited a fire in its vicinity, raising immediate security concerns. The drones reportedly targeted
the electrical generator at the Baraka nuclear power plant in the Alafa region of Abu Dhabi. Despite the incident, reports stated that the plant continues
to operate normally and that radiological safety levels have not been affected. A Dubai based journalist has explained why the Baraka nuclear power
plant is seen as strategically and symbolically vital for the UAE.
Aljazer spoke to journalist Natasha Churak after the reported drone attack on the Baraka nuclear power plant.
Turk described the facility as a crowning achievement for the UAE underscoring its national importance.
According to Alazer, Natasha Turak said, and I quote, "It is the first and only nuclear power plant
in the Arab world. Built in partnership with South Korea for $20 billion, the plant began full commercial operation in
2021 and supplies about 25% of the UAE's electricity. The Baraka plant also plays a key role in the UAE's climate and net
zero goals by 2050. The UAE operates the plant with help from the US with which it has an agreement to import nuclear fuel rather than developing its own ability to enrich and reprocess uranium.
It's really been upheld as an example for the world on how to develop a safe and peaceful nuclear energy program.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which reportedly caused a fire at an electric generator.
Emirati officials said there was no danger to the public and no radioactive leak following the incident.
Hormuz is currently seeing a dual blockade by both US and Iranian naval forces, adding to concerns over shipping security in the region. The straight of
Hormuz, located off the coast of Iran, is a vital waterway in the Middle East and one of the most closely watched sea lanes in the world. The Hormuz Strait is
considered a critical choke point and is approximately 33 km wide at its narrowest point, making it both strategically important and highly
vulnerable. At around 20 million barrels per day, Hormuz handled about 1/5if of global oil consumption before the war, underscoring its huge importance to
energy flows. The strait also handled roughly 20% to 25% of the world's LNG, much of which originated from Qatar and
moved through the passage to global markets. More than 80% of the oil passing through the Hormu straight was destined for Asian markets, showing how
heavily the region depends on this route. Amid a global energy shock and a sharp increase in oil prices, the question now is whether President Trump
will seek to open or champion another major maritime waterway, potentially redrawing sea routes to secure supplies and project American power even more aggressively.
Shipping monitor Tanker Trackers has posted a proposal suggesting there could be an alternative route to the straight of Hormuz, offering a possible bypass if the main passage becomes disrupted.
Tanker trackers said that Oman could in theory create an alternative maritime passage that would allow ships to avoid the straight of Hormuz altogether. On
May 11th, tanker trackers shared maps showing a very narrow section of Oman's Mandam Peninsula, highlighting the geography that makes the idea
technically interesting. The shipping monitor said a channel could potentially be opened through the Rocky Land Bridge at Maxa, creating a new route for
vessels to move through. Tanker Trackers added that the channel could be made deep enough for large vessels to pass through, making the concept more
significant for commercial shipping. On X, Tanker Trackers said, quote, "Please don't take this seriously because Oman
won't, but there's a narrow passage in museum, which in theory could be opened up to allow up to 25 m draft depth for vessels to navigate through. The Rocky Land Bridge at Maxa is only 228mm wide.
Suez Canal is 193 km long." unquote.
Tanker trackers compared the hypothetical project to the Suez Canal, drawing a parallel with one of the world's most famous and strategically important shipping routes. The Suez
Canal is considered one of the most important waterways in the world because of the central role it plays in global trade and maritime movement. According
to Wyatt, the original cost of building the Suez Canal was $100 million, which would be around $1.5 billion in today's
money. The Suez Canal provides the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia, making it a vital shortcut for international shipping. The canal links
the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea through Egypt, forming a crucial passage between two major bodies of water. The Suez Canal helps reduce sailing
distance, time, and fuel costs for ships, which is why it remains so important to global commerce.
Hindustan Times
May 21, 2026 #Iran #Hormuz #UAE
Days after the UAE nuclear plant attack, Iran’s new Persian Gulf Strait Authority has declared a control zone stretching deep across the Strait of Hormuz and up toward UAE waters, demanding ships seek permits to pass. With a dual U.S.–Iran blockade already choking a route that once carried a fifth of global oil, even analysts are half‑jokingly weighing wild “bypass Hormuz” ideas like carving a mini‑Suez through Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.
Transcript
Days after the attack on the UAE's nuclear plant, Iran is now signaling a bold new move by appearing to extend its claimed maritime border in the straight
of Hormuz closer to UAE waters, raising fears of a fresh flash point in an already volatile Gulf. Iran's newlyannounced Hormu Straight Authority
has laid out how much of the crucial waterway it intends to bring under its jurisdiction, revealing detailed plans for tighter control over shipping lanes that carry a significant share of the
world's energy supplies. This development comes as a major shock for the United States and key Arab states as Iran moves to expand its boundaries in
the straight of Hormuz at a time of ongoing war and regional instability potentially giving tan unprecedented leverage over global oil flows. Iran on
May 20th revealed the exact extent of its controlled maritime zone in the straight of Hormuz publicly indicating how far its authority and enforcement
will stretch across one of the world's most critical energy choke points.
Tran's new Persian Gulf Strait Authority announced this move on X using the social media platform to formally introduce its mandate and signal to the
international community that it will play a central role in overseeing navigation through the waterway. The Persian Gulf Straight Authority said and I quote zone is the line connecting
Mount Mabarak in Iran and southern Fujera in the United Arab Emirates on the eastern side of the straight extending to the line connecting the end of Keshum Island in Iran and Amal Quain
in the United Arab Emirates on the western side of the straight. movement within this area for passage through the Straight of Hormuz requires coordination
and obtaining a permit from this body." Iran had effectively closed the Straight of Hormuz following USIsrael strikes on
February 28th, disrupting normal shipping patterns and demonstrating its ability to choke off vital oil and gas routes in response to military pressure.
Beyond Iran's closure of parts of the strait, the United States imposed its own naval blockade in the area. A step that tan has condemned as illegal and as
a blatant violation of its sovereignty and established maritime norms. Iran created the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to formally regulate and
oversee traffic in the Straight of Hormuz, centralizing control in a new body designed to manage shipping security and compliance with Iranian
directives. The PGSA said its account would provide real-time updates on operations in the waterway, turning it into an official channel for alerts,
instructions, and situational reports aimed at both domestic and international maritime audiences. Ships intending to cross the Straight of Hormuz will
receive electronic notifications outlining applicable rules, procedures, and safety requirements, ensuring that all vessels are clearly informed of
Iran's regulations before they enter its declared control zone.
May 17th, multiple reports said that massive explosions were heard in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi.
According to initial information, no casualties were reported, and the exact cause of the explosions has not yet been determined. Al Jazera reported that a
drone attack near the Baraka nuclear power plant ignited a fire in its vicinity, raising immediate security concerns. The drones reportedly targeted
the electrical generator at the Baraka nuclear power plant in the Alafa region of Abu Dhabi. Despite the incident, reports stated that the plant continues
to operate normally and that radiological safety levels have not been affected. A Dubai based journalist has explained why the Baraka nuclear power
plant is seen as strategically and symbolically vital for the UAE.
Aljazer spoke to journalist Natasha Churak after the reported drone attack on the Baraka nuclear power plant.
Turk described the facility as a crowning achievement for the UAE underscoring its national importance.
According to Alazer, Natasha Turak said, and I quote, "It is the first and only nuclear power plant
in the Arab world. Built in partnership with South Korea for $20 billion, the plant began full commercial operation in
2021 and supplies about 25% of the UAE's electricity. The Baraka plant also plays a key role in the UAE's climate and net
zero goals by 2050. The UAE operates the plant with help from the US with which it has an agreement to import nuclear fuel rather than developing its own ability to enrich and reprocess uranium.
It's really been upheld as an example for the world on how to develop a safe and peaceful nuclear energy program.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which reportedly caused a fire at an electric generator.
Emirati officials said there was no danger to the public and no radioactive leak following the incident.
Hormuz is currently seeing a dual blockade by both US and Iranian naval forces, adding to concerns over shipping security in the region. The straight of
Hormuz, located off the coast of Iran, is a vital waterway in the Middle East and one of the most closely watched sea lanes in the world. The Hormuz Strait is
considered a critical choke point and is approximately 33 km wide at its narrowest point, making it both strategically important and highly
vulnerable. At around 20 million barrels per day, Hormuz handled about 1/5if of global oil consumption before the war, underscoring its huge importance to
energy flows. The strait also handled roughly 20% to 25% of the world's LNG, much of which originated from Qatar and
moved through the passage to global markets. More than 80% of the oil passing through the Hormu straight was destined for Asian markets, showing how
heavily the region depends on this route. Amid a global energy shock and a sharp increase in oil prices, the question now is whether President Trump
will seek to open or champion another major maritime waterway, potentially redrawing sea routes to secure supplies and project American power even more aggressively.
Shipping monitor Tanker Trackers has posted a proposal suggesting there could be an alternative route to the straight of Hormuz, offering a possible bypass if the main passage becomes disrupted.
Tanker trackers said that Oman could in theory create an alternative maritime passage that would allow ships to avoid the straight of Hormuz altogether. On
May 11th, tanker trackers shared maps showing a very narrow section of Oman's Mandam Peninsula, highlighting the geography that makes the idea
technically interesting. The shipping monitor said a channel could potentially be opened through the Rocky Land Bridge at Maxa, creating a new route for
vessels to move through. Tanker Trackers added that the channel could be made deep enough for large vessels to pass through, making the concept more
significant for commercial shipping. On X, Tanker Trackers said, quote, "Please don't take this seriously because Oman
won't, but there's a narrow passage in museum, which in theory could be opened up to allow up to 25 m draft depth for vessels to navigate through. The Rocky Land Bridge at Maxa is only 228mm wide.
Suez Canal is 193 km long." unquote.
Tanker trackers compared the hypothetical project to the Suez Canal, drawing a parallel with one of the world's most famous and strategically important shipping routes. The Suez
Canal is considered one of the most important waterways in the world because of the central role it plays in global trade and maritime movement. According
to Wyatt, the original cost of building the Suez Canal was $100 million, which would be around $1.5 billion in today's
money. The Suez Canal provides the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia, making it a vital shortcut for international shipping. The canal links
the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea through Egypt, forming a crucial passage between two major bodies of water. The Suez Canal helps reduce sailing
distance, time, and fuel costs for ships, which is why it remains so important to global commerce.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 40969
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:20 am
https://x.com/Iran_in_UK/status/2057405204279046462
Iran (I.R.of) Embassy in UK
@Iran_in_UK
13h
This is how ancient Persians made ice in the desert centuries before electricity existed
https://x.com/i/status/2057405204279046462
https://x.com/HPRRed/status/2057330563686469960
H4ND4L4
@HPRRed
18h
Statement from the Handala Cyber Command regarding suspicious movements by the American-Zionist enemy
Following an investigation into certain covert accesses obtained by the Handala Cyber Command to the military and security systems of the American-Zionist enemy, suspicious enemy activities indicating preparations for the renewed outbreak of military conflict in the coming days have become apparent. Therefore, as previously declared by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), should the enemy commit another act of aggression or recklessness, the Handala Cyber Command, in full coordination with the IRGC, will launch devastating transregional strikes against the energy and digital infrastructure of hostile states.
The joint operations command of the Handala Cyber Command and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has identified dozens of legitimate targets deep within enemy territory across multiple countries. At the very opening moments of any conflict, through combined cyber, missile, and drone operations, they will deliver devastating blows to Great Satan.
We hereby inform the heroic Muslim Ummah that your anonymous sons in Handala and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are more prepared than ever to avenge and seek retribution for our martyred leader, and they will bring a burning hell upon the enemy.
We will extinguish the rage burning in the hearts of the oppressed and downtrodden people of the world , enraged by child abuse and exploitation associated with Epstein, and by the killing of infants and patients on the island of the Kahanist sect , with the cold water of missiles.
If the world and the leaders of nations remained silent in the face of the killing of twenty thousand children in Gaza, then they must also remain silent before what they will witness in the future.
#Handala
*************
https://x.com/PressTV/status/2057529398010507599
Press TV
@PressTV
6h
"They Are Certainly Hiding Something"
Beit Shemesh Explosion: What Is the Israeli Regime Concealing from the World?
https://x.com/i/status/2057529398010507599
***************
Israel Genocide Tracker
@trackingisrael
An Israeli unit's "homecoming" party featured a display of their well-documented annihilation of southern Lebanon's villages, met with cheers and laughter from crowds of soldiers, their relatives, and family members.
It is a scene impossible to see anywhere but Israel.
1:47 PM · May 21, 2026
https://x.com/i/status/2057548738692776343
*********************
https://x.com/TheCradleMedia/status/2057471173215064459
The Cradle
@TheCradleMedia
10h
Covert UN mission successfully rescues millions of historical Palestinian refugee documents from Gaza
——
A highly sensitive, ten-month clandestine operation by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) successfully evacuated millions of historical archival documents from the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, safeguarding generations of Palestinian records. The Guardian reported on 14 May that the complex mission involved dozens of UN staff members across four countries racing against intense bombardment, cyberattacks, and shifting frontlines to prevent the permanent destruction of the files.
The rescued documents, many dating back to 1948, include original refugee registration cards, birth certificates, and land records that provide the sole legal and historical evidence of displacement for hundreds of thousands of stateless Palestinians.
The first phase of the 10-month operation began under heavy fire after Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of UNRWA's Gaza City headquarters in 2024. Turning down appeals to leave the files behind, a small team utilized rented pickup trucks to smuggle the paper archives south to Rafah over three dangerous trips, eventually moving them into Egypt using international staff who hand-carried the records past border checkpoints.
Concurrently, as hostile protests and arson attacks targeted UNRWA’s East Jerusalem compound ahead of new Israeli legislation banning the agency, staff members secretly moved a parallel set of historic archives across the border into Jordan.
The entire collection has since been compiled in Amman, where an extensive digitization project funded by Luxembourg is currently underway in a secure facility. More than 50 personnel are working to scan roughly 30 million individual documents by hand, a meticulous process that experts estimate will take another two years to fully complete.
According to historians cited by The Guardian, the preservation of this national archive is critical for any future legal resolutions to the conflict, ensuring that Palestinians retain access to their verified family lineages and documented histories despite the total destruction of physical infrastructure inside the Palestinian territories.
8:38 AM · May 21, 2026
**************************
https://x.com/Renardpaty/status/2057111058771317187
Renard Jean-Michel
@Renardpaty
Translated from French
Xi Jinping and Putin have tea: armchairs of the same height, two cups of tea.
Xi and Trump have tea: the American president’s chair is lower and he hasn’t been served tea.
The Chinese are masters in the art of protocol!
https://x.com/i/status/2057111058771317187
8:47 AM · May 20, 2026
*********************
https://x.com/IRANinHUNGARY/status/2057111509684109468
Iran Embassy Hungary
@IRANinHUNGARY
Here is Iran
https://x.com/i/status/2057111509684109468
#IranianGirls
8:49 AM · May 20, 2026
**********************
https://x.com/Heidi__Matthews/status/20 ... 9634464174
Stop the War Coalition reposted
Heidi Matthews
@Heidi__Matthews
Flotilla participants are arriving at Istanbul airport. This is what Israel military and prison personnel did to them.
Freedom Flotilla Coalition and 2 others
10:53 AM · May 21, 2026
****************************
https://x.com/Glenn_Diesen/status/2057324167586894277
Glenn Diesen
@Glenn_Diesen
The UK is outraged that Russia intercepted its spy plane that was flying along Russia’s Black Sea coast to pick targets.
10:54 PM · May 20, 2026
Iran (I.R.of) Embassy in UK
@Iran_in_UK
13h
This is how ancient Persians made ice in the desert centuries before electricity existed
https://x.com/i/status/2057405204279046462
https://x.com/HPRRed/status/2057330563686469960
H4ND4L4
@HPRRed
18h
Statement from the Handala Cyber Command regarding suspicious movements by the American-Zionist enemy
Following an investigation into certain covert accesses obtained by the Handala Cyber Command to the military and security systems of the American-Zionist enemy, suspicious enemy activities indicating preparations for the renewed outbreak of military conflict in the coming days have become apparent. Therefore, as previously declared by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), should the enemy commit another act of aggression or recklessness, the Handala Cyber Command, in full coordination with the IRGC, will launch devastating transregional strikes against the energy and digital infrastructure of hostile states.
The joint operations command of the Handala Cyber Command and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has identified dozens of legitimate targets deep within enemy territory across multiple countries. At the very opening moments of any conflict, through combined cyber, missile, and drone operations, they will deliver devastating blows to Great Satan.
We hereby inform the heroic Muslim Ummah that your anonymous sons in Handala and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are more prepared than ever to avenge and seek retribution for our martyred leader, and they will bring a burning hell upon the enemy.
We will extinguish the rage burning in the hearts of the oppressed and downtrodden people of the world , enraged by child abuse and exploitation associated with Epstein, and by the killing of infants and patients on the island of the Kahanist sect , with the cold water of missiles.
If the world and the leaders of nations remained silent in the face of the killing of twenty thousand children in Gaza, then they must also remain silent before what they will witness in the future.
#Handala
*************
https://x.com/PressTV/status/2057529398010507599
Press TV
@PressTV
6h
"They Are Certainly Hiding Something"
Beit Shemesh Explosion: What Is the Israeli Regime Concealing from the World?
https://x.com/i/status/2057529398010507599
***************
Israel Genocide Tracker
@trackingisrael
An Israeli unit's "homecoming" party featured a display of their well-documented annihilation of southern Lebanon's villages, met with cheers and laughter from crowds of soldiers, their relatives, and family members.
It is a scene impossible to see anywhere but Israel.
1:47 PM · May 21, 2026
https://x.com/i/status/2057548738692776343
*********************
https://x.com/TheCradleMedia/status/2057471173215064459
The Cradle
@TheCradleMedia
10h
Covert UN mission successfully rescues millions of historical Palestinian refugee documents from Gaza
——
A highly sensitive, ten-month clandestine operation by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) successfully evacuated millions of historical archival documents from the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, safeguarding generations of Palestinian records. The Guardian reported on 14 May that the complex mission involved dozens of UN staff members across four countries racing against intense bombardment, cyberattacks, and shifting frontlines to prevent the permanent destruction of the files.
The rescued documents, many dating back to 1948, include original refugee registration cards, birth certificates, and land records that provide the sole legal and historical evidence of displacement for hundreds of thousands of stateless Palestinians.
The first phase of the 10-month operation began under heavy fire after Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of UNRWA's Gaza City headquarters in 2024. Turning down appeals to leave the files behind, a small team utilized rented pickup trucks to smuggle the paper archives south to Rafah over three dangerous trips, eventually moving them into Egypt using international staff who hand-carried the records past border checkpoints.
Concurrently, as hostile protests and arson attacks targeted UNRWA’s East Jerusalem compound ahead of new Israeli legislation banning the agency, staff members secretly moved a parallel set of historic archives across the border into Jordan.
The entire collection has since been compiled in Amman, where an extensive digitization project funded by Luxembourg is currently underway in a secure facility. More than 50 personnel are working to scan roughly 30 million individual documents by hand, a meticulous process that experts estimate will take another two years to fully complete.
According to historians cited by The Guardian, the preservation of this national archive is critical for any future legal resolutions to the conflict, ensuring that Palestinians retain access to their verified family lineages and documented histories despite the total destruction of physical infrastructure inside the Palestinian territories.
8:38 AM · May 21, 2026
**************************
https://x.com/Renardpaty/status/2057111058771317187
Renard Jean-Michel
@Renardpaty
Translated from French
Xi Jinping and Putin have tea: armchairs of the same height, two cups of tea.
Xi and Trump have tea: the American president’s chair is lower and he hasn’t been served tea.
The Chinese are masters in the art of protocol!
https://x.com/i/status/2057111058771317187
8:47 AM · May 20, 2026
*********************
https://x.com/IRANinHUNGARY/status/2057111509684109468
Iran Embassy Hungary
@IRANinHUNGARY
Here is Iran
https://x.com/i/status/2057111509684109468
#IranianGirls
8:49 AM · May 20, 2026
**********************
https://x.com/Heidi__Matthews/status/20 ... 9634464174
Stop the War Coalition reposted
Heidi Matthews
@Heidi__Matthews
Flotilla participants are arriving at Istanbul airport. This is what Israel military and prison personnel did to them.
Freedom Flotilla Coalition and 2 others
10:53 AM · May 21, 2026
****************************
https://x.com/Glenn_Diesen/status/2057324167586894277
Glenn Diesen
@Glenn_Diesen
The UK is outraged that Russia intercepted its spy plane that was flying along Russia’s Black Sea coast to pick targets.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/20/russia-jet-near-collision-flying-near-raf-spy-plane
Russian jet causes ‘dangerous’ near miss after flying close to RAF spy plane. UK calls incident ‘unacceptable’ after Su-27 jet comes within six metres of unarmed RAF plane over Black Sea
Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor
The Guardian
Wed 20 May 2026 13.00 EDT
A Russian jet flew within six metres of an RAF spy plane flying at 500mph over the Black Sea, one of two mid-air incidents last month described as “dangerous and unacceptable” by the defence secretary, John Healey.
An Su-27 jet conducted six passes in front of an unarmed RAF Rivet Joint flying close to its nose in mid April, risking a collision that could have caused a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
On a second occasion, also in mid April, a Russian Su-35 jet flew sufficiently close to the British spy plane that it set off its emergency systems, including disabling the autopilot, as the plane conducted a surveillance mission over international airspace.
A Rivet Joint is a spy plane, with a crew of up to 30, capable of a wide range of electronic surveillance at a ranges of about 150 miles, and would have been monitoring Russian activity as part of a Nato patrol.
“This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots, towards an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace,” Healey said. “These actions create a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation.”
It is the most dangerous Russian action against a British Rivet Joint aircraft since a plane fired a missile over the Black Sea in 2022, the MoD said on Wednesday.
Russia has been increasing its military activity in Europe. Lithuanian politicians sheltered underground on Wednesday and air traffic at Vilnius airport was temporarily suspended after a drone violated the country’s airspace.
A day earlier, Russia’s ambassador to the UN claimed Moscow had information that Ukraine planned to launch military drones from Latvia and other Baltic states. Latvia dismissed the comments as “pure fiction”.
Two Russian frigates escorted oil tankers and a suspected arms shipment through the North Sea and Dover strait last month, their activities requiring a month-long surveillance patrol by the Royal Navy.
Last month, Healey revealed the UK had tracked three Russian submarines that loitered over critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic for a month before they sailed away.
“I would like to pay tribute to the outstanding professionalism and bravery of the RAF crew who continued with their mission despite these dangerous actions,” Healey said. “Let me be very clear: This incident will not deter the UK’s commitment to defend Nato, our allies and our interests from Russian aggression.”
10:54 PM · May 20, 2026
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 40969
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:21 am
Trump DESTROYED As His EMTPY RALLY GETS EXPOSED
Occupy Democrats
May 18, 2026
Trump attacks his own EGO playing GOD with ill-fated D.C. event!
Transcript
Oh my goodness, it is a good Monday here at Occupied Democrats. Welcome back. I have a breaking story regarding Donald Trump and his really thin orange skin
related to how much he loves himself and how much he feels or thinks or believes
he is loved because charlatan and false prophet doesn't cover it for him. No, he's just a fraud and a liar. And
nothing proved it more than back in his first term inauguration when he forced forced Sean Spicer to start out this way about his crowd size.
Photographs of the inaugural proceedings were intentionally framed in a way in one particular tweet to minimize the enormous support that had gathered on the National Mall.
And certainly Donald constantly pimps that I get 20 times more everybody else.
I had 107,000 people in New Jersey. You didn't report it. I have 10 times, 20 times, 30 times the crowd size. That's why I'm always saying turn around the cameras.
And when you're this much of a charlatan, you have to have Shawn throw in some disclaimers.
This is also the first time that fencing and magnetometers went as far back on the wall, preventing hundreds of thousands of people from being able to access the mall.
And in this breaking story, Trump is all about what he claims his history is.
In history, for any country, nobody's had crowds like I have. But Spicer's job was absolutely based on him stating this lie.
This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration. Period. Both in person and around the globe.
He'll always claim he was the biggest the biggest crowd I've ever spoken to at the mall. I was at the Washington Monument. I had crowds. I don't know
who's ever had a bigger crowd than I have. The biggest crowd I've ever spoken before was that day. And then in Donald Trump's classic style, he puts himself,
you know, I'm the same, but really there was more when it comes to Martin Luther King.
That's where Martin Luther King gave his great speech and he had a million people. And I had the same exact crowd, maybe a little bit more, but they said I
2 minuteshad 25,000 people in July. I had pictures of Martin Luther King's crowd, my crowds, the exact same everything, but it was 70 years difference. The
exact same crowd, but I actually had more people. But that's okay. Except for that literal factoid photo that makes this breaking story even more important.
Because if you didn't see it, oh my goodness, check out this story and video of what happened when Donald Trump
thought he would go full religion and talk God with his fans in DC. Big mistake. Huge mistake. Check this
breaking story and video out. Listen to what Trump actually said and chose from the Bible right here. Trump humiliated
as citizens failed to flock to his free event. The president spoke via video to a sea of empty seats. Donald Trump's
recycled religious video message was broadcast to rows of empty seats at the president's free event to rededicate
America to God. Rededicate 250 ran for over on Sunday at Washington's
National Mall. built by organizers as a national jubilee of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. It included worship songs,
appearances by religious leaders, and speeches by members of the Trump administration. The event was organized
by the White Housebacked Freedom 250, which is holding several events to celebrate the nation's anniversary over
the coming months. House Speaker Mike Johnson was the main Republican to appear in person with Vice President J.
D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsth pre-recording video messages
screened at the event. Trump also only appeared on screen as he was attending the Trump National Golf Club in
Sterling, Virginia on Sunday. He posted in all caps on Truth Social, "I hope
everybody at Rededicate 250 is having a good time." In the video, Trump read a
verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14 that urged people to humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence
among my people, if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their
sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes shall be open and my ears are tent through the prayer that is made in this
place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house that my name may be there forever and my eyes and my
heart shall be there perpetually. And as for you, if you will walk before me, as
5 minutesDavid your father, walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and shall observe my statutes and
my judgments, then will I establish the throne of my kingdom according to as I have, saying, there shall not fail you as a man.
However, images captured by Reuters from the event showed dozens of empty seats in front of the screens while Trump's
pre-recorded 3minute message was screened into proceedings.
The video message from Trump aired on Sunday was also the same footage he recorded in April for an event called
America Reads the Bible. According to the Associated Press ahead of Sunday, the Rededicate 250 website said they
expected several thousand attendees throughout the day. While no official crowd estimate was immediately available, the Washington Post said
rededicate 250 drew a crowd of thousands, a figure echoed by the Associated Press. Although entry was
free, the event's website stated that all attendees, including children, had to register through an RSVP form. The
live streamed event showed that crowd numbers fluctuated over the day, though empty seats at the front of the stage were a common sight during performances.
The crowd was sparse at the start of the event around 10:30 a.m. as footage from the live stream shows. While the crowd
had filled out, empty seats were still visible hours later. The event took place a month after Trump clashed with
Pope Leo I 14th and deleted an AI generated image of himself in a Jesus-like pose. Trump supporters,
meanwhile, called the day a huge success. Teenage proTrump influencer Bo
Lden claimed DC was filled to the brim with patriots honoring God. While deputy assistant to the president Sebastian
Gora wrote on X that there was a huge crowd. The Daily Beast has contacted Freedom 250 and the White House for
details on crowd figures. Yeah, that's several hours of just forms of crickets at the National Mall. That's what that
was. And my favorite part about that is that Donald Trump knows he isn't popular in DC. It's not really officially
summertime yet. He's killed tourism in the US. And yet this man is so arrogant.
He will still go and try and pull something off like that and risk exactly what happened, which is a lot of empty
seats. Hey, Donald, you have something to look forward to at the midterms. You guys like and share the video and oo stay frosty.
Occupy Democrats
May 18, 2026
Trump attacks his own EGO playing GOD with ill-fated D.C. event!
Transcript
Oh my goodness, it is a good Monday here at Occupied Democrats. Welcome back. I have a breaking story regarding Donald Trump and his really thin orange skin
related to how much he loves himself and how much he feels or thinks or believes
he is loved because charlatan and false prophet doesn't cover it for him. No, he's just a fraud and a liar. And
nothing proved it more than back in his first term inauguration when he forced forced Sean Spicer to start out this way about his crowd size.
Photographs of the inaugural proceedings were intentionally framed in a way in one particular tweet to minimize the enormous support that had gathered on the National Mall.
And certainly Donald constantly pimps that I get 20 times more everybody else.
I had 107,000 people in New Jersey. You didn't report it. I have 10 times, 20 times, 30 times the crowd size. That's why I'm always saying turn around the cameras.
And when you're this much of a charlatan, you have to have Shawn throw in some disclaimers.
This is also the first time that fencing and magnetometers went as far back on the wall, preventing hundreds of thousands of people from being able to access the mall.
And in this breaking story, Trump is all about what he claims his history is.
In history, for any country, nobody's had crowds like I have. But Spicer's job was absolutely based on him stating this lie.
This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration. Period. Both in person and around the globe.
He'll always claim he was the biggest the biggest crowd I've ever spoken to at the mall. I was at the Washington Monument. I had crowds. I don't know
who's ever had a bigger crowd than I have. The biggest crowd I've ever spoken before was that day. And then in Donald Trump's classic style, he puts himself,
you know, I'm the same, but really there was more when it comes to Martin Luther King.
That's where Martin Luther King gave his great speech and he had a million people. And I had the same exact crowd, maybe a little bit more, but they said I
2 minuteshad 25,000 people in July. I had pictures of Martin Luther King's crowd, my crowds, the exact same everything, but it was 70 years difference. The
exact same crowd, but I actually had more people. But that's okay. Except for that literal factoid photo that makes this breaking story even more important.
Because if you didn't see it, oh my goodness, check out this story and video of what happened when Donald Trump
thought he would go full religion and talk God with his fans in DC. Big mistake. Huge mistake. Check this
breaking story and video out. Listen to what Trump actually said and chose from the Bible right here. Trump humiliated
as citizens failed to flock to his free event. The president spoke via video to a sea of empty seats. Donald Trump's
recycled religious video message was broadcast to rows of empty seats at the president's free event to rededicate
America to God. Rededicate 250 ran for over on Sunday at Washington's
National Mall. built by organizers as a national jubilee of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. It included worship songs,
appearances by religious leaders, and speeches by members of the Trump administration. The event was organized
by the White Housebacked Freedom 250, which is holding several events to celebrate the nation's anniversary over
the coming months. House Speaker Mike Johnson was the main Republican to appear in person with Vice President J.
D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsth pre-recording video messages
screened at the event. Trump also only appeared on screen as he was attending the Trump National Golf Club in
Sterling, Virginia on Sunday. He posted in all caps on Truth Social, "I hope
everybody at Rededicate 250 is having a good time." In the video, Trump read a
verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14 that urged people to humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence
among my people, if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their
sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes shall be open and my ears are tent through the prayer that is made in this
place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house that my name may be there forever and my eyes and my
heart shall be there perpetually. And as for you, if you will walk before me, as
5 minutesDavid your father, walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and shall observe my statutes and
my judgments, then will I establish the throne of my kingdom according to as I have, saying, there shall not fail you as a man.
However, images captured by Reuters from the event showed dozens of empty seats in front of the screens while Trump's
pre-recorded 3minute message was screened into proceedings.
The video message from Trump aired on Sunday was also the same footage he recorded in April for an event called
America Reads the Bible. According to the Associated Press ahead of Sunday, the Rededicate 250 website said they
expected several thousand attendees throughout the day. While no official crowd estimate was immediately available, the Washington Post said
rededicate 250 drew a crowd of thousands, a figure echoed by the Associated Press. Although entry was
free, the event's website stated that all attendees, including children, had to register through an RSVP form. The
live streamed event showed that crowd numbers fluctuated over the day, though empty seats at the front of the stage were a common sight during performances.
The crowd was sparse at the start of the event around 10:30 a.m. as footage from the live stream shows. While the crowd
had filled out, empty seats were still visible hours later. The event took place a month after Trump clashed with
Pope Leo I 14th and deleted an AI generated image of himself in a Jesus-like pose. Trump supporters,
meanwhile, called the day a huge success. Teenage proTrump influencer Bo
Lden claimed DC was filled to the brim with patriots honoring God. While deputy assistant to the president Sebastian
Gora wrote on X that there was a huge crowd. The Daily Beast has contacted Freedom 250 and the White House for
details on crowd figures. Yeah, that's several hours of just forms of crickets at the National Mall. That's what that
was. And my favorite part about that is that Donald Trump knows he isn't popular in DC. It's not really officially
summertime yet. He's killed tourism in the US. And yet this man is so arrogant.
He will still go and try and pull something off like that and risk exactly what happened, which is a lot of empty
seats. Hey, Donald, you have something to look forward to at the midterms. You guys like and share the video and oo stay frosty.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 40969
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:23 am
Taiwan Invasion Trigger: China Prepares to Use North Korea’s Nukes to Cripple US Pacific Command?
Hindustan Times
May 22, 2026 #NorthKorea #KimJongUn #Trump
North Korea’s expanding nuclear arsenal is raising fresh fears across Washington and Asia, with analysts warning Pyongyang could soon overwhelm U.S. missile defenses and threaten the American homeland. As Trump faces growing pressure over Iran, Taiwan and China, concerns are mounting that Kim Jong Un’s rapidly advancing ICBM program may reshape the global nuclear balance. Reports suggest North Korea could dramatically expand its warhead stockpile over the next decade, while U.S. officials privately fear a worsening Taiwan crisis amid rising China tensions. Is America prepared for simultaneous threats from Pyongyang, Beijing and Tehran?
Transcript
Could the United States face a shortfall of precision missiles and munitions in a prolonged regional war? And if so, might that shortage occur before Iran's most
dangerous ally exhausts its nuclear capabilities? What would the strategic balance look like if the next dominant nuclear power turned out not to be China, but instead the close ally of
figures like Machaba, reshaping regional deterrence and global alliances? Is North Korea on the verge of developing a credible, reliable intercontinental
strike capability that could threaten the US homeland with a nuclear weapon for the first time in history? Could a buildup of roughly 50 North Korean
nuclear warheads be leveraged overtly or covertly as a strategic asset that gives China a hidden coercive edge in any confrontation over Taiwan? Could Beijing
exploit the nuclear threat posed by North Korea to create ambiguity, constrain US operational responses, and effectively paralyze US-Pacific
command's freedom of action during a crisis? According to reporting by Bloomberg, analysts now warn that North Korea may possess enough nuclear
warheads and delivery options to saturate and potentially overwhelm US missile defense systems, creating scenarios in which American interceptors and layer defenses could be strained
beyond their design capacity. [music] Intelligence estimates suggest Pyongyang currently holds roughly 50 nuclear warheads and officials say that
additional devices and file material actively under development in order to expand and diversify that arsenal over the coming years. Bloomberg reports that
if North Korea sustains its current production tempo of file material and warhead assembly, Kim's forces could feasibly approach or match the size of
Israel's nuclear stockpile by around 2035 with significant implications for regional and global deterrence calculations. South Korean officials
have warned that North Korea's industrial capacity and facilities could allow Pyongyang to build as many as 20 new nuclear weapons per year. A rate of expansion that would quickly change
strategic balances on the peninsula and beyond. Projections based on current production trends indicate North Korea could within the next decade amass a
nuclear arsenal that rivals the size of France's stockpile, raising questions about proliferation, deterrence, and the threshold for international responses.
atellite imagery and open- source reporting show Pyongyang is expanding and modernizing multiple facilities associated with the production of weaponsgrade file material, increasing
its ability to manufacture additional warheads at greater scale and pace.
Beyond stockpile growth, North Korea is actively testing and refining new delivery technologies ranging from long-range ballistic missiles to
potentially mobile and submarine launch systems that would make its nuclear weapons harder to detect, track, and defend against. If current expansion
continues, analysts warn Kim's nuclear arsenal could soon surpass the inventories held by the United Kingdom, Israel, and Pakistan, altering regional
threat perceptions and complicating traditional calculations of strategic par.
Bloomberg reporting warns that North Korea's Wasong series of intercontinental ballistic missiles may now pose a credible threat to US homeland defense systems, raising fresh
concerns about whether current US interceptors and sensors can reliably detect and defeat an incoming salvo.
Analysts say specific Wasong variants, including the 15, 17, 18, and 19, could be designed and tested in ways that
allow them to penetrate US groundbased midcourse defenses, challenging the layered missile shield that American planners have relied upon for decades.
The United States has invested roughly $65 billion in its groundbased midcourse defense network, a multi-layered system of interceptors, radars, and command
nodes intended to protect the homeland from limited ballistic missile attacks.
Beyond ICBMs aimed at distant targets, North Korea's dense inventory of short and medium-range missiles remains capable of striking US allies across
Asia, threatening bases, cities, and critical infrastructure in South Korea, Japan, and other regional partners.
Decades of sanctions, diplomacy, and pressure intended to halt Kim's nuclear program have so far failed to stop its expansion. As Pyongyang continues to
develop both file material production and delivery systems with growing speed and sophistication, Guam continues to be singled out as a principal target
because of its strategic location and the large stockpile of US munitions and military assets stationed there, making it a high-V value objective in
Pyongchang's contingency planning. Guam continues to be singled out as a principal target because of its strategic location and the large stockpile of US munitions and military
assets stationed there, making it a high-v value objective in Pyongyangs contingency planning. Some assessments suggest North Korea may be approaching
the threshold where it could wage an actual limited nuclear campaign, possessing enough weapons and delivery systems to threaten sustained nuclear operations against adversaries. [music]
Importantly, Pyongyang has never demonstrated a full-scale mass nuclear missile attack in live tests, leaving key questions about logistics, command,
and control, and the practical reliability of such an operation unanswered. Ultimately, uncertainty remains. While estimates and tests raise
concern, no definitive public evidence proves that Kim's nuclear capable missiles can reliably reach and strike North American targets under operational conditions.
Last year, US defense intelligence publicly assessed that North Korea possessed roughly 10 operational intercontinental ballistic missiles, a
baseline estimate that shaped allied planning and threat assessments at the time. More recent analyses suggest that Pyongyangs program has accelerated, and
some intelligence and open- source experts now estimate North Korea could field as many as 24 active ICBMs, substantially increasing its strike
options. Other reports go further, claiming North Korea may already have as many as 48 transporter erector launcher vehicles configured and ready, giving
the regime the mobility to disperse and rapidly launch multiple ICBMs. In recent years, dozens of ICBM-sized missiles
have been displayed in carefully staged military parades, signaling both a public projection of capability and a potential inventory far larger than
earlier estimates. However, analysts caution that many parade displayed missiles could be mock-ups or inert replicas intended for strategic
signaling, meaning visual appearances do not necessarily confirm full operational status. By contrast, the US groundbased
midcourse defense network currently fields 44 deployed interceptors located in Alaska and California, forming the primary homeland layer against
long-range ballistic missile threats. To respond to evolving threats, Washington plans to expand the shield by adding 20 additional interceptor silos in Alaska,
a move intended to improve engagement capacity and redundancy against larger salvos. Defensive planners also work with conservative engagement doctrines
that often assume the potential requirement of two interceptors per incoming warhead, one to increase the kill probability and a second as a hedge against interceptor failure.
Chinese state and regional reports say Xi Jinping is reportedly preparing a visit to North Korea, his first trip there in seven years, a diplomatic
gesture that would carry heavy symbolic weight for Beijing, Pyongyang, and regional security planners. A South Korean media report indicates the
Chinese president could arrive in Pyongyang as early as next week, a rapidly scheduled visit that would likely be intended to reset ties and send strategic signals across Northeast
Asia. At the same time, Washington has reportedly paused a planned 14 billion dollar arms sale to Taiwan, a decision officials say is aimed at preserving
munitions and equipment needed for potential operations related to the escalating conflict involving Iran. The proposed arms transfer has long provoked
Beijing's since China views the self-governed island of Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and consistently opposes foreign weapon sales that strengthen Taipe's defenses.
According to accounts from the Trump visit, she reportedly told the US president that Taiwan remains the single most sensitive and potentially explosive
issue in Cenino US relations underlining how easily the topic can escalate diplomatic tensions. Yet behind closed
doors, some of Trump's advisers have reportedly expressed growing concern that the situation around Taiwan is deteriorating and could spark a crisis if deterrence and diplomacy fail to
hold. Axios reported that US officials speaking privately worry Beijing might attempt coercive or military action against Taiwan within the next 5 years.
A timeline that has heightened urgency across defense and policy circles. As a result, many US officials now describe Taiwan as confronting its most serious
security threat in decades. A perception driven by Beijing's military modernization and shifting regional power dynamics.
A rare sighting near Hainan has thrust China's undersea military power back into [music] the spotlight. Footage appears to show a Type093B nuclear
attack submarine surfacing near popular tourist beaches. The submarine was reportedly seen not far from the strategically critical Ulin naval
complex on Hainan Island. Defense Security Asia reported on the sighting, citing a video said to have been recorded by a tourist on [music] May
14th. Open- source intelligence linked accounts said the submarine was moving unusually close to a public recreation area.
China's Type093B is currently seen as its most advanced nuclearpowered attack submarine. The Type 093B appears to be
China's top operational attack submarine until the next generation Type095 fully emerges.
Displacement is reportedly around 6,200 to 7,000 tons. Length is approximately
413 ft or about 126 m. Speed is said to reach around 30 knots. Crew are
estimated at roughly 100 officers and sailors. The submarine is reported to feature a vertical launch system along
with improved propulsion, stealth, and hydrodnamic performance. Open- source reporting also suggests the boat carries
advanced sensors and torpedo armament, boosting its combat capability.
[music]
Earlier, a satellite image had reportedly captured a Type093 submarine near an underground bunker back in 2020.
Notably, Hainan is not just a tourist island. It is also home to the strategically important Yulan Naval Base. Open source reporting says the
Yulan naval base is located near Sonia along Heynan's southern coastline. The highly secretive facility is believed to support major Chinese surface fleet and
submarine operations in contested regional waters. For China, Hainan appears to serve as both a postcard perfect coastline and a crucial military
launch point. The latest sighting underscores how the undersea contest in the South China Sea is becoming harder to ignore.
Hindustan Times
May 22, 2026 #NorthKorea #KimJongUn #Trump
North Korea’s expanding nuclear arsenal is raising fresh fears across Washington and Asia, with analysts warning Pyongyang could soon overwhelm U.S. missile defenses and threaten the American homeland. As Trump faces growing pressure over Iran, Taiwan and China, concerns are mounting that Kim Jong Un’s rapidly advancing ICBM program may reshape the global nuclear balance. Reports suggest North Korea could dramatically expand its warhead stockpile over the next decade, while U.S. officials privately fear a worsening Taiwan crisis amid rising China tensions. Is America prepared for simultaneous threats from Pyongyang, Beijing and Tehran?
Transcript
Could the United States face a shortfall of precision missiles and munitions in a prolonged regional war? And if so, might that shortage occur before Iran's most
dangerous ally exhausts its nuclear capabilities? What would the strategic balance look like if the next dominant nuclear power turned out not to be China, but instead the close ally of
figures like Machaba, reshaping regional deterrence and global alliances? Is North Korea on the verge of developing a credible, reliable intercontinental
strike capability that could threaten the US homeland with a nuclear weapon for the first time in history? Could a buildup of roughly 50 North Korean
nuclear warheads be leveraged overtly or covertly as a strategic asset that gives China a hidden coercive edge in any confrontation over Taiwan? Could Beijing
exploit the nuclear threat posed by North Korea to create ambiguity, constrain US operational responses, and effectively paralyze US-Pacific
command's freedom of action during a crisis? According to reporting by Bloomberg, analysts now warn that North Korea may possess enough nuclear
warheads and delivery options to saturate and potentially overwhelm US missile defense systems, creating scenarios in which American interceptors and layer defenses could be strained
beyond their design capacity. [music] Intelligence estimates suggest Pyongyang currently holds roughly 50 nuclear warheads and officials say that
additional devices and file material actively under development in order to expand and diversify that arsenal over the coming years. Bloomberg reports that
if North Korea sustains its current production tempo of file material and warhead assembly, Kim's forces could feasibly approach or match the size of
Israel's nuclear stockpile by around 2035 with significant implications for regional and global deterrence calculations. South Korean officials
have warned that North Korea's industrial capacity and facilities could allow Pyongyang to build as many as 20 new nuclear weapons per year. A rate of expansion that would quickly change
strategic balances on the peninsula and beyond. Projections based on current production trends indicate North Korea could within the next decade amass a
nuclear arsenal that rivals the size of France's stockpile, raising questions about proliferation, deterrence, and the threshold for international responses.
atellite imagery and open- source reporting show Pyongyang is expanding and modernizing multiple facilities associated with the production of weaponsgrade file material, increasing
its ability to manufacture additional warheads at greater scale and pace.
Beyond stockpile growth, North Korea is actively testing and refining new delivery technologies ranging from long-range ballistic missiles to
potentially mobile and submarine launch systems that would make its nuclear weapons harder to detect, track, and defend against. If current expansion
continues, analysts warn Kim's nuclear arsenal could soon surpass the inventories held by the United Kingdom, Israel, and Pakistan, altering regional
threat perceptions and complicating traditional calculations of strategic par.
Bloomberg reporting warns that North Korea's Wasong series of intercontinental ballistic missiles may now pose a credible threat to US homeland defense systems, raising fresh
concerns about whether current US interceptors and sensors can reliably detect and defeat an incoming salvo.
Analysts say specific Wasong variants, including the 15, 17, 18, and 19, could be designed and tested in ways that
allow them to penetrate US groundbased midcourse defenses, challenging the layered missile shield that American planners have relied upon for decades.
The United States has invested roughly $65 billion in its groundbased midcourse defense network, a multi-layered system of interceptors, radars, and command
nodes intended to protect the homeland from limited ballistic missile attacks.
Beyond ICBMs aimed at distant targets, North Korea's dense inventory of short and medium-range missiles remains capable of striking US allies across
Asia, threatening bases, cities, and critical infrastructure in South Korea, Japan, and other regional partners.
Decades of sanctions, diplomacy, and pressure intended to halt Kim's nuclear program have so far failed to stop its expansion. As Pyongyang continues to
develop both file material production and delivery systems with growing speed and sophistication, Guam continues to be singled out as a principal target
because of its strategic location and the large stockpile of US munitions and military assets stationed there, making it a high-V value objective in
Pyongchang's contingency planning. Guam continues to be singled out as a principal target because of its strategic location and the large stockpile of US munitions and military
assets stationed there, making it a high-v value objective in Pyongyangs contingency planning. Some assessments suggest North Korea may be approaching
the threshold where it could wage an actual limited nuclear campaign, possessing enough weapons and delivery systems to threaten sustained nuclear operations against adversaries. [music]
Importantly, Pyongyang has never demonstrated a full-scale mass nuclear missile attack in live tests, leaving key questions about logistics, command,
and control, and the practical reliability of such an operation unanswered. Ultimately, uncertainty remains. While estimates and tests raise
concern, no definitive public evidence proves that Kim's nuclear capable missiles can reliably reach and strike North American targets under operational conditions.
Last year, US defense intelligence publicly assessed that North Korea possessed roughly 10 operational intercontinental ballistic missiles, a
baseline estimate that shaped allied planning and threat assessments at the time. More recent analyses suggest that Pyongyangs program has accelerated, and
some intelligence and open- source experts now estimate North Korea could field as many as 24 active ICBMs, substantially increasing its strike
options. Other reports go further, claiming North Korea may already have as many as 48 transporter erector launcher vehicles configured and ready, giving
the regime the mobility to disperse and rapidly launch multiple ICBMs. In recent years, dozens of ICBM-sized missiles
have been displayed in carefully staged military parades, signaling both a public projection of capability and a potential inventory far larger than
earlier estimates. However, analysts caution that many parade displayed missiles could be mock-ups or inert replicas intended for strategic
signaling, meaning visual appearances do not necessarily confirm full operational status. By contrast, the US groundbased
midcourse defense network currently fields 44 deployed interceptors located in Alaska and California, forming the primary homeland layer against
long-range ballistic missile threats. To respond to evolving threats, Washington plans to expand the shield by adding 20 additional interceptor silos in Alaska,
a move intended to improve engagement capacity and redundancy against larger salvos. Defensive planners also work with conservative engagement doctrines
that often assume the potential requirement of two interceptors per incoming warhead, one to increase the kill probability and a second as a hedge against interceptor failure.
Chinese state and regional reports say Xi Jinping is reportedly preparing a visit to North Korea, his first trip there in seven years, a diplomatic
gesture that would carry heavy symbolic weight for Beijing, Pyongyang, and regional security planners. A South Korean media report indicates the
Chinese president could arrive in Pyongyang as early as next week, a rapidly scheduled visit that would likely be intended to reset ties and send strategic signals across Northeast
Asia. At the same time, Washington has reportedly paused a planned 14 billion dollar arms sale to Taiwan, a decision officials say is aimed at preserving
munitions and equipment needed for potential operations related to the escalating conflict involving Iran. The proposed arms transfer has long provoked
Beijing's since China views the self-governed island of Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and consistently opposes foreign weapon sales that strengthen Taipe's defenses.
According to accounts from the Trump visit, she reportedly told the US president that Taiwan remains the single most sensitive and potentially explosive
issue in Cenino US relations underlining how easily the topic can escalate diplomatic tensions. Yet behind closed
doors, some of Trump's advisers have reportedly expressed growing concern that the situation around Taiwan is deteriorating and could spark a crisis if deterrence and diplomacy fail to
hold. Axios reported that US officials speaking privately worry Beijing might attempt coercive or military action against Taiwan within the next 5 years.
A timeline that has heightened urgency across defense and policy circles. As a result, many US officials now describe Taiwan as confronting its most serious
security threat in decades. A perception driven by Beijing's military modernization and shifting regional power dynamics.
A rare sighting near Hainan has thrust China's undersea military power back into [music] the spotlight. Footage appears to show a Type093B nuclear
attack submarine surfacing near popular tourist beaches. The submarine was reportedly seen not far from the strategically critical Ulin naval
complex on Hainan Island. Defense Security Asia reported on the sighting, citing a video said to have been recorded by a tourist on [music] May
14th. Open- source intelligence linked accounts said the submarine was moving unusually close to a public recreation area.
China's Type093B is currently seen as its most advanced nuclearpowered attack submarine. The Type 093B appears to be
China's top operational attack submarine until the next generation Type095 fully emerges.
Displacement is reportedly around 6,200 to 7,000 tons. Length is approximately
413 ft or about 126 m. Speed is said to reach around 30 knots. Crew are
estimated at roughly 100 officers and sailors. The submarine is reported to feature a vertical launch system along
with improved propulsion, stealth, and hydrodnamic performance. Open- source reporting also suggests the boat carries
advanced sensors and torpedo armament, boosting its combat capability.
[music]
Earlier, a satellite image had reportedly captured a Type093 submarine near an underground bunker back in 2020.
Notably, Hainan is not just a tourist island. It is also home to the strategically important Yulan Naval Base. Open source reporting says the
Yulan naval base is located near Sonia along Heynan's southern coastline. The highly secretive facility is believed to support major Chinese surface fleet and
submarine operations in contested regional waters. For China, Hainan appears to serve as both a postcard perfect coastline and a crucial military
launch point. The latest sighting underscores how the undersea contest in the South China Sea is becoming harder to ignore.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 40969
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:23 am
Iran Just BLINDSIDED Trump in Strait of Hormuz, War IMMINENT | Alexander Mercouris
Danny Haiphong
Streamed live 92 minutes ago #iran #usnavy #trump
Alexander Mercouris of The Duran joins the show to discuss Iran's game changing move on the Strait of Hormuz that casts high suspicion on reported efforts of a "peace" deal on the part of the Trump administration. War is imminent, and Alexander breaks down the massive geopolitical dimensions of the rapidly evolving situation.
Transcript
Welcome everyone. Welcome back to the program. Your host Danny Hiong. As you can see, I'm joined by Alexander Mccurus
of the Duran as well as his own channel geopolitical analyst and commentator, friend of the show. Alexander, good to see you again.
I'm very happy, delighted to be here again, Danny.
Yes. Uh very happy to have you. Everyone hit the like button as you come on. Help boost the show. And we'll just get started. How about with uh some news
about the straight of hormuz? Uh I think this has uh blindsided Trump a bit because there's all kinds of talks and
I'll ask you later about whether we are witnessing another kind of uh negotiations leading to war situation
because right now there's all kinds of optimistic talk about the possibility of a deal but we also have Iran at the same
time through the Persian Gulf Strait Authority their mechanism has essentially announced expanded control
of the straight of Hormuz going all the way into the Emirates, the United Arab Emirates, including the port of Fujira,
uh a massive thousands of kilometers of uh territory that they're claiming is now going to be under their authority
given what's happened in the war. And there's also talks Marco Rubio, Trump, they say no tolls, no nothing for the straight of Hormuz. Well, Iran and Oman
are in talks about a fee system. They're not calling it a toll, but Iran is calling it a fee system to ensure
ongoing uh uh uh remuneration during its authority over the straight of Hormuz. Uh so, Alexander, yeah,
there's all kinds of talks about talks again, but last the last few times this has happened, we've seen escalation. And I'm wondering what you make of these
moves around the straight horses and the larger geopolitical picture that I think uh Trump has not really seen coming, but
it just keeps happening anyway. And I'm What's your thoughts about this?
Well, I think your last point is absolutely the correct one. Now, um all the logic, if you apply logic, which of
course is in short supply, but all the logic points to the need for negotiations. The United States started
this war against Iran on the 28th of February. They were convinced that Iran would collapse very quickly. They
discounted the threat of a closure of the state straight of Hormuz or of uh Iran taking control of the Strait of
Hormuz. It turned out that Iran had not did not collapse quickly. Instead, Iran
hit back. The United States took damage, serious damage. We're learning all the
time how serious that damage was. Um the allies of the United States in the region, the Saudis, the Qataris, the
Emiratis, all of them, they took damage too. The Iranians um imposed their
control of the Strait of Hormuz. All those who discounted their ability to do that were proved completely wrong. And
what Donald Trump now finds himself is in this situation where um things have turned out not not not only not as he
expected that they would but far worse than he could ever have possibly
imagined. Iran has come out strong. Its armed forces are intact. It controls the
straight of whoo and it has a lot grip on the energy flows upon which the entire global economy and ultimately the
United States itself depends. Now in this situation the logic points to Donald Trump beginning negotiations and
starting negotiations in earnest but his personal vanity the political needs of
the moment. I mean, he doesn't want to be the president who negotiates and agrees to Iranian terms which are going
to be much tougher than the those he could have had in February. Anyway, the political needs of Donald Trump and also
the feeling in Washington and Tel a Viv and other places that the United States
cannot start a war against a country like Iran and lose and make concessions.
All that makes negotiations all but impossible. So you have this extraordinary bizarre situation where all sorts of people are coming forward
with proposals. Documents are being passed backwards and forwards via Pakistan between Iran and uh the United
States but nobody's actually sitting down and talking and the result is that we get documents which aren't taking us
any further and a document then is presented on Donald Trump's desk. He sees what the Iranians are demanding and
he loses his temper and we still have another cycle of escalation and warnings and threats which he then has to wrote
back. That's the summary of the situation as I see it.
Yeah. I mean, we're hearing uh ve I mean, I've been seeing on X and in various uh news uh you know, corporate
media outlets uh uh in the next few hours uh there's going to be this uh a final agreement to that will initiate
talks. And I've been seeing that next few hours now, it's been probably 12 to 16 to almost a day uh hearing this that there's going to be this final
agreement. And then it seems like both sides are are throwing a bit of cold water on it. Uh uh and we have also
reports that the UAE even Qatar Qatar may be participating in this process uh
to some degree. But we have reports about the UAE, Qatar and other Gulf states urging uh the Saudis as well
urging Donald Trump not to restart uh escalation at this time. Do you believe any of this? Because at the same time,
we also have Israel saying a surprise attack by Iran is coming soon. This is from Israeli intelligence. Uh and if we
don't strike, then uh this is what's going to occur. Do you do you believe any of this? Do you feel like that this is just another plausible deniability
situation where uh we're looking at war coming at any moment?
Well, you know, you you you you have every reason to say that and experience shows that we have to take that into account and it's not impossible. I mean,
all of these Persian Gulf states that are supposed to be begging Donald Trump to hold off from launching a war and another attack on Iran were the same
Persian Gulf states which were pretending last year that they were not in favor of a war against Iran, but
which we now have every reason to believe almost certainly were urging it, secretly urging it. So they have a
record of duplicity in this and we can't take their public announcements
seriously. Against that the war was launched on the 28th of February and it
has turned out terribly disastrously wrong for them. The United States didn't
prevail quickly. The straight of Hormuz was closed to commercial shipping. The Iranians aren't now levying fees on
ships that they allow through. Um, their infrastructure, the infrastructure of the Persian Gulf states was very badly
damaged. Um, they see that American air defenses don't work in the way that they were supposed to work. They read all the
reports that the United States um has depleted its arsenals heavily and
they're also reading bizarre stories um that are floating around that the person that the Americans wanted to put in
charge in Iran was none other than Amadi Nad. And the Saudis, if they read these
articles, um will be saying to themselves, these people are out of their senses. They don't know what they're doing. So all of that must be
undermining confidence right across the Persian Gulf. And people may very well be saying to themselves, well, if the
Americans failed after 40 days, why expect that they're going to
succeed? If we get thrown back into another war, then all that's going to do
is going to result in further massive damage to ourselves.
And always at the background, there's the fear that the Iranians might attack the desalination plants. And at the same
time, whilst this straight of Hormuz remains under Iranian control in the way that it is, whilst we have the situation
of no war, no peace, there's also there's also the problem that all of these countries are losing
money. and they're losing money, not just because they're not able to sell their oil and their gas and their NATO and their uh helium and all of these
things, but also because there's apparently very heavy capital outflow out of the Persian Gulf. Money is
pouring into Hong Kong and Singapore because people are losing confidence in the stability and the security of the of
the region. So, I can imagine that they're telling the Americans, "Please don't do this again. It's only going to make the situation worse this time.
Please see whether you can come to a deal with the Iranians." It makes sense that they would do so. Um, and I can
imagine that that dynamic on the part of the Arab states has changed. As are the Israelis. They have a completely different agenda. They want regime
change in Iran. the business as far as they're concerned is unfinished. They want to talk up the threat from Iran and
they want the war to start all over again. So you could see that there is this potential divergence.
Well uh I'll just pull up the report that I was citing from because I think it's uh instructive here. It's from the Jerusalem Pros. Iran could launch a surprise attack against Gulf States.
Israel says Israeli officials. And this is for Israeli intelligence. Warnings of a potential surprise Iranian attack in Gulf states in Israel come as the
President Donald Trump, US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel disagree on how to proceed with uh Thran. And so uh this is coming
from top military leaders and defense minister to uh uh Israel cats. Uh uh security officials know that Toron might
attempt to act before the US and Israel decide that the diplomatic path is no longer viable and launch a surprise attack similar to the one at the start
of Operation Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, which is really rich, Alexander, because uh that wasn't a surprise attack at all.
That was a complete response. It was very fast and I think it really caught uh Israel and the United States off guard of how rapidly Iran was able to
galvanize its military capabilities. But it was certainly not a surprise. Iran was saying from the very get-go for week I don't know how many weeks leading into
that escalation that there would be a response no matter what. But your thoughts on this? I mean this is this seems to be laying the the groundwork for some kind of provocation.
Well, it is that's exactly what it is that there is an enormous there is an Israeli campaign to get the war restarted. They they do not want a
negotiated end to this crisis. They want regime change in Iran. That is what from an Israeli point of view this whole
exercise is all about. Absolutely. They do not want an resolution of this crisis
which might end with Iran looking the winner which it is increasingly starting
to look at look at. So they do what they've been doing now for the last 20 plus years. They talk up the threat from
Iran. They've been talking up the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, something that's never
happened. And now they're talking about Iran launching a preemptive strike when Iran has never launched any sort of
preemptive strike. I mean, the attack that they carried out at the start of the 40 days war happened after the United States and Israel attacked them.
That was a response. It was not an act, a preemptive attack by the Iranians. So,
um, the Iranians have never shown this pattern up to now. They've always
responded and they've responded toughly, but they've responded. The only people who are threatening to start the
war at the moment, who want to start the war at the moment, are the Israelis and the Americans. And that's the simple
reality. Iran has nothing to gain by launching an attack of that kind.
What have you made of uh you know Robert Kagan and I you know and your work Alexander of uh you know analyzing not
just the mindset but also the actions of of neocons is years and years uh worth
and so I'm curious on your thoughts about what you make of Robert Kang's now seemingly now a resume of pretty
scathing assessments of the uh situation regarding Iran. The latest one uh he uh
wrote again in the Atlantic has to do with uh Trump uh essentially uh his
endgame is going to be surrender. That's what he claims. uh and he this is a
followup in the Atlantic to his article that uh initially earlier this month uh said that the United States is was
defeated and that it doesn't really have any options left on the table. uh he's saying that Trump is hoping to slip away
out of this without Americans noticing the magnitude of the defeat and he goes over all of the machinations now Trump
and this uh you know threats leading to so-called peace talks and then Iran has said that they're not really actually
engaged in peace talks uh they're only engaged in uh demanding their rights uh they're not even talking about
concessions or anything like that back and forth. So, what do you make of the I mean, this is pretty unprecedented given that the neocons in many respects are
15 minutesthe engineers of US uh aggression against Iran and it seems like their entirety of their Middle East policy was
actually geared toward this and now it seems like a pretty big reversal. I'm curious on what you thought your thoughts are on what's explaining this.
Well, first of all, you're absolutely right. I mean, Robert Kagan and uh the other neocons um clustered around him
have been advocating a war against Iran for the last 25 years. And now that the war was launched and they got their war
and it didn't turn out as they expected, they're doing two things. Firstly, they are quietly preparing the ground for
saying that the reason it didn't really succeed is because Donald Trump mishandled it. I mean, you know, talking
about Donald Trump um um failing to win, Iran achieving this victory, but of
course, what they will all say is that this all happened on Trump's watch, that it's his fault that this has ended as
disastrously as it has. That's one part of their agenda. But it was the other part of their agenda is to go Trump and
to put pressure on him and to get their friends in Congress to put pressure on him as well. And what they're saying is,
look, if you do a deal with the Iranians, the kind of deal which, as we said at
the start of this program, it is logical for Trump to do at this time, given that the military option has been unsuccessful.
Uh what they will do is they will say that is a surrender. You have surrendered the strategic position of the United States. You have humiliated
the United States. You can't possibly allow that to happen. So what you must
do instead is keep the war going, escalate as our friends in Israel
demand. And ultimately, and if you go back to the first Atlantic article, you see what basically Kagan is pushing
towards, which is a ground operation, an actual ground invasion of Iran, because that's that's the only thing they have left.
And I don't know if you saw after that initial article, then you had John Bolton write in the Washington Post uh a
much more direct call for that exact thing, for an escalation, for heavier
strikes coupled with a ground operation, which um you know, Kagan in his piece was very circumspect to try to circle
around. He didn't want to say it directly, but he was making hints that uh you know, you either go all the way or you go home. Go hard or go home, as
they say. Uh go go home. Go go go go home, but then be blamed for
the surrender and the defeat, which of course they know perfectly well Trump doesn't want to see happen. So
it's putting pressure on him to escalate the war and to escalate the war into uh something which so far we managed to
avoid and which would be an absolute catastrophe.
What happens Alexander because we have a lot of fronts happening at the same time right now. Um you know we have on the
one hand uh what did Donald Trump say about his son's wedding? He said he can't go because he has this thing
called Iran to take care of. Uh which got some uh of course western media sources a bit concerned about what does
he mean actually by that because there are also reports in Reuters that nobody actually really knows what Donald Trump means when he truth socials out foreign
policy commentaries. Uh this dating back to the civilization ending true social post which European diplomats had no
19 minutesidea what he meant. They meant they asked State Department officials what did he mean and they said no idea because they were concerned are is he going to use a nuke? You know, we're
kind of vulnerable to anything that happens to Iran. We're not that far from Iran. Um uh uh nonetheless, this is kind
of the situation. So what happens though, Alexander, with all these fronts happening, the US has not It's not as if we, you know, we've talked about
sequencing on this program before. It's not as if the Ukraine situation has really died down. There seems to be a push now toward Cuba to try to get some
kind of win. There's also uh uh you know a lot of uh hopes that the China talks have led to a
pullback, but Donald Trump has made no real indications that much will change there other than the fact that they don't have enough air defenses to uh protect in missiles to protect Taiwan.
They can't even get this package through because of it. So uh what happens if the straight of Hormuz Alexander becomes
20 minutesessentially open or opens up even further? We see more shipping activity now at the behest of Iran. And this is
what Iran has said they want. They want full activity through it. But with their coordination, the longer this goes on, that could become more and more
possible. Maybe not fully possible, but more and more possible. Well, I I I would have thought that the absolute final strategic disaster for the United
States is basically what you've just discussed. In other words, that the Iranians come to some kind of understanding with the other Persian
Gulf states. Even it's now starting to look the Emiratis are starting to change, shift their position. The uh
Persian Gulf states lose faith in the United States. They no longer believe that the US is able to defeat the to
defeat Iran or force open the straight of Hormuz. So they say to themselves, well, who can open the straight of
Hormuz? Iran can. So let's do a deal with them. Let's sort out some kind of
arrangements in the Persian Gulf that work to everybody's advantage in the sense that we can get our oil caros
through and Iran can pick up the fees and we tell the Americans, you know, thank you very much, but please go. Now,
that is that is a nightmare scenario with the US because it means that US influence in the Persian Gulf area has
collapsed. that um Iran has emerged as the dominant power in at least that
absolutely critical part of the Middle East and of course Iran is part of BRICS. So where Iran basically wins
through you could argue that BRICS influence um expands as well. So I think the Americans will not want that to
happen and they have various tools to prevent it happening. um all of the currencies of all the Persian Gulf
tates are pegged to the dollar for example and that gives the US influence and they will do what they can as I said
to sabotage this from happening and they might succeed but with every day that
this continues without any sign of any resolution the possibility that the Persian Gulf
states finally say enough's enough we might not like the Iranians very much.
We might have all kinds of issues with them. They are a revolutionary government and we are conservative
monarchies. So that makes very uncomfortable. Uh but in spite of that, we have to survive. We have to do
business and that means we have to do business with Iran. So that possibility does grow.
Yeah. Yeah. I I mean there's also been this I don't know how this helps matters at all Alexander but there's also been
activity uh drone strike activity drone attack activity in these countries that
uh the United States of course Donald Trump have said it very openly himself he wants the UAE he wants the Gulf
countries to essentially assume responsibility for any future war um incl es especially the UAE which has
been really honed in on as the uh uh you know prize uh the the crown jewel of of
of restarting the war in the Gulf. But um they've been attacked and it's it's certainly and I mean we don't have
proof, but it's certainly likely not Iran. There's been almost daily drone activities, air defenses activated according to the UAE's Ministry of
Defense, whatever that's worth. And um how much of the some of that feels like or has felt like some kind of way to
justify not only restarting the war but to almost maybe punish or bludgeon the Gulf States into being ready to restart
the war when they may not be so excited given the economic consequences you just outlined.
Well, absolutely. I mean I think that is probably what is going on. I mean, again, I I don't myself see any reason
to think that the Iranians have any interest in restarting the war on a big scale against all of these countries. I mean, what what what do they gain by
doing so? Um I I if they attack and openly go on the attack, then they lose
one of their biggest um moral and by the way political advantages in this conflict, which is that they are the
victims of aggression. It looks as if on the contrary they are prepared to attack themselves and they lend weight to the
propaganda narrative about them that the Israelis in particular have been very active spreading as I said over at least
two decades now. So I I it doesn't make sense that Iran would want another war
with all of the Persian Gulf states. And it could very well be that all of these pin prick attacks that are taking place
are exactly as you say an attempt by someone and we've just had this article from Israel telling us you know you know that the Iranians are going to attack.
It might be an attempt by someone to create the impression that that is about to happen. I would just mention one
other just possibility which is that of course from an Iranian point of view you could argue and I'm not saying this is
the case by the way but you could argue that keeping a certain buzz of military activity going in the Persian Gulf
keeping some kind of tension there but not you know up to the level of outright war is useful. It reminds the Persian
Gulf states of how vulnerable ultimately they are. Whereas if they if nothing like that was happening, there would be
a degree of complacency setting in and the Persian Gulf states might revert to their natural stance, which is to support the Americans and the Israelis.
So you you can argue that. I I'm not saying that is the case because obviously I don't know.
No, I mean it's a very good point and I think what makes it even I guess more suspicious then because I I think Iran would have every even every right to
given that the war I mean there's a ceasefire yes that they agreed to but uh in all honesty it's like it almost feels
like a ceasefire in name only like they've kept the US has kept the blockade going there has been uh some kinetic activity in the last uh month or
so uh uh in the Persian Gulf uh uh from the United states and Iran. But what would make what makes this so suspicious
now too is that if it were the case that Iran were keeping up some level of military activity given its history, it
has been very open about uh that they have operations and I don't I don't know if they would keep those operations secret and even if they did, what would
stop uh the UAE? what would stop uh the Saudis if uh because those attacks were so supposedly not very effective at all
in Saudi Arabia, but in the UAE especially that since it's been more than a handful of times now if this has
happened, what stops them from proving that it's Iran that's doing it, especially if there's all this motivation to restart the war on the part of the United States and Israel.
And then of course there are the curious reports about western uh borders uh that the drones are coming from there. And then of course we now know that the U uh
Israel with US help has clandestine bases in Iraq which uh uh gives one
pause as to maybe those could be used for such an attack. But exactly as you said there are reasons for it but it's
it's very questionable that there's this uh layer of secrecy and mystery about it. Um
well indeed a absolutely I mean you're absolutely right about this. I mean we're talking about the Middle East and of course this is an place where as I
said all kinds of things happen and nothing is ever um at quite as it seems.
But to repeat again I cannot see any logic in Iran wanting to attack the Persian Gulf states. I mean it would
forfeit Iran some degree of international sympathy. You're I mean you're absolutely right by the way when you say that in strict abstract moral
and legal terms they would be perfectly in their right to do it after all these countries ganged off against Iran and
attacked it. But the world doesn't function on abstract legal terms at least not in that kind of way. The
Chinese and the Russians would not like it. They would not want to see the Iranians act in that way. um other countries around the world would not
like it too. It would, as I said, be a propaganda gift to the Israelis and the
hardliners in Washington. The Iranians are extremely sophisticated people. I think that is one thing we have seen
very clearly over the last uh uh few weeks. I I cannot imagine that they would make a mistake of that kind.
Ah, I can't hear you. I'm sorry I've lost you.
Sorry, I was muted. Um, I think it was it's an appropriate time now given that uh Trump has said that he is very
preoccupied with Iran. Uh, he might not even attend his own son's wedding to get into some of these other fronts, in
particular the uh Ukraine front. you have been following of course the numerous attacks that Ukraine has
conducted um into Russian territory which has been now complemented by this move by Donald Trump which has a lot of
I think even NATO uh if we can separate the two I I don't but if we look at NATO countries and Europe and how they've
reacted to this uh Donald Trump is saying he's sending 5,000 US troops to Poland he's uh saying because of the
successful election of this new president, he's doing this. Um, of course, this is a a big red flag for for
Russia given that uh uh who was it? Um was it a uh oh,
who basically said the spirit of Anchorage doesn't exist. He never used those terms, calling it dead um in the water. And then there's these nuclear
and missile tests that have uh occurred uh in recent days which are huge and has a lot of the western mainstream media very panicked about them with Bellarus.
They include nuclear munitions but of course they include a lot of Russia's and Bellaruses with the the sharing agreements. They have uh most advanced
ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, etc. This situation appears very bad Alexander in terms of how it's gone for
the United States. It seems like actually things have escalated and it's almost gone under the radar because the US has been in active war with Iran for
such a long period. But what what's happening right now? Why is Trump sending 5,000 troops to Poland? Why is Russia conducting these drills right now?
Well, I mean the first thing to say is you're absolutely right. This is not going well for the United States. The United States is not going well in Iran.
Uh um the Ukraine war, the whole Ukraine crisis is going badly wrong too. And Donald Trump went to China and came back
empty-handed. Um with a very very strong warning about Taiwan from Cining ringing
in his ears. So Donald Trump goes back to Washington. he's in a bad mood, which he clearly is, and he wants to reassert
himself and show to all these people, to the Russians, to the Chinese, that the United States, and he is still strong.
So, we get um announcements like this one about the 5,000 troops to Poland. We
have the threats against Cuba. Uh, I think with this particular president, I have to say this, a lot of these
decisions, a lot of these announcements are emotionally driven. The Europeans were completely taken by surprise by
this 5,000 troop deployment to Poland announcement. So were the polls, by the way, which is interesting. So, I mean,
it makes it all look uh very much like, you know, it's flown off the pen uh or typewriter if you like, Trump angry
because nothing is going well. And he's at the moment very angry with the Russians and I think more angry than
people realize. Um the Russians, as you correctly say, have been conducting big nuclear drills. They have started to
make more advances in the conflict on the front lines. Ushakov actually did
exactly what you said. He's trashed the whole Anchorage agreement. I mean, the point about the
spirit of Anchorage is that that was a Russian formula. It was the Russians who were talking about this great spirit of Anchorage that
they'd achieved. uh you know that Trump and Putin got on so really well and they come to some kind of an agreement and
all was moving forward and now here we have Putin's own foreign policy advisor basically saying that's all gone never
existed it's all it's all a fake u the Russians now also saying that there's no um point in continuing with the
discussions with the Americans and the Ukrainians because they're not leading anywhere they're not achieving anything.
34 minutesRubio has now by the way joined in on that. He said the same thing. But again, it was this the Russians have started to
talk in this way. And then I think the other thing that probably people are not getting is that on the 29th of April,
Putin called Trump and told told Trump in categorical terms, if there is any
Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow during the victory parade on the 9th of May, we're going to hit back very hard
against central Kiev. And if any of your people are there and get killed, well, you've now got the warning. So, Trump
had to pull back from that, too. And as I said, he's feeling he's feeling frustrated and he's feeling angry. In isolation,
perhaps that wouldn't be so bad. But he's had the debacle with Iran. And what happened in China I think hasn't helped
either because he didn't get from Cinping the things he wanted. Um there's that expression everything is connected.
Absolutely. So the United States continues to push hard on every front. Its problem is it's
losing in everyone and all of this has come in the backdrop too of uh you know the Trump
administration has been very careful not to even mention Ukraine very much in terms of the war but uh everyone else is of course you
know the Kagans of the world Victoria Nuland's Institute for the Study of War that uh you know mouthpiece of the
neocons they feed every single day to the western mainstream media that Ukraine is on the up and up, that they're uh gaining on the battlefield,
that these attacks in Russian territory show Russia's weakness, and it seems to continue in this direction
of narrative management. Uh what's what's actually the reality though because Vladimir Putin, Russia doesn't they don't seem very phased. I mean uh
uh Russia um hosted Xinping, Putin I mean no Putin went to Beijing. uh sorry about that reversal and uh inked a bunch of deals.
Uh there hasn't been any uh it doesn't seem like there's any panic in Russia any side of the Russian government but
yet we hear these stories about Ukraine's uh resilience and how it's coming back uh from the doldrums. What's happening?
Well, I mean the the reality of the war is that there's always eb and flow. um especially this war, it's um a different
war from the one that Americans I think are used to. So what happens is you have usually in the summer a period of very
very intense military activity that lasts until the autumn when you see movements on the front lines and towns
fall and uh positions captured and then you have a period from roughly the end
of the year until the spring when both sides stop and catch their breath. the
uh it's a time of cold and then of mud because you know all the snow soarses and the ground turns muddy and the
armies have to reorganize and refit and they have to introduce more men and then
sometime around midspring things begin to start up again. We are in that position. We're in the situation at the
moment when things are starting up again and the Ukrainians have been conducting their drone attacks on Russia which have
done damage but nowhere near as much damage as some people in the you know the commentaries might lead you to
think. And the Russians for their part have been advancing and have been uh
once again making real inroads on the battlefield. Now the last is the last
thing you're going to see ever acknowledged because um most of the commentators in the west take their
reports about what's happening on the front lines in the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians are very slow to acknowledge
when positions are lost. They continue to claim, for example, that they retain
control of part of Pacross, which nobody who follows the war um closely um
believes to be so. So, they don't want to admit that the Russians are now once again on the attack and gaining ground.
And of course the Kagans and the Nulands don't want to admit it either because losing one war against Iran is bad enough. Losing another one against the
Russians especially in Europe is worse still.
And how significant was this uh flurry of major visits uh that happened in
China because uh you had Donald Trump uh he visited China afterward he was singing I mean the whole trip he was
singing the praises of Xiinping. It looked like the United States was uh was attempting to uh attract China with
honey rather than vinegar and came out with very little if anything other than
uh verbal understandings and uh then uh Xiinping hosted Vladimir Putin. They
came out with 40 plus agreements uh inked and signed and then I think Xiinping uh is going to be meeting with
the DPRK, North Korea very soon. Uh th this doesn't feel unintentional. Uh one thing that Trump definitely didn't get
40 minutesfrom China was anything on Iran. Uh that was initially what everyone was saying in the administration. They're going to pressure China on Iran. That was dropped
very quickly. That was almost dropped before the plane landed. But uh what what what's the significance of these visits uh and what does it signify
because it felt it felt very impactful but they came and went uh really fast and not a lot of people are talking about it. Well, the what it means at the
in at at the minimum is that China is now the global center of diplomacy, which is an astonishing fact and one
that is unprecedented in modern history for a non-western country to be where
all the top people go. I mean, that's the first time that's happened that anybody can remember. But the Americans
go there, the Russians go there, the everybody wants to talk and speak to the Chinese leader and the Chinese
leadership. So um that in itself is a momentous change in international
relations. Now the the Trump visit to China and the Putin visit to China were
completely different. The Putin visit is part of a regular scheduled sequence of visits
that take place every year now between the Chinese and the Russians. So um usually
you know Putin will go usually roughly about twice a year to to to China.
Sining might go to Russia once a year, but there will be these big elaborated
worked out agreements that are being discussed and negotiated all the time.
Um, this is part of a continuous process of development and what is now very important and very strong relationship.
The Trump visit was completely different. That was an impromptu decision by Trump after his meeting with
with Cishinping in South Korea in October to have a visit with the to go to China. He's apparently been trying to
get the Chinese to agree to a visit basically since he was inaugurated. Then he was supposed to go in March.
Then he had to call it off. Then unlike the Russian visit, there was very little preparation. But he went there anyway.
He brought all of these business people with him. Um it it lasted two days and very very little actual business was
done and Trump in went in with all kinds of expectations that there would be some
kind of agreements about something and the Chinese in fact gave him very little uh except this very strong warning about
Taiwan. And because the Chinese know how to conduct diplomacy, they gave the
warning, which is the strongest I've heard from a Chinese leader to an American president, by the way, in person, too. In person,
across the table, across the table go with the whole American delegation there. But the Chinese, as they always do, because
they're, you know, consumer diplomats, they sugared the pill. They had him at a banquet in the great hall of the people.
They took him to the temple of heaven.
They gave him a a tour around Jungan High. But as I said, none of that ultimately made any difference to the substance of what happened.
Yeah. And uh for those who may not know, uh that is no uh that is nothing off of China's back. Like this is how China
operates anyway. So it really was just China going through their general diplomatic protocol which is very
generous anyway if there's a leader of and they view most leaders of significance. So most leaders actually receive very uh very very good treatment
the ones who are allowed to come and who are invited to come. Um so uh uh it for for this to have happened it was almost
as if the United States was just going through the motions as you said it's very historically unprecedented for China to be the one to host and kind of
hold uh those diplomatic cards and and the contrast with uh uh with Russia and then uh in Putin's visit. But the the
bigger picture, Alexander, too, is it does feel like we're entering a moment where I mean, we we talked about Iran earlier. Now we're talking about China
and we're talking about Russia. It does feel like these three countries are increasingly in a position where if anything from the second Trump
administration has taught us anything is that uh these three countries are now finding uh so much strength that they
are the ones to kind of dictate terms and how things happen when it comes to matters important to them. And I think
that's a very um that's a very different position for the United States to be in.
It is an unprecedented position for the for the United States to be in. I mean I I made a point um in a post I published
on X that the Chinese readout of Cining's message to Trump was that the
United States must be careful must be care must do
something. People do not in American experience talk like that to the United
States. use the word must demand that the United States act in a certain way
and for the Americans that is unprecedented and yes of course you're absolutely right it's three countries
China Russia Iran Russia has withtood the sanctions blow the massive sanctions blow that the Americans inflicted on it
in 2022 um it's uh prevailing on the battlefields Um Iran has absorbed this enormous
American attack and is prevailing in the straight of Hormuz. But of course the key player the the the the most
important country here is China. China is now the economic colossus. It's the
manufacturing giant. It's moving forward in areas of technology. It has
tremendous state craft behind it. you know which anybody who has any knowledge of China and its history would find unsurprising.
And when we talk about a movement towards a multi-olar system,
it is the rise of China that is the reason why this is happening. It is ultimately because there is China there.
47 minutesThat is what makes it so much more difficult for the United States to prevail
against Iran, against Russia in all sorts of other places.
And in this case with the United States toward China, well, albeit much of the policies of very the aggressive posture
the US takes toward China haven't really changed. In fact, I don't know if you saw the reports, but uh there are now
rumblings out of Congress and the Foreign Services Committee, etc., saying that the reason why uh the United States
hasn't approved the latest Taiwan arms package is not because of anything Donald Trump doesn't or does or doesn't
want to do. It's because actually the US doesn't have the munitions to uh send to Taiwan anyway, which isn't actually new.
A lot of the arms packages that uh the US signs off on are completely backlogged in the tens of billions of dollars worth because they don't
actually exist. But now there's an admission that Operation Epic Fury, the Iran war, the aggression against Iran
has depleted them so much that they're not even willing to side and pass them through. But um I think this just
underscores that uh uh while the policies may not change, we do see that the Trump administration is
increasingly hesitant to make China and aggression towards China on the political sphere a priority. Uh even Joe
Biden as his as uh completely brain dead as he might have been by 2023 he was not
shy to call Xiinping a dictator during the press conference of the apex of it which had in 2023 Xiinping in attendance
at that time. So, which was a massive uh sign of disrespect uh but one that the
uh administration fully embraced uh even if uh Anthony Blinken had a cringe moment and tried to look away. But
nonetheless, that was the that's been the posture. But Trump looked completely different in his administration looked completely different during this uh meeting. And I think that said a lot.
Oh, it says a huge amount. I mean Biden also insulted Zinping in an address to Congress in in you know one of the um
you know State of the Union addresses um and which is to me even more astonishing
and um Trump himself has not in the past been shy be about being very rude and
aggressive about China. And now the president of the United States goes to China, flatters Cining, calls him a
great leader and all that, but comes back empty-handed. I mean, it is an extraordinary study in contrasts and a
clear demonstration of the change in relative power. And of course, I mean, the United States, I mean, if the United
States said, "We're not supplying arms to Taiwan because we don't want to get embroiled into a conflict with China." Well, that is a strong policy position.
But for the United States to come along and say, "Well, we're not going to supply arms to Taiwan because we don't have them." I mean, that is an
incredible confession of weakness, actually. Um but that again is where the United States is and we've already seen
that play out during the Ukraine war. Um in no war the United States has ever fought up to now has it run out of weapons. I mean that has never happened.
But now it has. It began to run short of weapons. um in Ukraine in 20 you know
back in you Ukraine's 2023 offensive and they've basically stopped supplying
weapons on a major scale to Ukraine now they've run out of weapons against Iran which is in some ways even more
humiliating and of course coming up against China when you have depleted
arsenals I is is extraordinary yeah it is extraord extraordinary. And here is the actual report. So more
accurately, this was the acting secretary of the Navy uh Hung Tao who said that to the Senate appropriations
commit subcommittee that right now uh we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have enough munitions that we need for epic fur fury. So directly
connecting uh this arms package that has been uh China's of course eye. They've said don't do this. this is a big
mistake. It'll only worsen relations. Uh Trump has not made any decision on it, the Trump administration, but uh now
we're seeing the truth about why there's the delay. You know, in the last few minutes, we have five or .
Alexander, I wanted to ask uh your opinion on this. The uh a lot of people because of what's happened with Iran and
all the things we just talked about, there's been a lot of concern about bricks, for example. uh uh given that uh
the especially the war in Iran, but we could also say uh what's happened in general in the world, we've seen a move
of a lot of new countries in bricks like the UAE um the Saudis playing the fence,
but the UAE in particular in India playing a kind of um harsh uh double dealing game which could weaken bricks
in the short and long term. But now that we've kind of talked, the outline too
seems that maybe it was always the case that Russia, China, and now Iran, we're going to be moving toward the multicolor world a lot faster than these other
countries. And I'm wondering if you see any reasons to be optimistic then about uh uh these mechanisms like bricks uh
growing to some extent anyway uh because of just what's happening on the ground uh in the reality situation regardless
of the political I think a lot of people are always concerned about the political imaginations of members as it remains a consensus organization with far uh with
I guess a far cry of actual consensus existing within it. You see I I have always had a slightly different take on the bricks than others. I mean I wrote a
piece way back in 2015 long you know more than 10 years ago in which I said that the central relationship the core
relationship is between China and Russia. These are the two great powers who are at the center of the system.
They don't want to call their relationship an alliance because they don't want to make commitments to each
other that might come back to hurt them and at the same time they don't want to seem visibly like allies because an
54 minutesalliance defines itself as having enemies and they don't want everybody you know India which perhaps
has issues with China or um other countries that might have issues with Russia. They don't want those countries
to be scared off by the fact that you know there is this Russian Chinese alliance overtly opening. So the Chinese
and the Russians what they've done is that they worked consistently and this is a line you know an analysis I made in
2015 which I hold to. They work consistently to deepen and strengthen their relationship.
And in order to cloak what is going on, they've woven a whole network, a whole
tapestry of other organizations and institutions around it. So BRICS obviously the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union, the CSTTO etc. But one of their
basic reasons is to sort of divert attention away from the fact that the core relationship is between the Chinese
and the Russians. Now having said that, we are not in exactly the same world that we were in in 2015. And I think TW
over time bricks has developed a a a greater reality about it than it
did at that time. And I I think that nonetheless it still retain retains some of that
amorphous quality that I talked about in that article I wrote in 2015 which is
useful for all the various members because it means that they can disagree about some things and they can move
forward with others and they don't they're not kept back in those things
they want to move forward on by their disagreements on any specific issue. Their major priority at the
moment is to work out their financing systems to to work to find ways around the
dollar. And the Chinese and the Russians are clearly talking about that. One of the people who went with Putin to China
was the chairman of the Russian Central Bank, for example. I mean, that that's why she was there. And um the Indians are also very active in all of this.
Coordinating financing systems is a very complicated business and you have to come up with all sorts of ways that's
going to work. And here we come back to the point about the Persian Gulf states because I said they've all got their
currencies pegged to the dollar. That gives the United States great leverage and influence over them. But of course
it also now that they are perhaps becoming concerned about the United States it gives them more motivation
to work through with these arrangements and that might even include a country like the UAE. So you can see that in a
way bricks being what it is actually plays to its strengths.
A and people should not misunderstand its seeming weaknesses. BRICS is not NATO. It is not the European Union. It
is not the G7. It is not any one of these things.
Uh I think that's a really really good point especially in lie of the fact that uh I mean how how much more clear does
especially China and Russia and I I 100% agree with you that they are the focal point given their size economically
their importance where they sit in the globe all kinds of reasons um but uh both of them are so clear about how they
operate on the international stage that it was always seemingly going to be the case that the development of their
relationship and of course uh how that strengthens them. It was really all
about uh not just their own needs for development but also if they are stronger if they are developing faster
then they become more attractive by default as partners and as global uh you know as global players on all fronts and
that's exactly what's happened and so I could very well see a a scenario where China Russia now Iran and whichever
other country decides to hop on board uh they move in that kind of direction where they get stronger therefore more
countries I mean made in Saudi Arabia 2020 whatever it is 2020 whatever they there's an office in Shanghai dedicated
to them like they they have hedged uh to a huge degree um and and bet a lot on China so I think that's the movement in
the world and the more that the US becomes chaotic and crisis ridden and facilitates all kinds of instability economically and otherwise wise. I think
that's only going to become more so the case and therefore the big watch that we are I guess the our eyes must be peeled
on how the US reacts to this and of course how uh Europe and whoever hangs on to the United States uh reacts to it.
But any final thoughts? Uh first of all that was perfectly said. I I I I completely agree with that. I think that is I think that is exactly
right. I think 2026 by the way could very well turn out to be a really important year. I mean we we've we've
we've had I mean we're going to have events develop in Ukraine as well of that. I am sure by the way we we could
very well have a major economic a you know situation in Europe perhaps also in
the United States by year end too. uh we have very great political fragilities in Europe, in Germany, in uh um Eng
Britain, in all sorts of places. And um the United States doesn't have a coherent
plan for this. It's it's hitting out in every direction. is now going to sort of go against Cuba which is small and
little and vulnerable because it can't really prevail in Ukraine or in Iran or against China or against in Taiwan or
those sort of places. But going against Cuba doesn't resolve any of America's
problems. It just makes the US look even more like the, you know, the bully and rogue elephant that you basically were
saying it was. So this is this is this is an important moment. A situation
where the United States admits is running out of weapons. A situation where the United States is unable to
prevail in a war even against a second tier power like Iran. Um a situation
where its technological leadership is being challenged like it's never been.
Well, this is a very important year indeed.
All very well said, Alexander. It was great to be with you. I want to make sure everyone knows that your YouTube channel is in the video description. Uh, so they can check that out as well as
the Duran's YouTube channel. So, everyone should be. If you're not, I'm sure a lot of audience members already are, but if you're not, do subscribe. Do check out all of Alexander's work. Um, hit the like button before you go.
Thanks to everyone who gave a super chat. I put you up on the screen.
Moderators, all who viewed, u, hit the like button before you go. That boosts the show. Um, it's Memorial Day weekend.
I won't be streaming, but I will have some original clips up um as well for the weekend. But Alexander, anything you want to say before I hit the end stream button?
Absolutely joy to be here on this program uh Danny and I look forward, if you don't mind, to another invitation soon.
Oh, of course. Definitely soon, everyone. Okay. Uh, thanks for joining in and uh I'll see you again soon.
Bye-bye.
Danny Haiphong
Streamed live 92 minutes ago #iran #usnavy #trump
Alexander Mercouris of The Duran joins the show to discuss Iran's game changing move on the Strait of Hormuz that casts high suspicion on reported efforts of a "peace" deal on the part of the Trump administration. War is imminent, and Alexander breaks down the massive geopolitical dimensions of the rapidly evolving situation.
Transcript
Welcome everyone. Welcome back to the program. Your host Danny Hiong. As you can see, I'm joined by Alexander Mccurus
of the Duran as well as his own channel geopolitical analyst and commentator, friend of the show. Alexander, good to see you again.
I'm very happy, delighted to be here again, Danny.
Yes. Uh very happy to have you. Everyone hit the like button as you come on. Help boost the show. And we'll just get started. How about with uh some news
about the straight of hormuz? Uh I think this has uh blindsided Trump a bit because there's all kinds of talks and
I'll ask you later about whether we are witnessing another kind of uh negotiations leading to war situation
because right now there's all kinds of optimistic talk about the possibility of a deal but we also have Iran at the same
time through the Persian Gulf Strait Authority their mechanism has essentially announced expanded control
of the straight of Hormuz going all the way into the Emirates, the United Arab Emirates, including the port of Fujira,
uh a massive thousands of kilometers of uh territory that they're claiming is now going to be under their authority
given what's happened in the war. And there's also talks Marco Rubio, Trump, they say no tolls, no nothing for the straight of Hormuz. Well, Iran and Oman
are in talks about a fee system. They're not calling it a toll, but Iran is calling it a fee system to ensure
ongoing uh uh uh remuneration during its authority over the straight of Hormuz. Uh so, Alexander, yeah,
there's all kinds of talks about talks again, but last the last few times this has happened, we've seen escalation. And I'm wondering what you make of these
moves around the straight horses and the larger geopolitical picture that I think uh Trump has not really seen coming, but
it just keeps happening anyway. And I'm What's your thoughts about this?
Well, I think your last point is absolutely the correct one. Now, um all the logic, if you apply logic, which of
course is in short supply, but all the logic points to the need for negotiations. The United States started
this war against Iran on the 28th of February. They were convinced that Iran would collapse very quickly. They
discounted the threat of a closure of the state straight of Hormuz or of uh Iran taking control of the Strait of
Hormuz. It turned out that Iran had not did not collapse quickly. Instead, Iran
hit back. The United States took damage, serious damage. We're learning all the
time how serious that damage was. Um the allies of the United States in the region, the Saudis, the Qataris, the
Emiratis, all of them, they took damage too. The Iranians um imposed their
control of the Strait of Hormuz. All those who discounted their ability to do that were proved completely wrong. And
what Donald Trump now finds himself is in this situation where um things have turned out not not not only not as he
expected that they would but far worse than he could ever have possibly
imagined. Iran has come out strong. Its armed forces are intact. It controls the
straight of whoo and it has a lot grip on the energy flows upon which the entire global economy and ultimately the
United States itself depends. Now in this situation the logic points to Donald Trump beginning negotiations and
starting negotiations in earnest but his personal vanity the political needs of
the moment. I mean, he doesn't want to be the president who negotiates and agrees to Iranian terms which are going
to be much tougher than the those he could have had in February. Anyway, the political needs of Donald Trump and also
the feeling in Washington and Tel a Viv and other places that the United States
cannot start a war against a country like Iran and lose and make concessions.
All that makes negotiations all but impossible. So you have this extraordinary bizarre situation where all sorts of people are coming forward
with proposals. Documents are being passed backwards and forwards via Pakistan between Iran and uh the United
States but nobody's actually sitting down and talking and the result is that we get documents which aren't taking us
any further and a document then is presented on Donald Trump's desk. He sees what the Iranians are demanding and
he loses his temper and we still have another cycle of escalation and warnings and threats which he then has to wrote
back. That's the summary of the situation as I see it.
Yeah. I mean, we're hearing uh ve I mean, I've been seeing on X and in various uh news uh you know, corporate
media outlets uh uh in the next few hours uh there's going to be this uh a final agreement to that will initiate
talks. And I've been seeing that next few hours now, it's been probably 12 to 16 to almost a day uh hearing this that there's going to be this final
agreement. And then it seems like both sides are are throwing a bit of cold water on it. Uh uh and we have also
reports that the UAE even Qatar Qatar may be participating in this process uh
to some degree. But we have reports about the UAE, Qatar and other Gulf states urging uh the Saudis as well
urging Donald Trump not to restart uh escalation at this time. Do you believe any of this? Because at the same time,
we also have Israel saying a surprise attack by Iran is coming soon. This is from Israeli intelligence. Uh and if we
don't strike, then uh this is what's going to occur. Do you do you believe any of this? Do you feel like that this is just another plausible deniability
situation where uh we're looking at war coming at any moment?
Well, you know, you you you you have every reason to say that and experience shows that we have to take that into account and it's not impossible. I mean,
all of these Persian Gulf states that are supposed to be begging Donald Trump to hold off from launching a war and another attack on Iran were the same
Persian Gulf states which were pretending last year that they were not in favor of a war against Iran, but
which we now have every reason to believe almost certainly were urging it, secretly urging it. So they have a
record of duplicity in this and we can't take their public announcements
seriously. Against that the war was launched on the 28th of February and it
has turned out terribly disastrously wrong for them. The United States didn't
prevail quickly. The straight of Hormuz was closed to commercial shipping. The Iranians aren't now levying fees on
ships that they allow through. Um, their infrastructure, the infrastructure of the Persian Gulf states was very badly
damaged. Um, they see that American air defenses don't work in the way that they were supposed to work. They read all the
reports that the United States um has depleted its arsenals heavily and
they're also reading bizarre stories um that are floating around that the person that the Americans wanted to put in
charge in Iran was none other than Amadi Nad. And the Saudis, if they read these
articles, um will be saying to themselves, these people are out of their senses. They don't know what they're doing. So all of that must be
undermining confidence right across the Persian Gulf. And people may very well be saying to themselves, well, if the
Americans failed after 40 days, why expect that they're going to
succeed? If we get thrown back into another war, then all that's going to do
is going to result in further massive damage to ourselves.
And always at the background, there's the fear that the Iranians might attack the desalination plants. And at the same
time, whilst this straight of Hormuz remains under Iranian control in the way that it is, whilst we have the situation
of no war, no peace, there's also there's also the problem that all of these countries are losing
money. and they're losing money, not just because they're not able to sell their oil and their gas and their NATO and their uh helium and all of these
things, but also because there's apparently very heavy capital outflow out of the Persian Gulf. Money is
pouring into Hong Kong and Singapore because people are losing confidence in the stability and the security of the of
the region. So, I can imagine that they're telling the Americans, "Please don't do this again. It's only going to make the situation worse this time.
Please see whether you can come to a deal with the Iranians." It makes sense that they would do so. Um, and I can
imagine that that dynamic on the part of the Arab states has changed. As are the Israelis. They have a completely different agenda. They want regime
change in Iran. the business as far as they're concerned is unfinished. They want to talk up the threat from Iran and
they want the war to start all over again. So you could see that there is this potential divergence.
Well uh I'll just pull up the report that I was citing from because I think it's uh instructive here. It's from the Jerusalem Pros. Iran could launch a surprise attack against Gulf States.
Israel says Israeli officials. And this is for Israeli intelligence. Warnings of a potential surprise Iranian attack in Gulf states in Israel come as the
President Donald Trump, US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel disagree on how to proceed with uh Thran. And so uh this is coming
from top military leaders and defense minister to uh uh Israel cats. Uh uh security officials know that Toron might
attempt to act before the US and Israel decide that the diplomatic path is no longer viable and launch a surprise attack similar to the one at the start
of Operation Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, which is really rich, Alexander, because uh that wasn't a surprise attack at all.
That was a complete response. It was very fast and I think it really caught uh Israel and the United States off guard of how rapidly Iran was able to
galvanize its military capabilities. But it was certainly not a surprise. Iran was saying from the very get-go for week I don't know how many weeks leading into
that escalation that there would be a response no matter what. But your thoughts on this? I mean this is this seems to be laying the the groundwork for some kind of provocation.
Well, it is that's exactly what it is that there is an enormous there is an Israeli campaign to get the war restarted. They they do not want a
negotiated end to this crisis. They want regime change in Iran. That is what from an Israeli point of view this whole
exercise is all about. Absolutely. They do not want an resolution of this crisis
which might end with Iran looking the winner which it is increasingly starting
to look at look at. So they do what they've been doing now for the last 20 plus years. They talk up the threat from
Iran. They've been talking up the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, something that's never
happened. And now they're talking about Iran launching a preemptive strike when Iran has never launched any sort of
preemptive strike. I mean, the attack that they carried out at the start of the 40 days war happened after the United States and Israel attacked them.
That was a response. It was not an act, a preemptive attack by the Iranians. So,
um, the Iranians have never shown this pattern up to now. They've always
responded and they've responded toughly, but they've responded. The only people who are threatening to start the
war at the moment, who want to start the war at the moment, are the Israelis and the Americans. And that's the simple
reality. Iran has nothing to gain by launching an attack of that kind.
What have you made of uh you know Robert Kagan and I you know and your work Alexander of uh you know analyzing not
just the mindset but also the actions of of neocons is years and years uh worth
and so I'm curious on your thoughts about what you make of Robert Kang's now seemingly now a resume of pretty
scathing assessments of the uh situation regarding Iran. The latest one uh he uh
wrote again in the Atlantic has to do with uh Trump uh essentially uh his
endgame is going to be surrender. That's what he claims. uh and he this is a
followup in the Atlantic to his article that uh initially earlier this month uh said that the United States is was
defeated and that it doesn't really have any options left on the table. uh he's saying that Trump is hoping to slip away
out of this without Americans noticing the magnitude of the defeat and he goes over all of the machinations now Trump
and this uh you know threats leading to so-called peace talks and then Iran has said that they're not really actually
engaged in peace talks uh they're only engaged in uh demanding their rights uh they're not even talking about
concessions or anything like that back and forth. So, what do you make of the I mean, this is pretty unprecedented given that the neocons in many respects are
15 minutesthe engineers of US uh aggression against Iran and it seems like their entirety of their Middle East policy was
actually geared toward this and now it seems like a pretty big reversal. I'm curious on what you thought your thoughts are on what's explaining this.
Well, first of all, you're absolutely right. I mean, Robert Kagan and uh the other neocons um clustered around him
have been advocating a war against Iran for the last 25 years. And now that the war was launched and they got their war
and it didn't turn out as they expected, they're doing two things. Firstly, they are quietly preparing the ground for
saying that the reason it didn't really succeed is because Donald Trump mishandled it. I mean, you know, talking
about Donald Trump um um failing to win, Iran achieving this victory, but of
course, what they will all say is that this all happened on Trump's watch, that it's his fault that this has ended as
disastrously as it has. That's one part of their agenda. But it was the other part of their agenda is to go Trump and
to put pressure on him and to get their friends in Congress to put pressure on him as well. And what they're saying is,
look, if you do a deal with the Iranians, the kind of deal which, as we said at
the start of this program, it is logical for Trump to do at this time, given that the military option has been unsuccessful.
Uh what they will do is they will say that is a surrender. You have surrendered the strategic position of the United States. You have humiliated
the United States. You can't possibly allow that to happen. So what you must
do instead is keep the war going, escalate as our friends in Israel
demand. And ultimately, and if you go back to the first Atlantic article, you see what basically Kagan is pushing
towards, which is a ground operation, an actual ground invasion of Iran, because that's that's the only thing they have left.
And I don't know if you saw after that initial article, then you had John Bolton write in the Washington Post uh a
much more direct call for that exact thing, for an escalation, for heavier
strikes coupled with a ground operation, which um you know, Kagan in his piece was very circumspect to try to circle
around. He didn't want to say it directly, but he was making hints that uh you know, you either go all the way or you go home. Go hard or go home, as
they say. Uh go go home. Go go go go home, but then be blamed for
the surrender and the defeat, which of course they know perfectly well Trump doesn't want to see happen. So
it's putting pressure on him to escalate the war and to escalate the war into uh something which so far we managed to
avoid and which would be an absolute catastrophe.
What happens Alexander because we have a lot of fronts happening at the same time right now. Um you know we have on the
one hand uh what did Donald Trump say about his son's wedding? He said he can't go because he has this thing
called Iran to take care of. Uh which got some uh of course western media sources a bit concerned about what does
he mean actually by that because there are also reports in Reuters that nobody actually really knows what Donald Trump means when he truth socials out foreign
policy commentaries. Uh this dating back to the civilization ending true social post which European diplomats had no
19 minutesidea what he meant. They meant they asked State Department officials what did he mean and they said no idea because they were concerned are is he going to use a nuke? You know, we're
kind of vulnerable to anything that happens to Iran. We're not that far from Iran. Um uh uh nonetheless, this is kind
of the situation. So what happens though, Alexander, with all these fronts happening, the US has not It's not as if we, you know, we've talked about
sequencing on this program before. It's not as if the Ukraine situation has really died down. There seems to be a push now toward Cuba to try to get some
kind of win. There's also uh uh you know a lot of uh hopes that the China talks have led to a
pullback, but Donald Trump has made no real indications that much will change there other than the fact that they don't have enough air defenses to uh protect in missiles to protect Taiwan.
They can't even get this package through because of it. So uh what happens if the straight of Hormuz Alexander becomes
20 minutesessentially open or opens up even further? We see more shipping activity now at the behest of Iran. And this is
what Iran has said they want. They want full activity through it. But with their coordination, the longer this goes on, that could become more and more
possible. Maybe not fully possible, but more and more possible. Well, I I I would have thought that the absolute final strategic disaster for the United
States is basically what you've just discussed. In other words, that the Iranians come to some kind of understanding with the other Persian
Gulf states. Even it's now starting to look the Emiratis are starting to change, shift their position. The uh
Persian Gulf states lose faith in the United States. They no longer believe that the US is able to defeat the to
defeat Iran or force open the straight of Hormuz. So they say to themselves, well, who can open the straight of
Hormuz? Iran can. So let's do a deal with them. Let's sort out some kind of
arrangements in the Persian Gulf that work to everybody's advantage in the sense that we can get our oil caros
through and Iran can pick up the fees and we tell the Americans, you know, thank you very much, but please go. Now,
that is that is a nightmare scenario with the US because it means that US influence in the Persian Gulf area has
collapsed. that um Iran has emerged as the dominant power in at least that
absolutely critical part of the Middle East and of course Iran is part of BRICS. So where Iran basically wins
through you could argue that BRICS influence um expands as well. So I think the Americans will not want that to
happen and they have various tools to prevent it happening. um all of the currencies of all the Persian Gulf
tates are pegged to the dollar for example and that gives the US influence and they will do what they can as I said
to sabotage this from happening and they might succeed but with every day that
this continues without any sign of any resolution the possibility that the Persian Gulf
states finally say enough's enough we might not like the Iranians very much.
We might have all kinds of issues with them. They are a revolutionary government and we are conservative
monarchies. So that makes very uncomfortable. Uh but in spite of that, we have to survive. We have to do
business and that means we have to do business with Iran. So that possibility does grow.
Yeah. Yeah. I I mean there's also been this I don't know how this helps matters at all Alexander but there's also been
activity uh drone strike activity drone attack activity in these countries that
uh the United States of course Donald Trump have said it very openly himself he wants the UAE he wants the Gulf
countries to essentially assume responsibility for any future war um incl es especially the UAE which has
been really honed in on as the uh uh you know prize uh the the crown jewel of of
of restarting the war in the Gulf. But um they've been attacked and it's it's certainly and I mean we don't have
proof, but it's certainly likely not Iran. There's been almost daily drone activities, air defenses activated according to the UAE's Ministry of
Defense, whatever that's worth. And um how much of the some of that feels like or has felt like some kind of way to
justify not only restarting the war but to almost maybe punish or bludgeon the Gulf States into being ready to restart
the war when they may not be so excited given the economic consequences you just outlined.
Well, absolutely. I mean I think that is probably what is going on. I mean, again, I I don't myself see any reason
to think that the Iranians have any interest in restarting the war on a big scale against all of these countries. I mean, what what what do they gain by
doing so? Um I I if they attack and openly go on the attack, then they lose
one of their biggest um moral and by the way political advantages in this conflict, which is that they are the
victims of aggression. It looks as if on the contrary they are prepared to attack themselves and they lend weight to the
propaganda narrative about them that the Israelis in particular have been very active spreading as I said over at least
two decades now. So I I it doesn't make sense that Iran would want another war
with all of the Persian Gulf states. And it could very well be that all of these pin prick attacks that are taking place
are exactly as you say an attempt by someone and we've just had this article from Israel telling us you know you know that the Iranians are going to attack.
It might be an attempt by someone to create the impression that that is about to happen. I would just mention one
other just possibility which is that of course from an Iranian point of view you could argue and I'm not saying this is
the case by the way but you could argue that keeping a certain buzz of military activity going in the Persian Gulf
keeping some kind of tension there but not you know up to the level of outright war is useful. It reminds the Persian
Gulf states of how vulnerable ultimately they are. Whereas if they if nothing like that was happening, there would be
a degree of complacency setting in and the Persian Gulf states might revert to their natural stance, which is to support the Americans and the Israelis.
So you you can argue that. I I'm not saying that is the case because obviously I don't know.
No, I mean it's a very good point and I think what makes it even I guess more suspicious then because I I think Iran would have every even every right to
given that the war I mean there's a ceasefire yes that they agreed to but uh in all honesty it's like it almost feels
like a ceasefire in name only like they've kept the US has kept the blockade going there has been uh some kinetic activity in the last uh month or
so uh uh in the Persian Gulf uh uh from the United states and Iran. But what would make what makes this so suspicious
now too is that if it were the case that Iran were keeping up some level of military activity given its history, it
has been very open about uh that they have operations and I don't I don't know if they would keep those operations secret and even if they did, what would
stop uh the UAE? what would stop uh the Saudis if uh because those attacks were so supposedly not very effective at all
in Saudi Arabia, but in the UAE especially that since it's been more than a handful of times now if this has
happened, what stops them from proving that it's Iran that's doing it, especially if there's all this motivation to restart the war on the part of the United States and Israel.
And then of course there are the curious reports about western uh borders uh that the drones are coming from there. And then of course we now know that the U uh
Israel with US help has clandestine bases in Iraq which uh uh gives one
pause as to maybe those could be used for such an attack. But exactly as you said there are reasons for it but it's
it's very questionable that there's this uh layer of secrecy and mystery about it. Um
well indeed a absolutely I mean you're absolutely right about this. I mean we're talking about the Middle East and of course this is an place where as I
said all kinds of things happen and nothing is ever um at quite as it seems.
But to repeat again I cannot see any logic in Iran wanting to attack the Persian Gulf states. I mean it would
forfeit Iran some degree of international sympathy. You're I mean you're absolutely right by the way when you say that in strict abstract moral
and legal terms they would be perfectly in their right to do it after all these countries ganged off against Iran and
attacked it. But the world doesn't function on abstract legal terms at least not in that kind of way. The
Chinese and the Russians would not like it. They would not want to see the Iranians act in that way. um other countries around the world would not
like it too. It would, as I said, be a propaganda gift to the Israelis and the
hardliners in Washington. The Iranians are extremely sophisticated people. I think that is one thing we have seen
very clearly over the last uh uh few weeks. I I cannot imagine that they would make a mistake of that kind.
Ah, I can't hear you. I'm sorry I've lost you.
Sorry, I was muted. Um, I think it was it's an appropriate time now given that uh Trump has said that he is very
preoccupied with Iran. Uh, he might not even attend his own son's wedding to get into some of these other fronts, in
particular the uh Ukraine front. you have been following of course the numerous attacks that Ukraine has
conducted um into Russian territory which has been now complemented by this move by Donald Trump which has a lot of
I think even NATO uh if we can separate the two I I don't but if we look at NATO countries and Europe and how they've
reacted to this uh Donald Trump is saying he's sending 5,000 US troops to Poland he's uh saying because of the
successful election of this new president, he's doing this. Um, of course, this is a a big red flag for for
Russia given that uh uh who was it? Um was it a uh oh,
who basically said the spirit of Anchorage doesn't exist. He never used those terms, calling it dead um in the water. And then there's these nuclear
and missile tests that have uh occurred uh in recent days which are huge and has a lot of the western mainstream media very panicked about them with Bellarus.
They include nuclear munitions but of course they include a lot of Russia's and Bellaruses with the the sharing agreements. They have uh most advanced
ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, etc. This situation appears very bad Alexander in terms of how it's gone for
the United States. It seems like actually things have escalated and it's almost gone under the radar because the US has been in active war with Iran for
such a long period. But what what's happening right now? Why is Trump sending 5,000 troops to Poland? Why is Russia conducting these drills right now?
Well, I mean the first thing to say is you're absolutely right. This is not going well for the United States. The United States is not going well in Iran.
Uh um the Ukraine war, the whole Ukraine crisis is going badly wrong too. And Donald Trump went to China and came back
empty-handed. Um with a very very strong warning about Taiwan from Cining ringing
in his ears. So Donald Trump goes back to Washington. he's in a bad mood, which he clearly is, and he wants to reassert
himself and show to all these people, to the Russians, to the Chinese, that the United States, and he is still strong.
So, we get um announcements like this one about the 5,000 troops to Poland. We
have the threats against Cuba. Uh, I think with this particular president, I have to say this, a lot of these
decisions, a lot of these announcements are emotionally driven. The Europeans were completely taken by surprise by
this 5,000 troop deployment to Poland announcement. So were the polls, by the way, which is interesting. So, I mean,
it makes it all look uh very much like, you know, it's flown off the pen uh or typewriter if you like, Trump angry
because nothing is going well. And he's at the moment very angry with the Russians and I think more angry than
people realize. Um the Russians, as you correctly say, have been conducting big nuclear drills. They have started to
make more advances in the conflict on the front lines. Ushakov actually did
exactly what you said. He's trashed the whole Anchorage agreement. I mean, the point about the
spirit of Anchorage is that that was a Russian formula. It was the Russians who were talking about this great spirit of Anchorage that
they'd achieved. uh you know that Trump and Putin got on so really well and they come to some kind of an agreement and
all was moving forward and now here we have Putin's own foreign policy advisor basically saying that's all gone never
existed it's all it's all a fake u the Russians now also saying that there's no um point in continuing with the
discussions with the Americans and the Ukrainians because they're not leading anywhere they're not achieving anything.
34 minutesRubio has now by the way joined in on that. He said the same thing. But again, it was this the Russians have started to
talk in this way. And then I think the other thing that probably people are not getting is that on the 29th of April,
Putin called Trump and told told Trump in categorical terms, if there is any
Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow during the victory parade on the 9th of May, we're going to hit back very hard
against central Kiev. And if any of your people are there and get killed, well, you've now got the warning. So, Trump
had to pull back from that, too. And as I said, he's feeling he's feeling frustrated and he's feeling angry. In isolation,
perhaps that wouldn't be so bad. But he's had the debacle with Iran. And what happened in China I think hasn't helped
either because he didn't get from Cinping the things he wanted. Um there's that expression everything is connected.
Absolutely. So the United States continues to push hard on every front. Its problem is it's
losing in everyone and all of this has come in the backdrop too of uh you know the Trump
administration has been very careful not to even mention Ukraine very much in terms of the war but uh everyone else is of course you
know the Kagans of the world Victoria Nuland's Institute for the Study of War that uh you know mouthpiece of the
neocons they feed every single day to the western mainstream media that Ukraine is on the up and up, that they're uh gaining on the battlefield,
that these attacks in Russian territory show Russia's weakness, and it seems to continue in this direction
of narrative management. Uh what's what's actually the reality though because Vladimir Putin, Russia doesn't they don't seem very phased. I mean uh
uh Russia um hosted Xinping, Putin I mean no Putin went to Beijing. uh sorry about that reversal and uh inked a bunch of deals.
Uh there hasn't been any uh it doesn't seem like there's any panic in Russia any side of the Russian government but
yet we hear these stories about Ukraine's uh resilience and how it's coming back uh from the doldrums. What's happening?
Well, I mean the the reality of the war is that there's always eb and flow. um especially this war, it's um a different
war from the one that Americans I think are used to. So what happens is you have usually in the summer a period of very
very intense military activity that lasts until the autumn when you see movements on the front lines and towns
fall and uh positions captured and then you have a period from roughly the end
of the year until the spring when both sides stop and catch their breath. the
uh it's a time of cold and then of mud because you know all the snow soarses and the ground turns muddy and the
armies have to reorganize and refit and they have to introduce more men and then
sometime around midspring things begin to start up again. We are in that position. We're in the situation at the
moment when things are starting up again and the Ukrainians have been conducting their drone attacks on Russia which have
done damage but nowhere near as much damage as some people in the you know the commentaries might lead you to
think. And the Russians for their part have been advancing and have been uh
once again making real inroads on the battlefield. Now the last is the last
thing you're going to see ever acknowledged because um most of the commentators in the west take their
reports about what's happening on the front lines in the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians are very slow to acknowledge
when positions are lost. They continue to claim, for example, that they retain
control of part of Pacross, which nobody who follows the war um closely um
believes to be so. So, they don't want to admit that the Russians are now once again on the attack and gaining ground.
And of course the Kagans and the Nulands don't want to admit it either because losing one war against Iran is bad enough. Losing another one against the
Russians especially in Europe is worse still.
And how significant was this uh flurry of major visits uh that happened in
China because uh you had Donald Trump uh he visited China afterward he was singing I mean the whole trip he was
singing the praises of Xiinping. It looked like the United States was uh was attempting to uh attract China with
honey rather than vinegar and came out with very little if anything other than
uh verbal understandings and uh then uh Xiinping hosted Vladimir Putin. They
came out with 40 plus agreements uh inked and signed and then I think Xiinping uh is going to be meeting with
the DPRK, North Korea very soon. Uh th this doesn't feel unintentional. Uh one thing that Trump definitely didn't get
40 minutesfrom China was anything on Iran. Uh that was initially what everyone was saying in the administration. They're going to pressure China on Iran. That was dropped
very quickly. That was almost dropped before the plane landed. But uh what what what's the significance of these visits uh and what does it signify
because it felt it felt very impactful but they came and went uh really fast and not a lot of people are talking about it. Well, the what it means at the
in at at the minimum is that China is now the global center of diplomacy, which is an astonishing fact and one
that is unprecedented in modern history for a non-western country to be where
all the top people go. I mean, that's the first time that's happened that anybody can remember. But the Americans
go there, the Russians go there, the everybody wants to talk and speak to the Chinese leader and the Chinese
leadership. So um that in itself is a momentous change in international
relations. Now the the Trump visit to China and the Putin visit to China were
completely different. The Putin visit is part of a regular scheduled sequence of visits
that take place every year now between the Chinese and the Russians. So um usually
you know Putin will go usually roughly about twice a year to to to China.
Sining might go to Russia once a year, but there will be these big elaborated
worked out agreements that are being discussed and negotiated all the time.
Um, this is part of a continuous process of development and what is now very important and very strong relationship.
The Trump visit was completely different. That was an impromptu decision by Trump after his meeting with
with Cishinping in South Korea in October to have a visit with the to go to China. He's apparently been trying to
get the Chinese to agree to a visit basically since he was inaugurated. Then he was supposed to go in March.
Then he had to call it off. Then unlike the Russian visit, there was very little preparation. But he went there anyway.
He brought all of these business people with him. Um it it lasted two days and very very little actual business was
done and Trump in went in with all kinds of expectations that there would be some
kind of agreements about something and the Chinese in fact gave him very little uh except this very strong warning about
Taiwan. And because the Chinese know how to conduct diplomacy, they gave the
warning, which is the strongest I've heard from a Chinese leader to an American president, by the way, in person, too. In person,
across the table, across the table go with the whole American delegation there. But the Chinese, as they always do, because
they're, you know, consumer diplomats, they sugared the pill. They had him at a banquet in the great hall of the people.
They took him to the temple of heaven.
They gave him a a tour around Jungan High. But as I said, none of that ultimately made any difference to the substance of what happened.
Yeah. And uh for those who may not know, uh that is no uh that is nothing off of China's back. Like this is how China
operates anyway. So it really was just China going through their general diplomatic protocol which is very
generous anyway if there's a leader of and they view most leaders of significance. So most leaders actually receive very uh very very good treatment
the ones who are allowed to come and who are invited to come. Um so uh uh it for for this to have happened it was almost
as if the United States was just going through the motions as you said it's very historically unprecedented for China to be the one to host and kind of
hold uh those diplomatic cards and and the contrast with uh uh with Russia and then uh in Putin's visit. But the the
bigger picture, Alexander, too, is it does feel like we're entering a moment where I mean, we we talked about Iran earlier. Now we're talking about China
and we're talking about Russia. It does feel like these three countries are increasingly in a position where if anything from the second Trump
administration has taught us anything is that uh these three countries are now finding uh so much strength that they
are the ones to kind of dictate terms and how things happen when it comes to matters important to them. And I think
that's a very um that's a very different position for the United States to be in.
It is an unprecedented position for the for the United States to be in. I mean I I made a point um in a post I published
on X that the Chinese readout of Cining's message to Trump was that the
United States must be careful must be care must do
something. People do not in American experience talk like that to the United
States. use the word must demand that the United States act in a certain way
and for the Americans that is unprecedented and yes of course you're absolutely right it's three countries
China Russia Iran Russia has withtood the sanctions blow the massive sanctions blow that the Americans inflicted on it
in 2022 um it's uh prevailing on the battlefields Um Iran has absorbed this enormous
American attack and is prevailing in the straight of Hormuz. But of course the key player the the the the most
important country here is China. China is now the economic colossus. It's the
manufacturing giant. It's moving forward in areas of technology. It has
tremendous state craft behind it. you know which anybody who has any knowledge of China and its history would find unsurprising.
And when we talk about a movement towards a multi-olar system,
it is the rise of China that is the reason why this is happening. It is ultimately because there is China there.
47 minutesThat is what makes it so much more difficult for the United States to prevail
against Iran, against Russia in all sorts of other places.
And in this case with the United States toward China, well, albeit much of the policies of very the aggressive posture
the US takes toward China haven't really changed. In fact, I don't know if you saw the reports, but uh there are now
rumblings out of Congress and the Foreign Services Committee, etc., saying that the reason why uh the United States
hasn't approved the latest Taiwan arms package is not because of anything Donald Trump doesn't or does or doesn't
want to do. It's because actually the US doesn't have the munitions to uh send to Taiwan anyway, which isn't actually new.
A lot of the arms packages that uh the US signs off on are completely backlogged in the tens of billions of dollars worth because they don't
actually exist. But now there's an admission that Operation Epic Fury, the Iran war, the aggression against Iran
has depleted them so much that they're not even willing to side and pass them through. But um I think this just
underscores that uh uh while the policies may not change, we do see that the Trump administration is
increasingly hesitant to make China and aggression towards China on the political sphere a priority. Uh even Joe
Biden as his as uh completely brain dead as he might have been by 2023 he was not
shy to call Xiinping a dictator during the press conference of the apex of it which had in 2023 Xiinping in attendance
at that time. So, which was a massive uh sign of disrespect uh but one that the
uh administration fully embraced uh even if uh Anthony Blinken had a cringe moment and tried to look away. But
nonetheless, that was the that's been the posture. But Trump looked completely different in his administration looked completely different during this uh meeting. And I think that said a lot.
Oh, it says a huge amount. I mean Biden also insulted Zinping in an address to Congress in in you know one of the um
you know State of the Union addresses um and which is to me even more astonishing
and um Trump himself has not in the past been shy be about being very rude and
aggressive about China. And now the president of the United States goes to China, flatters Cining, calls him a
great leader and all that, but comes back empty-handed. I mean, it is an extraordinary study in contrasts and a
clear demonstration of the change in relative power. And of course, I mean, the United States, I mean, if the United
States said, "We're not supplying arms to Taiwan because we don't want to get embroiled into a conflict with China." Well, that is a strong policy position.
But for the United States to come along and say, "Well, we're not going to supply arms to Taiwan because we don't have them." I mean, that is an
incredible confession of weakness, actually. Um but that again is where the United States is and we've already seen
that play out during the Ukraine war. Um in no war the United States has ever fought up to now has it run out of weapons. I mean that has never happened.
But now it has. It began to run short of weapons. um in Ukraine in 20 you know
back in you Ukraine's 2023 offensive and they've basically stopped supplying
weapons on a major scale to Ukraine now they've run out of weapons against Iran which is in some ways even more
humiliating and of course coming up against China when you have depleted
arsenals I is is extraordinary yeah it is extraord extraordinary. And here is the actual report. So more
accurately, this was the acting secretary of the Navy uh Hung Tao who said that to the Senate appropriations
commit subcommittee that right now uh we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have enough munitions that we need for epic fur fury. So directly
connecting uh this arms package that has been uh China's of course eye. They've said don't do this. this is a big
mistake. It'll only worsen relations. Uh Trump has not made any decision on it, the Trump administration, but uh now
we're seeing the truth about why there's the delay. You know, in the last few minutes, we have five or .
Alexander, I wanted to ask uh your opinion on this. The uh a lot of people because of what's happened with Iran and
all the things we just talked about, there's been a lot of concern about bricks, for example. uh uh given that uh
the especially the war in Iran, but we could also say uh what's happened in general in the world, we've seen a move
of a lot of new countries in bricks like the UAE um the Saudis playing the fence,
but the UAE in particular in India playing a kind of um harsh uh double dealing game which could weaken bricks
in the short and long term. But now that we've kind of talked, the outline too
seems that maybe it was always the case that Russia, China, and now Iran, we're going to be moving toward the multicolor world a lot faster than these other
countries. And I'm wondering if you see any reasons to be optimistic then about uh uh these mechanisms like bricks uh
growing to some extent anyway uh because of just what's happening on the ground uh in the reality situation regardless
of the political I think a lot of people are always concerned about the political imaginations of members as it remains a consensus organization with far uh with
I guess a far cry of actual consensus existing within it. You see I I have always had a slightly different take on the bricks than others. I mean I wrote a
piece way back in 2015 long you know more than 10 years ago in which I said that the central relationship the core
relationship is between China and Russia. These are the two great powers who are at the center of the system.
They don't want to call their relationship an alliance because they don't want to make commitments to each
other that might come back to hurt them and at the same time they don't want to seem visibly like allies because an
54 minutesalliance defines itself as having enemies and they don't want everybody you know India which perhaps
has issues with China or um other countries that might have issues with Russia. They don't want those countries
to be scared off by the fact that you know there is this Russian Chinese alliance overtly opening. So the Chinese
and the Russians what they've done is that they worked consistently and this is a line you know an analysis I made in
2015 which I hold to. They work consistently to deepen and strengthen their relationship.
And in order to cloak what is going on, they've woven a whole network, a whole
tapestry of other organizations and institutions around it. So BRICS obviously the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union, the CSTTO etc. But one of their
basic reasons is to sort of divert attention away from the fact that the core relationship is between the Chinese
and the Russians. Now having said that, we are not in exactly the same world that we were in in 2015. And I think TW
over time bricks has developed a a a greater reality about it than it
did at that time. And I I think that nonetheless it still retain retains some of that
amorphous quality that I talked about in that article I wrote in 2015 which is
useful for all the various members because it means that they can disagree about some things and they can move
forward with others and they don't they're not kept back in those things
they want to move forward on by their disagreements on any specific issue. Their major priority at the
moment is to work out their financing systems to to work to find ways around the
dollar. And the Chinese and the Russians are clearly talking about that. One of the people who went with Putin to China
was the chairman of the Russian Central Bank, for example. I mean, that that's why she was there. And um the Indians are also very active in all of this.
Coordinating financing systems is a very complicated business and you have to come up with all sorts of ways that's
going to work. And here we come back to the point about the Persian Gulf states because I said they've all got their
currencies pegged to the dollar. That gives the United States great leverage and influence over them. But of course
it also now that they are perhaps becoming concerned about the United States it gives them more motivation
to work through with these arrangements and that might even include a country like the UAE. So you can see that in a
way bricks being what it is actually plays to its strengths.
A and people should not misunderstand its seeming weaknesses. BRICS is not NATO. It is not the European Union. It
is not the G7. It is not any one of these things.
Uh I think that's a really really good point especially in lie of the fact that uh I mean how how much more clear does
especially China and Russia and I I 100% agree with you that they are the focal point given their size economically
their importance where they sit in the globe all kinds of reasons um but uh both of them are so clear about how they
operate on the international stage that it was always seemingly going to be the case that the development of their
relationship and of course uh how that strengthens them. It was really all
about uh not just their own needs for development but also if they are stronger if they are developing faster
then they become more attractive by default as partners and as global uh you know as global players on all fronts and
that's exactly what's happened and so I could very well see a a scenario where China Russia now Iran and whichever
other country decides to hop on board uh they move in that kind of direction where they get stronger therefore more
countries I mean made in Saudi Arabia 2020 whatever it is 2020 whatever they there's an office in Shanghai dedicated
to them like they they have hedged uh to a huge degree um and and bet a lot on China so I think that's the movement in
the world and the more that the US becomes chaotic and crisis ridden and facilitates all kinds of instability economically and otherwise wise. I think
that's only going to become more so the case and therefore the big watch that we are I guess the our eyes must be peeled
on how the US reacts to this and of course how uh Europe and whoever hangs on to the United States uh reacts to it.
But any final thoughts? Uh first of all that was perfectly said. I I I I completely agree with that. I think that is I think that is exactly
right. I think 2026 by the way could very well turn out to be a really important year. I mean we we've we've
we've had I mean we're going to have events develop in Ukraine as well of that. I am sure by the way we we could
very well have a major economic a you know situation in Europe perhaps also in
the United States by year end too. uh we have very great political fragilities in Europe, in Germany, in uh um Eng
Britain, in all sorts of places. And um the United States doesn't have a coherent
plan for this. It's it's hitting out in every direction. is now going to sort of go against Cuba which is small and
little and vulnerable because it can't really prevail in Ukraine or in Iran or against China or against in Taiwan or
those sort of places. But going against Cuba doesn't resolve any of America's
problems. It just makes the US look even more like the, you know, the bully and rogue elephant that you basically were
saying it was. So this is this is this is an important moment. A situation
where the United States admits is running out of weapons. A situation where the United States is unable to
prevail in a war even against a second tier power like Iran. Um a situation
where its technological leadership is being challenged like it's never been.
Well, this is a very important year indeed.
All very well said, Alexander. It was great to be with you. I want to make sure everyone knows that your YouTube channel is in the video description. Uh, so they can check that out as well as
the Duran's YouTube channel. So, everyone should be. If you're not, I'm sure a lot of audience members already are, but if you're not, do subscribe. Do check out all of Alexander's work. Um, hit the like button before you go.
Thanks to everyone who gave a super chat. I put you up on the screen.
Moderators, all who viewed, u, hit the like button before you go. That boosts the show. Um, it's Memorial Day weekend.
I won't be streaming, but I will have some original clips up um as well for the weekend. But Alexander, anything you want to say before I hit the end stream button?
Absolutely joy to be here on this program uh Danny and I look forward, if you don't mind, to another invitation soon.
Oh, of course. Definitely soon, everyone. Okay. Uh, thanks for joining in and uh I'll see you again soon.
Bye-bye.
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Re: PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:25 am
Imagine Dead Kids…’: US Veteran STUNS Trump, Warns America In Fiery Speech From Iran’s Minab |Watch
Times Of India
May 22, 2026 #Iran #USA #Trump
Former US Marine and activist Ken O’Keefe has sharply criticized Washington while standing at the ruins of the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, where Iranian media say 168 people — many of them children — were killed during the US-Israeli assault on February 28. O’Keefe challenged Americans to imagine how the US would react if Iranian missiles killed American schoolchildren, accusing Washington of hypocrisy and spreading lies about the strike. The emotional remarks have intensified global outrage over civilian casualties and renewed scrutiny of US military actions in Iran.
Transcript
The shattered walls of an elementary school in Iran have become the center of a furious international storm. And now a
former American combat veteran is turning his rage directly toward Washington. Standing amid collapsed
concrete, broken desks, and blood stained classrooms, former US Marine veteran Ken O'Keefe delivered an
emotional condemnation of the United States and Israel over a devastating strike that killed 168 people, most of
them children. The target was the Shajera Taybe Elementary School hit on February 28th during the opening hours of the USIsraeli assault on Iran.
"Imagine if your children in Tucson, Arizona were bombed by Iran," O'Keefe said, his voice shaking with anger.
"Imagine 132 of your children murdered. How would you feel?" He accused Washington of
spreading lies to justify what he called a massacre.
Was your school maybe from Tucson, Arizona, where these Rathon weapons, these Tomahawk missiles were produced.
Imagine if you had children in Tucson, Arizona that got bombed by Iran and they
murdered 132 of your children. How would you feel? How would you feel? Would you
be wrong to say death to Iran if they murdered all of your kids?
Would you? How dare you? How dare you rain down these lies on the world? You
tell me one terrorist incident, one that the Islamic Republic of Iran has done to
you. According to Iranian media, the two-story school building was struck three separate times by tomahawk
missiles. The roof collapsed onto students and teachers trapped inside. 26 female teachers were reportedly among
the dead, while dozens of children between the ages of 7 and 12 were buried beneath the rubble. More than 95 others
were injured. Pink flower murals and colorful classroom walls now stand blackened and shattered. Posting from
the scene on X, O'Keefe wrote, "My tears are flowing, my shame unbearable, and my
rage ferocious." Independent investigations, including satellite imagery and visual analysis reports,
reportedly concluded the school was deliberately targeted using precisiong guided munitions. But US President
Donald Trump dismissed the accusations, claiming without evidence that Iran itself was responsible because Iranian
missiles were inaccurate. Even after footage allegedly showed a US Tomahawk missile striking the area, Trump
reportedly responded, "I haven't seen it." New report says that the military investigation has found that the United
States struck the school in Iran. As commander-in-chief, do you take responsibility for that? That is what a commander-in-chief do you use the strike
on the school in Iran? A milit a new report says the military investigation has found it was the United States that struck the school.
I don't know about US defense secretary Pete Hedgeth insisted the only side that targets civilians is Iran.
Can you please provide some guidance?
It's been 13 days in. Can you please provide some guidance both of you about the strike on the girls school? Um there's been reporting that indicates
that preliminary inquiry even though it's ongoing has determined that the air strike was carried out um by the United
States. Uh given that there is another competing narrative uh that this was done intentionally, can you provide us with some guidance about whether uh this
uh was the case? Secondly, um we are also getting uh we had heard yesterday from energy secretary Wright uh that
said that the US Navy would not be ready until the end of the month to provide escorts through the state of Hormuz. Is that an accurate assessment? And if so, can you tell us why? Thank you.
Well, with an issue on your first topic, an issue of such seriousness, um we don't we're not going to let reporting lead us or force our hand into
indicating uh what happened in a particular situation because the truth matters. So, I can report that Sentcom
has designated an investigating officer to complete a command investigation. Uh the command investigation will take as long as necessary to address all the
matters surrounding this incident and the investigating officer is from outside scentcom and is a is a general officer. But I will note to this group
and to the world, there's only one entity in this conflict uh between us and Iran that never targets civilians.
Literally never targets civilians. I look at the process that's used on dynamic strikes or on boat strikes and
others. We have a very uh highfidelity process in that case. So we don't target. Iran does. We will investigate.
We'll get to the truth and we'll share it when we have it. Absolutely. And what was the second about the straight of four moves about the Navy? Uh six.
It's a tactically complex environment and before I think we want to take anything through there at scale. We want to make sure that we do the work pursuant to our current military
objectives to to do uh to do that safely and smartly. So we're continuing to develop and we do a lot of work. Yeah.
And like I said, this is a it is dynamic, but this is I think almost by 20% the largest day of of strikes. Uh
and as I said, our intelligence just gets better and better. that feedback back loop feeds itself. And as we refine those targets, it it exponentially
increases what we can hit and why to include strategic things the world's talking about and looking at. And it's our job to have a plan for it, which we
do, to address it uh and ensure that the president has options. Uh we've done that from the beginning in this department. He'll have options on that on that topic as well.
United States that strike, sir. Um an investigation is an investigation.
That's what it is. It doesn't mean anything other than that. Iran has furiously rejected American claims that the school was part of a missile
facility, calling it a baseless fabrication.
Iran stands today amid the throws of an illegal war imposed by two bullying
nuclear armed regimes, the United States and Israel. This war of aggression is
blatantly unjustified and brutal. They initiated the this aggression on 28th February while Iran and the United
States were engaged in a diplomatic process to resolve Americans alleged concerns over Iran's nuclear program.
They betrayed diplomacy for a second time in the course of nine months by torpedoing the negotiating table.
Among the most harrowing manifestations of this aggression was the calculated phased assault on Shajarat Haybea
Elementary School in the city of Minab, south of Iran, where more than 175
students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood. This barbaric attack is but the visible tip of a far bigger
iceberg, one that conceals beneath its surface far graver
catastrophes, namely the normalization of the most abhorrent violations of human rights and humanitarian law and
the audacity to commit atrocity crimes with impunity. Mr. president. At a time when the American Israeli aggressors in
their own assertions possess the most advanced technologies and the highest precision militarian data systems, no
one can believe that the attack on the school was anything other than deliberate. Targeting Shajarat school
was a war crime and a crime against humanity. One that demands unequivocal condemnation by all and unambiguous
accountability for the culprits. This atrocity cannot be justified, cannot be concealed
and must not be met with silence and indifference.
The attack on Shajaba school in Minab was not a mere incident nor a miscalculation. The United States
contradictory remarks aimed at justifying their crime could not in any manner elude their responsibility.
To denounce such a merciless assault on a place inherently civilian, a place where the most innocents reside and
pursue knowledge, is not merely a legal obligation under human rights frameworks. It is a moral and human imperative. Distinguished delegates,
Shaj Elementary School has not been the only casualty of American Israeli atrocity crimes during the past 27 days
of their illegal war. Human rights and international humanitarian law have been massively and systematically violated by
the invaders in an unprecedentedly brutal manner. They are targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
More than 600 schools have been demolished or damaged across Iran and more than 1,000 students and teachers
martyed or wounded. As as the result, the aggressors who are arrogantly shouting no mercy, no quarters and
threatening to strike Iran's vital infrastructure have been attacking hospitals, ambulances, health workers,
red crescent rescuers, refineries, water sources, and residential areas. War crime and crime against humanity are not
sufficiently describing the gravity of the atrocities they are committing.
Now outrage is growing worldwide and standing in the ruins of that destroyed school. Ken O'Keefe delivered one final
challenge to America. You tell me what terrorist act has Iran committed to you. End quote.
Times Of India
May 22, 2026 #Iran #USA #Trump
Former US Marine and activist Ken O’Keefe has sharply criticized Washington while standing at the ruins of the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, where Iranian media say 168 people — many of them children — were killed during the US-Israeli assault on February 28. O’Keefe challenged Americans to imagine how the US would react if Iranian missiles killed American schoolchildren, accusing Washington of hypocrisy and spreading lies about the strike. The emotional remarks have intensified global outrage over civilian casualties and renewed scrutiny of US military actions in Iran.
Transcript
The shattered walls of an elementary school in Iran have become the center of a furious international storm. And now a
former American combat veteran is turning his rage directly toward Washington. Standing amid collapsed
concrete, broken desks, and blood stained classrooms, former US Marine veteran Ken O'Keefe delivered an
emotional condemnation of the United States and Israel over a devastating strike that killed 168 people, most of
them children. The target was the Shajera Taybe Elementary School hit on February 28th during the opening hours of the USIsraeli assault on Iran.
"Imagine if your children in Tucson, Arizona were bombed by Iran," O'Keefe said, his voice shaking with anger.
"Imagine 132 of your children murdered. How would you feel?" He accused Washington of
spreading lies to justify what he called a massacre.
Was your school maybe from Tucson, Arizona, where these Rathon weapons, these Tomahawk missiles were produced.
Imagine if you had children in Tucson, Arizona that got bombed by Iran and they
murdered 132 of your children. How would you feel? How would you feel? Would you
be wrong to say death to Iran if they murdered all of your kids?
Would you? How dare you? How dare you rain down these lies on the world? You
tell me one terrorist incident, one that the Islamic Republic of Iran has done to
you. According to Iranian media, the two-story school building was struck three separate times by tomahawk
missiles. The roof collapsed onto students and teachers trapped inside. 26 female teachers were reportedly among
the dead, while dozens of children between the ages of 7 and 12 were buried beneath the rubble. More than 95 others
were injured. Pink flower murals and colorful classroom walls now stand blackened and shattered. Posting from
the scene on X, O'Keefe wrote, "My tears are flowing, my shame unbearable, and my
rage ferocious." Independent investigations, including satellite imagery and visual analysis reports,
reportedly concluded the school was deliberately targeted using precisiong guided munitions. But US President
Donald Trump dismissed the accusations, claiming without evidence that Iran itself was responsible because Iranian
missiles were inaccurate. Even after footage allegedly showed a US Tomahawk missile striking the area, Trump
reportedly responded, "I haven't seen it." New report says that the military investigation has found that the United
States struck the school in Iran. As commander-in-chief, do you take responsibility for that? That is what a commander-in-chief do you use the strike
on the school in Iran? A milit a new report says the military investigation has found it was the United States that struck the school.
I don't know about US defense secretary Pete Hedgeth insisted the only side that targets civilians is Iran.
Can you please provide some guidance?
It's been 13 days in. Can you please provide some guidance both of you about the strike on the girls school? Um there's been reporting that indicates
that preliminary inquiry even though it's ongoing has determined that the air strike was carried out um by the United
States. Uh given that there is another competing narrative uh that this was done intentionally, can you provide us with some guidance about whether uh this
uh was the case? Secondly, um we are also getting uh we had heard yesterday from energy secretary Wright uh that
said that the US Navy would not be ready until the end of the month to provide escorts through the state of Hormuz. Is that an accurate assessment? And if so, can you tell us why? Thank you.
Well, with an issue on your first topic, an issue of such seriousness, um we don't we're not going to let reporting lead us or force our hand into
indicating uh what happened in a particular situation because the truth matters. So, I can report that Sentcom
has designated an investigating officer to complete a command investigation. Uh the command investigation will take as long as necessary to address all the
matters surrounding this incident and the investigating officer is from outside scentcom and is a is a general officer. But I will note to this group
and to the world, there's only one entity in this conflict uh between us and Iran that never targets civilians.
Literally never targets civilians. I look at the process that's used on dynamic strikes or on boat strikes and
others. We have a very uh highfidelity process in that case. So we don't target. Iran does. We will investigate.
We'll get to the truth and we'll share it when we have it. Absolutely. And what was the second about the straight of four moves about the Navy? Uh six.
It's a tactically complex environment and before I think we want to take anything through there at scale. We want to make sure that we do the work pursuant to our current military
objectives to to do uh to do that safely and smartly. So we're continuing to develop and we do a lot of work. Yeah.
And like I said, this is a it is dynamic, but this is I think almost by 20% the largest day of of strikes. Uh
and as I said, our intelligence just gets better and better. that feedback back loop feeds itself. And as we refine those targets, it it exponentially
increases what we can hit and why to include strategic things the world's talking about and looking at. And it's our job to have a plan for it, which we
do, to address it uh and ensure that the president has options. Uh we've done that from the beginning in this department. He'll have options on that on that topic as well.
United States that strike, sir. Um an investigation is an investigation.
That's what it is. It doesn't mean anything other than that. Iran has furiously rejected American claims that the school was part of a missile
facility, calling it a baseless fabrication.
Iran stands today amid the throws of an illegal war imposed by two bullying
nuclear armed regimes, the United States and Israel. This war of aggression is
blatantly unjustified and brutal. They initiated the this aggression on 28th February while Iran and the United
States were engaged in a diplomatic process to resolve Americans alleged concerns over Iran's nuclear program.
They betrayed diplomacy for a second time in the course of nine months by torpedoing the negotiating table.
Among the most harrowing manifestations of this aggression was the calculated phased assault on Shajarat Haybea
Elementary School in the city of Minab, south of Iran, where more than 175
students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood. This barbaric attack is but the visible tip of a far bigger
iceberg, one that conceals beneath its surface far graver
catastrophes, namely the normalization of the most abhorrent violations of human rights and humanitarian law and
the audacity to commit atrocity crimes with impunity. Mr. president. At a time when the American Israeli aggressors in
their own assertions possess the most advanced technologies and the highest precision militarian data systems, no
one can believe that the attack on the school was anything other than deliberate. Targeting Shajarat school
was a war crime and a crime against humanity. One that demands unequivocal condemnation by all and unambiguous
accountability for the culprits. This atrocity cannot be justified, cannot be concealed
and must not be met with silence and indifference.
The attack on Shajaba school in Minab was not a mere incident nor a miscalculation. The United States
contradictory remarks aimed at justifying their crime could not in any manner elude their responsibility.
To denounce such a merciless assault on a place inherently civilian, a place where the most innocents reside and
pursue knowledge, is not merely a legal obligation under human rights frameworks. It is a moral and human imperative. Distinguished delegates,
Shaj Elementary School has not been the only casualty of American Israeli atrocity crimes during the past 27 days
of their illegal war. Human rights and international humanitarian law have been massively and systematically violated by
the invaders in an unprecedentedly brutal manner. They are targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
More than 600 schools have been demolished or damaged across Iran and more than 1,000 students and teachers
martyed or wounded. As as the result, the aggressors who are arrogantly shouting no mercy, no quarters and
threatening to strike Iran's vital infrastructure have been attacking hospitals, ambulances, health workers,
red crescent rescuers, refineries, water sources, and residential areas. War crime and crime against humanity are not
sufficiently describing the gravity of the atrocities they are committing.
Now outrage is growing worldwide and standing in the ruins of that destroyed school. Ken O'Keefe delivered one final
challenge to America. You tell me what terrorist act has Iran committed to you. End quote.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 40969
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: PART 3 ANTI-ANTI-NAZI BARBARIAN HORDES ARE KNOCKING DOWN
by admin » Sat May 23, 2026 12:26 am
There's Nothing Special About Stephen Colbert's Final Monologue At "The Late Show"
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
May 21, 2026 #Colbert #StephenColbert #PaulRudd
Every episode of "The Late Show" is special, so Stephen Colbert thought it would be best to begin his series finale with a regular monologue focused on the national conversation, free from forced celebrity cameos.
Transcript
Welcome, welcome one and all to the Late Show. I'm your host Steven Colbear.
[cheering]
Sit down. [applause] If you're if you're just tuning in to the Late Show, you missed a lot.
[laughter]
Tonight is our final broadcast from the Ed Sullivan Theater where [cheering] No, no, we were lucky enough to be here
for the last 11 years. All right, that was [cheering] Can't take this for granted [applause] though. Actually, technically our first
show back in July of 2015 was from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan for an audience of 12 people.
And show business being what it is these days, it's probably where you'll see me next. There is so much history here in the Ed Sullivan Theater, and we've been
honored to have been just a small part of it. Nichols and May played on the stage. The Beatles made their American debut here. And this is true. This is
true. Backstage, Elvis used the bathroom and didn't die. [laughter] We've We've had so much fun in this
theater. So many great segments. I'll I'll miss doing first drafts where I show the final draft of a greeting card and then show the playfully wrong first draft. Um so we we made one for tonight.
Um uh it's this one's pretty nice. This is um this isn't goodbye.
It's see you later. Yes, but the uh first draft said this isn't goodbye. How do you start an Only Fans?
Yeah, [cheering] I got the tootsies.
[applause]
I got the nice tootsies.
Now, at first when we knew this was going to be our last night, we were planning on doing a huge special this evening, but the thing is we like to
think every episode of The Late Show is kind of special. And we thought the best way to celebrate what we've done over the last 11 years is just do a regular
episode where I come out here and talk about the national conversation. And undeniably today the big story that everyone is talking about.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Brian [cheering]
[applause]
Brian [cheering] Brian Prston. [applause] Brian. Brian.
So, but but you said there's there's nothing special happening tonight.
Well, I mean, as as I was saying, we're doing a normal episode of the Late Show, which is always kind of special.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. But, um, not even like, I don't know, uh, a surprise celebrity cameo popping up out
of nowhere. [laughter] No, Brian, those always feel kind of forced. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, totally.
That's a a very cheap stunt, but uh Hey, I'm I'm here.
[laughter]
Maybe I could be your last guest. That would that would be great, Brian.
The thing is, and I'm I'm right here. We We already have a pretty special one lined up. I'm sorry.
[laughter]
[cheering]
What the hell am I here for? [laughter] You know what? You can keep your stupid hat. I'm gonna go sell my ticket.
[cheering]
Brian, Brian,
[applause]
Brian Cranston, everybody. That's too bad. I feel bad.
I feel terrible. Um, okay. Uh, moving on. Big news. If you're looking to fly in or out of New York, uh, cuz yesterday
morning, a sinkhole shut down a runway at LaGuardia. Reportedly, crews found the sinkhole while conducting a daily
morning inspection of the airport's airfield. And yes, that is someone's actual job. What? You thought my whole inspector shirt was a joke?
It means what?
Holy mackerel. Is that why women won't talk to me?
[laughter]
Weirdly, weirdly, that wasn't the only gaping hole to appear in New York City yesterday because, and everyone is fine,
a school bus in the Bronx partially fell into a sinkhole.
First Queens, then the Bronx. Even sinkholes don't want to go to Staten Island.
You know what? We better get off the air quick before a giant sinkhole swallows the Ed Sullivan.
Oh, there's a there's an update on the folks who were exposed to hivirus on that cruise ship a while ago. At least two passengers were formally ordered to
stay in quarantine in Nebraska. Now, this strict quarantine, I think, is admirably cautious, especially considering the nation's antivirus
response, is now being led by Dr. Brian Christine, a penile implant specialist and vaccine skeptic. [laughter] Clearly, this guy is not a fan of little pricks.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Dr.
Christine, Peabody, please. [applause] The smart choice.
Dr. Christine is an election denying far-white rack job. Who who hosted a YouTube series on erectile dysfunction called Erection Connection.
Also the name of a very popular category on Craigslist. We were on the same G train Tuesday 8:30 a.m. You were in
jeans and a floral crop top. I had an erection. [laughter] Oh my. [laughter]
Over over in Italy, there's a spiciest scandal brewing over Rome's sexy priest
calendar, the Kalandario Romano, which features close-ups of young, handsome men in priestly attire and has been a
6 minutesperennial Rome souvenir for the last two decades. It's the kind of souvenir that your mom buys as a joke and then puts up in the kitchen as a joke.
Then on certain rainy mornings, you come downstairs to find she's just drinking her tea and staring at the calendar as a joke.
Mom is so funny.
But yesterday, it was revealed that Rome's sexy priest calendar cover model never set foot in a seminary. And hold
on, I'm getting word that this is the worst scandal to ever hit the Catholic Church.
What? Okay, this is my deaf ear. Okay,
[laughter]
but I'm not surprised. Just looking at them, you can tell those two men right there are clearly fake priests. And I know for a fact that pug is only a
deacon. [laughter] Besides, if a calendar Hey, Stephen. What? Stephen.
Paul Rudd. [cheering]
[applause]
Paul. Paul. Paul, why are you interrupting me?
I'm just curious when our interview starts. I have an extremely long poem I want to recite and I don't want to run out of time. [laughter] You You wrote a poem about me.
I wrote a poem.
[laughter]
Okay, that's nice. But Paul, just to be clear, you're not my last guest.
Really? Well, then I guess it's a little awkward that I brought you the traditional retirement gift.
Oh. Oh my gosh, that's wonderful. Thank you so much, Paul. Is it like uh like a gold watch?
What? No, I was going to give you the traditional six bananas, you know. Well, you always give people who are retiring.
Well, I'm I'm sorry, Paul, but I I'm pretty sure that when someone's retiring, you give them a gold watch.
Oh, great. Well, then what am I supposed to do with these five bananas?
Wait a f five bananas. Hold on. I I thought just a moment ago you said it was six. [laughter] I got hungry.
Now interview me. [applause] Hey. Hey. Uh, listen, Paul Rudd.
[cheering]
Yeah.
Thank you. Yeah, it's it's me, Tim Meadows. Okay, listen. Steven's a great guy. If he says you're not his last guest, you just got to accept it.
Hey, my old friend Tim Meadows. Timmy, what what what are you? [cheering]
[applause]
It's nice to see you as always, but what what are you doing here, buddy?
Um, I was just explaining to Paul Rudd that you know, for your last guest, you wanted someone you go back with so we could talk about the good old days when
you and I were doing Second City together. It It's not It's not you either, Tim. Screw you, Coar.
You know what? You got what you deserve. Give me those bananas.
[applause]
[cheering]
Thanks, buddy.
Love you. [applause] I'll tell you one thing. I'll tell you
one thing. It's nice. Nice fellas. I'll tell you one thing. This show ending does have one upside. I won't have to talk about the inevitable rise of the machine overlords.
You know, though I have recently been given some hope for mankind in the form of this new dancing robot from China.
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
Man, that new Michael Jackson movie looks good.
Now, a lot of people have been asking me what I plan to do after tonight. And the answer is drugs. But
[applause and cheering]
here's the thing. I just found this out.
This just came out, right? The National Marine Mammal Foundation in my beloved home state of South Carolina has a slightly different idea. Thank you.
Because down there they put up this billboard saying, "Wanted former Late Show host, burdened by whale related
childhood ambition." It's actually one of a series of billboards targeted at me from the Marine Mammal Foundation. And I
got to say, it is really flattering to be considered, you know, and it's one of the only billboards in South Carolina that doesn't say, "Repent now, Bible is
real. Dial 1 800 hell for you. Cracker barrel in two exits." And here's the thing. I don't know how
they knew this, but it is true that as a little boy, I grew up wanting to be Jacqu Kustoau. So, I really appreciate
the letter that they sent to me and they put up on their website saying, "The work is essential. The mission matters deeply and the Dolphins are cautiously optimistic about your availability.
What? The Dolphins know I got cancelled.
Wait, is that true? Dolphins, we got a great show for you tonight.
It's going to be fun.
Stick around. [music]
[music]
[music]
for me. Yeah.
[cheering and applause]
*****************************
Trump Silenced Colbert's Show — But His Last Night Broke the Internet | LEGO Animation
Lego Geopolitica
May 21, 2026 UNITED STATES
Trump thought silencing Colbert's show
was the end. He was wrong.
After 33 years, CBS cancelled The Late Show
with Stephen Colbert — just days after a
$16 million settlement with Trump's team.
Coincidence? You decide.
But Colbert's last night wasn't a goodbye.
It was a statement. And the internet
couldn't stop watching.
Transcript
Chapter 1: The $16 Million "Financial Decision"
They said financial decision. Yeah, right. Okay. $16 million had a lot more to say. You killed my show but left me
breathing. Big mistake. Now I got the mic till midnight. Watch what I create.
You sat in the White House watching every night. Sending truth social post at 3:00 a.m. You tight. Call me talentless. A train wreck. Dead man
Chapter 2: How Trump Used CBS to Do His Dirty Work
walking but a dead man wouldn't have the whole country talking. You needed CBS to do your dirty work. Couldn't fire me
yourself. That's the real smirk. Use a merger used the FCC used to fear. But here I am on my last night still
standing here. 33 years this stage held legends. King let them built it. I defended everything. You wanted silence.
Nah, you got the opposite. Every mono you watch it. Fighting faster. That's
Chapter 3: Truth Social at 3AM — The Obsession
the dress code tonight. Try to dim me, but I went out bright. Cancel culture.
Yeah. Came from the right, but you can't cancel truth. It survives the fight.
Gloves were always off. You left when they pulled the plug. Now, who's got the last?
It's the event going to end. This ain't a goodbye. This is just been John Stewart said it best. It's just a
Chapter 4: 33 Years of Legends — Gone Overnight
fear. institutions bowing down cuz Trump is near. Paramount needed FCC so I had to go. 8 billion merger worth more than
my show. You bragged you absolutely loved my cancellation. Meanwhile, I'm booking Springsteen. That's a celebration. Let him pissed Obama showed
up too, but sure, keep posting from Truth Social. Nothing new. CBS said purely financial. Keep that script. But
everyone saw the timeline. The story slipped. Cobra calls privac show ends in days. Connect the dot yourself. It ain't
Chapter 5: Jon Stewart Tells the Real Story
a maze. 30 years of punchlines. You were half of them. You were a joke that kept on giving. Genuine. Without Trump there's no monologue, no fire, no fuel.
Ironic that the man who killed me was my greatest fool. But tonight's not about you.
Tonight's about Tom Pcel, my shoe maker since 88. The writers who showed up every single day. The crew that made
this magic, they don't get you hate. We did comedy in a war zone. Microphones and shields. You had the army. We had
Chapter 6: The Last Night — Colbert's Final Words
jokes and how it feels. And feelings outlast power. History will decide who's the tall at the end. And who just hid
and lied. Fighting festive. That's the dress code tonight. Try to dim me, but I went out bright. Cancel culture. Yeah.
came from the right, but you can't cancel truth. It survives the fighting faster.
This is how legends end. Not with silence with a stage full of friends and then to the end. This ain't a
Chapter 7: You Can't Cancel Truth
goodbye. This is just been They made one mistake.
They left me alive.
May 21, 2026. Best show.
Best show. See you on the other side.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
May 21, 2026 #Colbert #StephenColbert #PaulRudd
Every episode of "The Late Show" is special, so Stephen Colbert thought it would be best to begin his series finale with a regular monologue focused on the national conversation, free from forced celebrity cameos.
Transcript
Welcome, welcome one and all to the Late Show. I'm your host Steven Colbear.
[cheering]
Sit down. [applause] If you're if you're just tuning in to the Late Show, you missed a lot.
[laughter]
Tonight is our final broadcast from the Ed Sullivan Theater where [cheering] No, no, we were lucky enough to be here
for the last 11 years. All right, that was [cheering] Can't take this for granted [applause] though. Actually, technically our first
show back in July of 2015 was from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan for an audience of 12 people.
And show business being what it is these days, it's probably where you'll see me next. There is so much history here in the Ed Sullivan Theater, and we've been
honored to have been just a small part of it. Nichols and May played on the stage. The Beatles made their American debut here. And this is true. This is
true. Backstage, Elvis used the bathroom and didn't die. [laughter] We've We've had so much fun in this
theater. So many great segments. I'll I'll miss doing first drafts where I show the final draft of a greeting card and then show the playfully wrong first draft. Um so we we made one for tonight.
Um uh it's this one's pretty nice. This is um this isn't goodbye.
It's see you later. Yes, but the uh first draft said this isn't goodbye. How do you start an Only Fans?
Yeah, [cheering] I got the tootsies.
[applause]
I got the nice tootsies.
Now, at first when we knew this was going to be our last night, we were planning on doing a huge special this evening, but the thing is we like to
think every episode of The Late Show is kind of special. And we thought the best way to celebrate what we've done over the last 11 years is just do a regular
episode where I come out here and talk about the national conversation. And undeniably today the big story that everyone is talking about.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Brian [cheering]
[applause]
Brian [cheering] Brian Prston. [applause] Brian. Brian.
So, but but you said there's there's nothing special happening tonight.
Well, I mean, as as I was saying, we're doing a normal episode of the Late Show, which is always kind of special.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. But, um, not even like, I don't know, uh, a surprise celebrity cameo popping up out
of nowhere. [laughter] No, Brian, those always feel kind of forced. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, totally.
That's a a very cheap stunt, but uh Hey, I'm I'm here.
[laughter]
Maybe I could be your last guest. That would that would be great, Brian.
The thing is, and I'm I'm right here. We We already have a pretty special one lined up. I'm sorry.
[laughter]
[cheering]
What the hell am I here for? [laughter] You know what? You can keep your stupid hat. I'm gonna go sell my ticket.
[cheering]
Brian, Brian,
[applause]
Brian Cranston, everybody. That's too bad. I feel bad.
I feel terrible. Um, okay. Uh, moving on. Big news. If you're looking to fly in or out of New York, uh, cuz yesterday
morning, a sinkhole shut down a runway at LaGuardia. Reportedly, crews found the sinkhole while conducting a daily
morning inspection of the airport's airfield. And yes, that is someone's actual job. What? You thought my whole inspector shirt was a joke?
It means what?
Holy mackerel. Is that why women won't talk to me?
[laughter]
Weirdly, weirdly, that wasn't the only gaping hole to appear in New York City yesterday because, and everyone is fine,
a school bus in the Bronx partially fell into a sinkhole.
First Queens, then the Bronx. Even sinkholes don't want to go to Staten Island.
You know what? We better get off the air quick before a giant sinkhole swallows the Ed Sullivan.
Oh, there's a there's an update on the folks who were exposed to hivirus on that cruise ship a while ago. At least two passengers were formally ordered to
stay in quarantine in Nebraska. Now, this strict quarantine, I think, is admirably cautious, especially considering the nation's antivirus
response, is now being led by Dr. Brian Christine, a penile implant specialist and vaccine skeptic. [laughter] Clearly, this guy is not a fan of little pricks.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Dr.
Christine, Peabody, please. [applause] The smart choice.
Dr. Christine is an election denying far-white rack job. Who who hosted a YouTube series on erectile dysfunction called Erection Connection.
Also the name of a very popular category on Craigslist. We were on the same G train Tuesday 8:30 a.m. You were in
jeans and a floral crop top. I had an erection. [laughter] Oh my. [laughter]
Over over in Italy, there's a spiciest scandal brewing over Rome's sexy priest
calendar, the Kalandario Romano, which features close-ups of young, handsome men in priestly attire and has been a
6 minutesperennial Rome souvenir for the last two decades. It's the kind of souvenir that your mom buys as a joke and then puts up in the kitchen as a joke.
Then on certain rainy mornings, you come downstairs to find she's just drinking her tea and staring at the calendar as a joke.
Mom is so funny.
But yesterday, it was revealed that Rome's sexy priest calendar cover model never set foot in a seminary. And hold
on, I'm getting word that this is the worst scandal to ever hit the Catholic Church.
What? Okay, this is my deaf ear. Okay,
[laughter]
but I'm not surprised. Just looking at them, you can tell those two men right there are clearly fake priests. And I know for a fact that pug is only a
deacon. [laughter] Besides, if a calendar Hey, Stephen. What? Stephen.
Paul Rudd. [cheering]
[applause]
Paul. Paul. Paul, why are you interrupting me?
I'm just curious when our interview starts. I have an extremely long poem I want to recite and I don't want to run out of time. [laughter] You You wrote a poem about me.
I wrote a poem.
[laughter]
Okay, that's nice. But Paul, just to be clear, you're not my last guest.
Really? Well, then I guess it's a little awkward that I brought you the traditional retirement gift.
Oh. Oh my gosh, that's wonderful. Thank you so much, Paul. Is it like uh like a gold watch?
What? No, I was going to give you the traditional six bananas, you know. Well, you always give people who are retiring.
Well, I'm I'm sorry, Paul, but I I'm pretty sure that when someone's retiring, you give them a gold watch.
Oh, great. Well, then what am I supposed to do with these five bananas?
Wait a f five bananas. Hold on. I I thought just a moment ago you said it was six. [laughter] I got hungry.
Now interview me. [applause] Hey. Hey. Uh, listen, Paul Rudd.
[cheering]
Yeah.
Thank you. Yeah, it's it's me, Tim Meadows. Okay, listen. Steven's a great guy. If he says you're not his last guest, you just got to accept it.
Hey, my old friend Tim Meadows. Timmy, what what what are you? [cheering]
[applause]
It's nice to see you as always, but what what are you doing here, buddy?
Um, I was just explaining to Paul Rudd that you know, for your last guest, you wanted someone you go back with so we could talk about the good old days when
you and I were doing Second City together. It It's not It's not you either, Tim. Screw you, Coar.
You know what? You got what you deserve. Give me those bananas.
[applause]
[cheering]
Thanks, buddy.
Love you. [applause] I'll tell you one thing. I'll tell you
one thing. It's nice. Nice fellas. I'll tell you one thing. This show ending does have one upside. I won't have to talk about the inevitable rise of the machine overlords.
You know, though I have recently been given some hope for mankind in the form of this new dancing robot from China.
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
Man, that new Michael Jackson movie looks good.
Now, a lot of people have been asking me what I plan to do after tonight. And the answer is drugs. But
[applause and cheering]
here's the thing. I just found this out.
This just came out, right? The National Marine Mammal Foundation in my beloved home state of South Carolina has a slightly different idea. Thank you.
Because down there they put up this billboard saying, "Wanted former Late Show host, burdened by whale related
childhood ambition." It's actually one of a series of billboards targeted at me from the Marine Mammal Foundation. And I
got to say, it is really flattering to be considered, you know, and it's one of the only billboards in South Carolina that doesn't say, "Repent now, Bible is
real. Dial 1 800 hell for you. Cracker barrel in two exits." And here's the thing. I don't know how
they knew this, but it is true that as a little boy, I grew up wanting to be Jacqu Kustoau. So, I really appreciate
the letter that they sent to me and they put up on their website saying, "The work is essential. The mission matters deeply and the Dolphins are cautiously optimistic about your availability.
What? The Dolphins know I got cancelled.
Wait, is that true? Dolphins, we got a great show for you tonight.
It's going to be fun.
Stick around. [music]
[music]
[music]
for me. Yeah.
[cheering and applause]
*****************************
Trump Silenced Colbert's Show — But His Last Night Broke the Internet | LEGO Animation
Lego Geopolitica
May 21, 2026 UNITED STATES
Trump thought silencing Colbert's show
was the end. He was wrong.
After 33 years, CBS cancelled The Late Show
with Stephen Colbert — just days after a
$16 million settlement with Trump's team.
Coincidence? You decide.
But Colbert's last night wasn't a goodbye.
It was a statement. And the internet
couldn't stop watching.
Transcript
Chapter 1: The $16 Million "Financial Decision"
They said financial decision. Yeah, right. Okay. $16 million had a lot more to say. You killed my show but left me
breathing. Big mistake. Now I got the mic till midnight. Watch what I create.
You sat in the White House watching every night. Sending truth social post at 3:00 a.m. You tight. Call me talentless. A train wreck. Dead man
Chapter 2: How Trump Used CBS to Do His Dirty Work
walking but a dead man wouldn't have the whole country talking. You needed CBS to do your dirty work. Couldn't fire me
yourself. That's the real smirk. Use a merger used the FCC used to fear. But here I am on my last night still
standing here. 33 years this stage held legends. King let them built it. I defended everything. You wanted silence.
Nah, you got the opposite. Every mono you watch it. Fighting faster. That's
Chapter 3: Truth Social at 3AM — The Obsession
the dress code tonight. Try to dim me, but I went out bright. Cancel culture.
Yeah. Came from the right, but you can't cancel truth. It survives the fight.
Gloves were always off. You left when they pulled the plug. Now, who's got the last?
It's the event going to end. This ain't a goodbye. This is just been John Stewart said it best. It's just a
Chapter 4: 33 Years of Legends — Gone Overnight
fear. institutions bowing down cuz Trump is near. Paramount needed FCC so I had to go. 8 billion merger worth more than
my show. You bragged you absolutely loved my cancellation. Meanwhile, I'm booking Springsteen. That's a celebration. Let him pissed Obama showed
up too, but sure, keep posting from Truth Social. Nothing new. CBS said purely financial. Keep that script. But
everyone saw the timeline. The story slipped. Cobra calls privac show ends in days. Connect the dot yourself. It ain't
Chapter 5: Jon Stewart Tells the Real Story
a maze. 30 years of punchlines. You were half of them. You were a joke that kept on giving. Genuine. Without Trump there's no monologue, no fire, no fuel.
Ironic that the man who killed me was my greatest fool. But tonight's not about you.
Tonight's about Tom Pcel, my shoe maker since 88. The writers who showed up every single day. The crew that made
this magic, they don't get you hate. We did comedy in a war zone. Microphones and shields. You had the army. We had
Chapter 6: The Last Night — Colbert's Final Words
jokes and how it feels. And feelings outlast power. History will decide who's the tall at the end. And who just hid
and lied. Fighting festive. That's the dress code tonight. Try to dim me, but I went out bright. Cancel culture. Yeah.
came from the right, but you can't cancel truth. It survives the fighting faster.
This is how legends end. Not with silence with a stage full of friends and then to the end. This ain't a
Chapter 7: You Can't Cancel Truth
goodbye. This is just been They made one mistake.
They left me alive.
May 21, 2026. Best show.
Best show. See you on the other side.
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