The Duran | Who Controls Hormuz? | Oct. 4, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

Washington believes it has taken control of the Strait of Hormuz, but in this episode we argue the oil is only flowing because Iran is allowing it. Alexander explains how China, Russia and the BRICS states quietly pushed Tehran to let tankers through, and why the Trump administration is reading that as Iranian weakness ahead of possible new strikes around the midterms. Is the White House walking into a trap set by Iran, Russia and China?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Iran diplomacy collapses after UN General Assembly
00:02:21 Who really controls the Strait of Hormuz
00:04:29 BRICS brokered deal lets tankers through
00:07:40 Washington emboldened as diplomacy is seen as weakness
00:09:55 Why Saudi Arabia and UAE need oil moving
00:11:40 Russia and China differ on dealing with the US
00:14:35 Strikes on Iran before the midterms
00:17:05 Iran's economy and what a renewed conflict means
00:20:00 Did Russia and China set a trap
00:23:50 Support flowing to Iran and final thoughts

Li Jingjing | Chinese Journalist Reveals What China REALLY Thinks About Trump | Sept. 25, 2026

Source: Cyrus Janssen youtube



Description:
Chinese journalist Li Jingjing joins the show to discuss the future of US-China relations, the historic BRICS Summit, and the highly anticipated meeting between President Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.

What does China really want from the United States? How do ordinary Chinese people view America, and what do young Americans think about China? We explore the growing importance of cooperation between the world's two largest economies, China's vision for win-win solutions, and why building bridges between our two countries is more important than ever.

Timeline:
00:00 - Intro to Li Jingjing
00:40 - India, China and the BRICS Summit
06:44 - What Does China Want from Xi Trump Summit?
08:15 - Why China and US Need to Work Together
11:00 - Why China Wants Win Win Solutions
12:00 - What Young Americans Think of China
14:05 - How Did Cyrus Become a Bridge for US China Relations?
16:20 - What is China Really Like in 2026?
18:35 - Do Chinese People Understand America?
20:00 - What Are the Similarities Between US and China?
24:00 - How are Americans Treated in China?
26:00 - Why China Wants a Better Relationship with America
29:30 - Why More Americans Need to Travel the World
30:30 - The Future of US China Relations

Larry Johnson & Pepe Escobar | BRICS Is Changing from Within: China–India Clash of Interests — International "National Unity Club" | Sept. 23, 2026

Source: International "National Unity Club" youtube



Description:
From Moscow, Larry Johnson and Pepe Escobar argue that BRICS is splitting from within. Escobar says India and the UAE kept the New Delhi declaration from condemning the war on Iran, even as it denounced secondary sanctions. 

He says Narendra Modi accused China in a closed session of weaponizing rare earths, and that Xi Jinping then skipped the gala. BRICS Pay, he adds, is still only an India-Russia trial, and Sergey Lavrov's refusal of a secretariat leaves clashes such as India-China and UAE-Iran unmanaged. Johnson floats a tighter core of Russia, Iran, and China. Escobar traces the group instead to Yevgeny Primakov's 1998 Russia-India-China idea, and Johnson says Moscow has ended India's oil discount. 

Pepe Escobar | Saudi Arabia Is Boxed In.The Yemen Intel They Won't Reveal.Yemen Put Saudi on Back Foot | Sept. 17, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Iran holds the Strait of Hormuz. Yemen’s forces now hold the Bab al-Mandab. Saudi Arabia is boxed in on both coasts — and Transition Protocol says it knows why Yemen went all-in.

Recorded after midnight in Moscow, Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali (Mr. Z) break down five interlocking developments: the quiet understanding between Ansarallah and the White House behind Trump’s “the Houthis called us”; CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper’s meeting with MBS in Jeddah; the postponed Iran–Gulf Hormuz talks that Iran blames on Riyadh; the UAE’s surprise BRICS sit-down with President Pezeshkian; and Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi’s talks with Wang Yi in Beijing.

The hosts also say they hold information — which they say was confirmed at senior levels in Tehran and Islamabad — explaining the ferocity of Yemen’s offensive. They explain on air why they are not releasing the details yet.

Also: diesel at the $9.99 pump limit in California, who turned down MBS’s requests for help, Yemen’s next moves on Taiz and Marib, and Pepe Escobar’s scenarios for Saudi Arabia.

Guest statements about sources, intelligence and future events are the speakers’ own reporting and analysis and are labelled as such on screen.

Support independent analysis: subscribe to Transition Protocol on Substack (same name). New: Friday Fire with Pepe Escobar, every Friday. 

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs | BRICS Builds a New World - Without the West | Sept. 17, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube



Description:
Prof. Jeffrey Sachs discusses the rise and fall of Western dominance, and how BRICS is building a new world.

The Duran | Putin, Xi and Modi Unite Against US Sanctions | Sept. 16, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
The BRICS summit in India just delivered its biggest breakthrough in years, with BRICS Pay set to challenge the dollar and reshape global trade. In this episode we break down how Modi brought Putin, Xi Jinping and the rest of BRICS together after a stalled year, why frozen Russian assets and Western sanctions are pushing the Global South toward de dollarization, and how Iran and Brazil fit into the new picture.

The Duran: Episode 2624
00:00:00 Introduction to the BRICS summit results
00:00:31 Massive BRICS declaration and BRICS Pay announced
00:01:30 Recap of the stalled BRICS momentum since Kazan 2024
00:03:02 Brazil's wobbling and a lost year for BRICS
00:03:49 Modi's skillful chairing brings all leaders together
00:04:51 Digital currencies and payment systems progress quietly
00:06:16 China to take BRICS presidency next year
00:07:19 Trump could have ended dollar weaponization instead
00:08:03 Iran's shifting commitment to BRICS
00:09:22 Why US sanctions on Russia and Iran will never be lifted 

Pepe Escobar | MBS Called Trump Twice Trump Said No.Saudi Oil Is Trapped Saudia Has Nowhere To Run | Transition Protocol | Sept. 14, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Pepe Escobar, past midnight in Moscow, on the week the map flipped. Saudi Arabia's Hormuz-bypass pipeline is shut after drone strikes. Yemen's Ansarallah took the entire west coast and the Bab al-Mandeb island of Mayun. MBS called Trump twice asking for strikes on the Houthis and was refused, as reported by Axios and Reuters. Pakistan says no military response was discussed under the Makkah pact. Monday, Iran meets Gulf states in Muscat on Hormuz — with Bahrain already out.

Also in this episode: BRICS New Delhi's unanimous line on sanctions; Pepe vs. the host on whether Iran can "declare victory"; and a sourced, not independently confirmed report from the host's contacts that Pakistan's Asim Munir is working a back channel between Iran and the Gulf at Iran's unofficial request. Pepe's "20 to 2" doctrine line and his account of UAE participation on Feb 28 are his reading and are not independently verified. 

The Duran | Secret Plan to Destroy BRICS and Crash China with Ryan Perkins | Sept. 9, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
Is the crisis in Iran actually a financial weapon aimed at China? Alex and Alexander sit down with geopolitics analyst Ryan Perkins to unpack how Scott Bessent's energy and fertilizer shock strategy may be designed to trigger a currency crisis and industrial recession inside China, fracture BRICS, and warn the Global South away from de dollarization. From the Strait of Hormuz to a possible new Plaza Accord, could this be the most consequential economic trap of the decade?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Introduction, Ryan Perkins joins from Beijing
00:02:35 Researching the Iran war strategy since March
00:05:11 Was closing the Strait of Hormuz the real goal
00:07:42 The pro Yuan hypothesis explained
00:09:12 Scott Bessent and his history of market manipulation
00:10:18 Oil price predictions toward 150 dollars a barrel
00:11:39 The three targets, China, BRICS and the Global South
00:12:32 India's triple exposure to the crisis
00:14:11 China's industrial value added vulnerability
00:18:15 The offshore Yuan and dollar system asymmetry
00:24:29 The trap, engineering a Chinese industrial recession
00:26:23 How China has been preparing for years
00:31:37 Reassessing the tariff war as a pressure test
00:35:46 Bessent and Soros, a pattern of currency attacks
00:37:34 The real goal, a new Plaza Accord with China
00:41:26 India and Brazil pivoting back toward the US
00:43:02 Why the BRICS payment system stalled
00:48:04 Impressions from the Vladivostok forum
00:51:55 Power of Siberia 2 and the Mongolia route dispute
00:54:53 Why Chinese taxi drivers say it's all about China

The Duran | Raisi's BRICS Legacy Shapes Iran's Future as War Resumes | Sept. 7, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
The Strait of Hormuz is once again the center of the war between the United States and Iran. In this episode we break down the hidden power struggle inside Tehran between hardliners in the IRGC who want confrontation and Pezeshkian who wants a deal to save Iran's economy, plus new reporting on Russian military assistance to Iran dating back to the Raisi era. Can Pezeshkian outmaneuver the hardliners before Trump's next Truth Social post blows it all up again?

Timeline:
00:00:00 War resumes over control of the Strait of Hormuz
00:00:56 Conflicting reports on how many ships are getting through
00:02:22 Iran's hardliner faction wants Hormuz kept closed
00:03:21 Pezeshkian pushes for a deal to save Iran's economy
00:05:26 Trump's Truth Social posts collapse the informal arrangement
00:09:11 Raisi's legacy of BRICS, China and Russia ties
00:10:15 Does Iran have any real military path to victory
00:13:11 Hardliners are right about America but offer no alternative
00:16:36 Financial Times report on Russian military aid to Iran
00:19:32 Could a Minsk style deal buy Iran time to prepare

Einar Tangen | Russia, China, Iran & India Build a New World Order at the SCO Summit | Sept. 1, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube



Description:
Einar Tangen is a Senior Fellow at Teihe Institute and a Senior Fellow at CIGI. Tangen discusses the current SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan where Putin, Xi, Modi, Pezeshkian, and other world leaders are meeting to reduce reliance on the US.

The Duran | Trump's Economic Siege on Iran, China and BRICS Stand in the Way | Aug. 21, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
The Duran discusses: Trump's Economic Siege on Iran, China and BRICS Stand in the Way. 

Timeline:
00:00:00 Trump announces economic D Day against Iran
00:00:37 Iran must lean on BRICS Russia and especially China
00:01:28 Can the US crush Irans economy without China
00:02:35 Chinas own interests in the Gulf and Saudi Arabia
00:03:43 China's goodwill toward Iran after the American attack
00:05:54 Iran talks strikes on NATO and the Gulf instead of courting China
00:07:58 Short term pain for the West versus long term risk for Iran
00:09:05 Irans 90 percent inflation and how China could fix it
00:12:41 Should Iran bet its future on a US economic crisis
00:14:32 The deep state versus Trump and whether Europe can hold the line

The Duran | Global Food Shortage Warning, Sanctions and Fertilizer Crisis | Aug. 19, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
The Duran discusses: Global Food Shortage Warning, Sanctions and Fertilizer Crisis.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Introduction to worldwide food shortages
00:01:10 Western sanctions cut off Russian fertilizer supplies
00:02:54 EU sabotages the Black Sea grain deal
00:03:32 Persian Gulf conflict halts fertilizer exports
00:04:35 Diesel shortages threaten the harvest
00:05:15 Ukraine attacks Russian grain ships, Russia blockades Black Sea
00:07:10 Global south nations like Egypt and India face the worst impact
00:08:15 Is this crisis a deliberate plan to destroy BRICS
00:13:37 Why western leaders refuse to lift fertilizer sanctions
00:24:14 How Russia, the US and Asia will weather the crisis

Pepe Escobar | EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s Secret Iran Backchannel COLLAPSED-Pak Army Chief Refused Trump’s Request | Aug. 18, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
The U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding has expired — and this episode reveals exactly why. Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali break down two secret back-channel plays Washington ran to bypass Pakistan and reach Iran’s military command directly, why IRGC leadership refused both times, and what Iran’s newly appointed #2 official signaled by shifting toward "offense."

The conversation goes deep on nuclear-normalization talk reportedly circulating in Washington, Iran’s retaliation posture, Pakistan’s damaged mediator role, and the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi where Iran, Russia, and China’s presidents are expected to meet.

Pepe Escobar is a globally recognized, veteran geopolitical journalist with decades of on-the-ground reporting across Eurasia; Zulfiqar Ali hosts Transition Protocol with direct sourcing inside regional decision-making circles.

This is Transition Protocol — independent, source-driven analysis of the shift away from a unipolar world order. Subscribe for continuing coverage of the Iran-U.S. standoff, and join our Substack for twice-weekly deep intelligence briefings

Larry Johnson | BREAKING: ”Iran Is Done Playing Defense”-Insiders WARN of a Strike on a US Warship | Aug. 17, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Iran has moved from defensive to offensive posture — and sources in Tehran and Islamabad tell Transition Protocol the next step under discussion is an attack on a US Navy warship. Meanwhile, the American fleet enforcing the Iran blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is running out of food, having lost its forward resupply warehouses in Bahrain and Oman and half its fast combat supply ships to a decade-old budget cut. Today the US–Iran MOU officially expired. Larry Johnson and Zulfiqar Ali break down what happens next.

In this episode: why Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman, and the Hormuz transit-fee agreement that likely triggered it; why oil moving off ships is reportedly changing hands as high as $260 a barrel while the tanker ETF has gone from $67 to $387 since February; why the global diesel and aviation fuel shortage cannot be solved by pumping more crude; how BRICS, China’s CIPS payment system and six new Pakistani overland routes have made sanctioning Iran into isolation impossible; why the Turkey–Pakistan–Saudi Mecca pact cannot fight for 12 to 18 months; and what was reportedly discussed about the nuclear option at Camp David this weekend.

Larry Johnson spent 27 years in US intelligence and counterterrorism, including the CIA and the State Department’s Office of Counterterrorism, and has run joint military operations planning for over two decades.

Zulfiqar Ali reports with direct visibility into decision-making circles in Tehran and Islamabad. Transition Protocol is a serious, source-driven geopolitical and economic analysis channel focused on evidence-based reporting and high-signal breakdowns of global power shifts and their financial consequences. Some claims in this episode are source-based and developing; each is identified as such on screen. Nothing here is investment advice.;

The Duran | Demand Destruction: The Real Energy Crisis Hitting Europe and Japan | Aug. 16, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

Demand Destruction: The Real Energy Crisis Hitting Europe and Japan
The Duran: Episode 2598

Timeline:
00:00:00 Strait of Hormuz closure and Iran's demands
00:00:54 Global shortages set to hit economies hard
00:01:19 Why Iran will not reopen Hormuz
00:02:32 US oil reserves drop below the safe limit
00:03:23 Europe's gas reserves are critically low
00:04:36 AI data centers fueling US gas demand
00:05:11 Diesel and aviation fuel shortages spread
00:07:15 Cost of living surge coming to Europe and Japan
00:08:15 Deindustrialization accelerates across Europe
00:09:29 Theory the crisis targets BRICS and China
00:12:40 Wealth transfer to the elite explained
00:16:35 Japan's energy dependence and lost opportunity
00:19:19 Putin visits the Kuril Islands
00:23:06 Vassals take the hit first for empire
00:24:58 History behind the Kuril Islands dispute

Alastair Crooke | 'The Petrodollar era is now collapsing' | June 18, 2026

Source: The Cradle youtube, conflictsforum.substack.com

Description:
Alastair Crooke is a former British diplomat and intelligence officer, and the founder and director of Conflicts Forum (conflictsforum.substack.com), which promotes engagement between political Islam and the West.

Xu Qinduo | Trump-Xi Meeting - Economic War, Taiwan & Iran | May 14, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube



Description:
Xu Qinduo is a journalist, political analyst and host of Dialogue at CGTN. Xu Qinduo discusses the significance of the meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Pepe Escobar | A Babe in the Woods in Beijing | May 14, 2026

Source: Judge Napolitano youtube

Alex Christoforou | LAVROV, US wants to buy Nord Stream on the cheap. YERMAK betrayed. Macron, 'I find you very pretty' | May 14, 2026

Source: Alex Christoforou youtube



Description:
Trump and Xi Jinping just held a two-hour summit in Beijing and what was said about Taiwan, Iran, and the future of US-China relations could reshape global diplomacy. Alex Christoforou of The Duran breaks down the meeting's real meaning, including why the absence of weeks-long diplomatic preparation signals this was more of a business summit than a geopolitical breakthrough.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, speaking at the BRICS meeting in India, laid out Moscow's claim that the United States is engineering full-spectrum energy dominance including a plan to purchase the Nord Stream pipeline company at a fraction of its value and resell Russian gas to Europe under an American label. 

 
Meanwhile, Russia launched one of its largest drone and missile barrages in months, Ukraine's air defense intercepted under 30% of incoming fire, Zelensky's former chief of staff Yermak is now facing money laundering charges, and NATO chief Rutte is quietly pushing to triple financial support for Kiev. Is the West's Ukraine strategy finally cracking under the weight of its own contradictions?

Mattias Desmet | The West's Descent Toward Totalitarianism | May 13, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube



Description:
Mattias Desmet is a professor of psychology at the University of Ghent and the author of "The Psychology of Totalitarianism".