The Duran | Diesel Crisis Worsens as Houthis Tighten Grip on al-Mandeb Strait | Sep. 12, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

Diesel and gasoline prices are hitting historic highs as Donald Trump admits the United States is at war with Iran, a war he now says will not end until after the midterms. The Duran on the energy shock, a Houthi offensive against Saudi Arabia, and Scott Bessent's plan to use that shock against China.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Diesel and gas prices hit historic highs
00:00:31 Trump admits the US is now in a war
00:01:00 Why the entire economy runs on diesel
00:01:59 Rising diesel prices threaten higher inflation and rates
00:03:21 Europe faces dangerously low natural gas reserves
00:05:28 Strait of Hormuz remains closed with no end in sight
00:06:04 Houthis reopen the war with Saudi Arabia
00:07:04 Trump moves the goalposts and offers a 5000 dollar bribe
00:08:48 How Trump squandered a real deal with Iran
00:14:34 Bessent bets on financial engineering to outmaneuver China

The Duran | Let's Talk About Some News (Live) | Sept. 11, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
The Duran discusses: Let's Talk About Some News (Live). 

The Duran | Putin's Advice to Trump; Ratcliffe's Ukraine Power Grab | Sept. 10, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
Ukraine's military and financial collapse is accelerating as Russian forces bomb Black Sea ports and logistics hubs while Kiev runs low on fuel and cash. 

In this episode we break down Putin's blunt advice to Trump to simply stop helping Ukraine, the CIA's Ratcliffe pushing to replace Witkoff and Kushner as chief negotiator, and the New York Times and Spectator reports admitting Ukraine is losing the war. With Zelensky flying to the UN chasing more money instead of missiles, how much longer can this go on?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Intro: the military picture
00:00:50 Ukraine's military situation is deteriorating fast
00:01:10 Russia bombs Ukraine's Black Sea ports
00:02:23 Round the clock strikes resume on Kiev with no air defense
00:04:01 Ukrainian troops reportedly pull back near Kramatorsk and Kharkiv
00:05:44 Is the reported Lyman counteroffensive real or a media construct
00:06:33 Ukraine's economy and tax revenue are collapsing
00:07:30 New York Times asks where Ukraine's 27 billion dollars went
00:09:16 The pattern behind Ukraine's PR offensives
00:13:17 Zelensky asks for 27 billion in weapons and 36 billion for government
00:14:18 The Spectator says plainly that Ukraine is losing the war
00:19:15 Ratcliffe's threats and Witkoff and Kushner's bribes both fail
00:23:53 Ratcliffe's push to become chief negotiator and escalate
00:27:03 Putin tells Trump to simply stop helping Ukraine
00:29:33 Zelensky heads to the UN chasing money

Alexander Mercouris | Russia's Biggest Air Strike FABs Smash Nikolayev & Odessa; Russia Army Enters Druzhivka; EU Panics | Sept. 9, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description:
Russia has launched its most devastating FAB bombing campaign yet, flattening port infrastructure in Nikolayev and Odessa while the Russian army breaks into Druzhivka and pushes toward Zaporizhzhia. On The Duran, Alexander breaks down the Putin Trump phone call, the collapsing Black Sea shipping blockade, and why Europe's scramble for Patriot missiles may already be too late. Is Ukraine's war economy running out of fuel before it runs out of soldiers?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Program opens with Ukraine ceasefire talks recap
00:01:18 Russian missile and drone campaign shifts to daily saturation
00:03:05 Kiev industrial sites hit again overnight
00:04:27 Nikolayev's Soviet shipbuilding history explained
00:06:34 FAB bombs devastate Nikolayev port facilities
00:08:21 Defense Ministry details Nikolayev logistics and power targets destroyed
00:13:45 Drone transits Moldovan airspace before strike
00:15:12 West rushes Patriot Pack 2 interceptors to Ukraine
00:20:16 Russian air defense dominance over Black Sea coast
00:22:56 Black Sea ports blockaded, ships stranded offshore
00:27:00 Ukraine's economy and inflation crisis worsening
00:32:58 Ukrainian army fuel shortages on the front line
00:38:26 Russian ground offensive advances around Orekhov
00:43:01 Battle for Stepnogorsk and Sviatohirsk confusion
00:52:30 Skepticism over claimed Ukrainian counteroffensive
00:55:42 Zelensky begs for Black Sea ceasefire
00:57:23 Putin Trump phone call details from Ushakov
01:14:08 Russia hardens territorial and neutrality demands
01:20:28 Iran US missile escalation drains Patriot stockpiles
01:25:50 Houthi Saudi conflict and rising oil prices

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 | U.S. Carrot and Stick Strategy to Save Ukraine | Sept. 8, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
In this episode we break down the chaotic Witkoff and Kushner diplomatic trip to Moscow and Kyiv, where Vladimir Putin firmly rejected a Trump Zelensky trilateral meeting. Russian forces keep advancing toward Dobropillya and Sloviansk as Ukraine's economy buckles and Zelensky publicly demands more weapons instead of compromise. Is the Kremlin simply waiting out a collapsing Ukrainian front line?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Witkoff and Kushner begin Moscow and Kyiv diplomacy mission
00:00:58 Zelensky turns Kyiv talks into a media circus
00:02:06 Why Witkoff and Kushner are not real diplomats
00:03:12 Ukraine economy collapsing, needs 60 billion by year end
00:04:38 Radcliffe's hardline Moscow trip backfires
00:05:43 Soft cop strategy, sanctions relief offered to Russia
00:08:20 Push for a Trump Putin Zelensky trilateral meeting
00:11:04 Why Russia will not agree to a trilateral summit
00:15:29 Real battlefield situation, Dobropillya and Kharkiv encirclements
00:18:21 Zelensky reportedly preparing his exit strategy

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

The Duran | Modi, Erdogan and Tokayev Gang Up on Putin | Sept. 4, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
At the SCO summit in Bishkek, Russia faced an unexpected wave of pressure as Modi, Erdogan and Tokayev all pushed Putin toward a ceasefire with Ukraine, while Xi Jinping and China quietly stood firmly behind Moscow. 

In this episode we break down why this moment exposed real cracks inside BRICS and what it means for Russia, India, Turkey and Kazakhstan as the war in Ukraine heads toward its next phase. Was this a diplomatic win for Putin or a warning sign for Russia's alliances.

Timeline:
00:00:00 SCO summit overview, Eurasian leaders pressure Russia
00:01:13 Modi publicly calls on Putin for peace with Ukraine
00:03:23 Xi stays silent as Putin defends Russia at press conference
00:05:35 Is this genuine concern or US pressure on Modi, Tokayev and Lula
00:07:26 BRICS officials fear of American sanctions
00:10:24 China and Russia axis solidifies
00:13:39 Russia's leverage over India and Kazakhstan
00:17:36 Putin's past restraint and Bishkek as a wake up call
00:21:00 Nervousness for Turkey, Kazakhstan and Georgia as Russia grows stronger
00:23:55 India's view on a Russian victory and closing thoughts

Alexander Mercouris | Ukraine Unravelling - War Enters New & Dangerous Phase | Sept. 3, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube



Description:
Alexander Mercouris discusses how NATO's euphoria will soon be replaced by panic and escalation. 

The Duran | Europe Wants U.S. To Fight Russia | Sep. 3, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

Ukraine is being pounded on every front as Putin declares Russia does not negotiate with terrorists after Zelensky threatens to shut down Russian airspace and target civilian airliners. In this episode we break down the collapsing front lines around Kupyansk and Kharkov, the bizarre Leipzig drone false flag, Norway seizing a Russian passenger ship, and a stunning intelligence agency shootout in Kiev. Is Europe deliberately provoking Russia to drag the United States into a direct fight.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:58 Ukraine pounded from the air and blockaded on its coast
00:03:12 Zelensky says Europe's allies are on holiday
00:03:43 Zelensky threatens to shut down Russian airspace
00:04:43 The Leipzig drone false flag incident
00:05:13 Italy and Norway seize Russian linked ships
00:06:19 Shootout between Ukraine's SBU and GUR intelligence agencies
00:08:11 Scam call centers and the fight over money
00:09:46 Bessent blames Ukraine for the energy price shock
00:12:20 Putin says Russia does not negotiate with terrorists
00:13:40 Putin asked about striking Kiev's leadership
00:16:06 Norway's ship seizure tied to the Naftogaz lawsuit
00:18:07 Europe as…

Jeffrey Sachs & The Duran | Geopolitical Lies Fuel Financial Bubble | Sep. 1, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

Jeffrey Sachs joins Alexander Mercouris and Alex Christoforou on why the collapse of American and European hegemony is a crisis for the Western political class, not the world. Sachs on Scott Bessent’s economic D-Day, 1914 parallels, and why Iran, China and Russia are stronger than Western leaders admit.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Intro: Jeffrey Sachs joins The Duran
00:00:59 Alexander’s overview of crises in Ukraine, Iran, China and the economy
00:02:01 Sachs frames it as a crisis of Western hegemony, not the world
00:04:27 Why Europe’s behavior is even stranger than America’s
00:06:18 Multipolarity is good for living standards, not a disaster
00:08:34 Grandiosity, denial and the collapse of truthful government narratives
00:10:30 How the geopolitical bubble is fueling a financial bubble
00:12:22 The public already senses something is deeply wrong
00:14:46 Reading Foreign Affairs: the establishment’s five scenarios for world order
00:20:28 Scott Bessent’s economic D Day and the backlash it triggered
00:23:05 Alexander on Britain’s decline and the origins of World War One
00:27:48 Parallels and differences between 1914 and today
00:32:54 Why China is not the new Kaiser Wilhelm
00:36:22 Inside the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS
00:41:43 The truth about Iran’s civilization, resilience and economy
00:44:18 How the US weaponized the dollar, and why it is failing
00:48:01 Can the West face reality before the reckoning arrives
00:52:09 Why ordinary people, not elites, may be the last hope

The Duran | Russian Strikes Are Breaking The Zelensky Regime | Aug. 31, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

The Duran on a fourth straight day of Russian drone and missile strikes on Kiev, Ukraine's energy grid, CIA-linked drone strategy, and collapsing front lines near Sumy and Pokrovsk.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Four Days of Russian Strikes on Kiev
00:01:31 Drone Campaign Devastates and Exhausts Kiev
00:03:16 Ukraine Faces New Advanced Geran Drones
00:05:43 Kiev Economy Collapsing Empty Shelves
00:08:44 Putin Orders Massive Strikes on Energy Grid
00:11:02 Zelensky Cut Russian Gas Transit
00:12:09 Winter Catastrophe Looming Kherson Evacuated
00:14:24 Refugee Tensions Rise in Poland
00:17:04 Peskov Only Ukraine Capitulation Ends War
00:18:45 Ratcliffe and CIA Behind Zelensky Drone Plan
00:20:34 Europe Gas Storage Critically Low
00:27:48 Budanov Admits Massive Mobilization Losses
00:29:23 Ukraine Considers Conscripting Women
00:34:41 Why Sending Ratcliffe to Moscow Backfired
00:38:20 Front Lines Collapsing Around Sumy and Donbas

The Duran | Armenia Ditches Russia for the EU and Azerbaijan | Aug. 30, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

The Duran on Nikol Pashinyan's push to pull Armenia away from Russia and the CSTO toward the European Union, Azerbaijan and Turkey, and why the pivot threatens Armenia's security and economy — from Nagorno Karabakh to Russian gas.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Pashinyan's push to take Armenia into the EU
00:00:29 Breaking from Russia and the CSTO security umbrella
00:00:58 Pashinyan's base of support and the NGOs
00:01:23 Armenia's lost security guarantee from Russia
00:02:09 Risk to Russia Armenia economic and trade ties
00:03:07 Russia's gas and export leverage over Armenia
00:03:58 Azerbaijan's territorial demands over Nakhchivan
00:04:24 Pashinyan conceding Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan
00:05:15 Why Western security guarantees are an illusion
00:07:04 NGOs, the US Embassy and Armenia's powerful diaspora

The Duran | Russia Rejects Vatican and CIA Ceasefire Demands | Aug. 29, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

The Duran on Russia rejecting Vatican and CIA ceasefire demands, Lavrov’s diplomacy remarks, Ratcliffe’s Moscow trip, and the Donbas front. Episode 2611.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Diplomacy on Ukraine: Vatican, Ratcliffe and Lavrov statements
00:01:23 Lavrov says Western diplomacy is built on deception, goodwill exhausted
00:03:36 Vatican envoy offered no pushback, just asked for a ceasefire
00:03:56 Lula of Brazil pressures Russia to agree to a ceasefire
00:07:21 New York Times changes the narrative on Ratcliffe's Moscow trip
00:09:38 New York Times headline: Ratcliffe pushing Kremlin toward a peace deal
00:12:17 Trump reportedly misled by his own officials on the war
00:13:34 Reuters: Zelensky sending Azov fighters to the Donbass front
00:16:10 Fortified towns in Donbas face encirclement as Russia advances
00:19:49 Ukraine chooses to defend Donbas, risking a decisive encirclement battle

Alexander Mercouris | Russia Donbas Knockout Blow, Dobropilia Cauldron, Slaviansk Crisis; Lavrov: West Diplomacy All Trickery | Aug. 28, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description: 

Alexander Mercouris on the Donbas fighting around Dobropillia and Sloviansk, and Lavrov calling Western diplomacy trickery after talks with the Vatican.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Friday program introduction
00:00:28 Catastrophe developing for Ukraine in Donbas and Zaporizhzhia
00:01:18 Gerasimov explains why Donbas matters most
00:02:46 Gerasimov calls Zaporizhzhia claims a propaganda campaign
00:05:17 Dobropillia situation turns from bad to catastrophic
00:09:07 Third Azov Corps under Bilecki defends Dobropillia
00:12:02 Russians take half of Oleksandrivka near Sloviansk
00:18:51 Drone footage confirms Russian control of Malaya Tokmachka
00:20:00 Russian troops filmed in the center of Orikhiv
00:23:48 Kherson region population ordered to evacuate
00:25:50 Russia nears encirclement of Sumy city
00:26:31 North Korean troop buildup reported in Bryansk and Kursk
00:27:34 Russian economy keeps growing despite Ukrainian strikes
00:29:53 Seventy ships stranded off the Romanian coast
00:32:58 New York Times floats new theory on Ratcliffe’s Moscow trip
00:37:17 Mercouris explains why the New York Times story is absurd
00:43:16 Lavrov details his meeting with the Vatican’s Gallagher
00:52:42 Lavrov says Western diplomacy is deception

Alexander Mercouris | Russia Rejects CIA Chief Ratcliffe Spurns West Pleas For Ukraine Truce; Slaviansk Battle Begins | Aug. 27, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description: 

Alexander Mercouris on CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s Moscow visit, Russia rejecting Western pleas for a Ukraine truce, and the battle for Slavyansk.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Introduction Focus on Ratcliffe's Moscow Visit
00:02:47 The Official Semi Routine Cover Story
00:07:36 Was This Really About Iran
00:10:40 The Baltic States Attack Theory Debunked
00:12:29 The Real Reason Ukraine Is Collapsing
00:15:26 The CIA Is Running the War in Ukraine
00:20:30 Why So Many Cover Stories Are Being Spread
00:21:20 The Vatican Secretary of State Also Went to Moscow
00:24:39 Witkoff and Kushner Sidelined by the Russians
00:26:33 The Donbass Buffer Zone Proposal Explained
00:28:31 Putin and Lavrov Refuse to Meet Ratcliffe
00:35:19 Threats Bribes and the Car Bomb in St Petersburg
00:40:01 Massive Russian Strike Hits Kiev and Odessa
00:45:12 Zelensky's Fabricated Zaporizhzhia Video Exposed
00:51:16 Gerasimov Briefs on the Battle for Slavyansk
00:58:45 Azov Commanders Appointed to Defend Donbass
01:03:55 Ukrainian Counterattack Near Lyman Fails
01:08:01 Russia Enters the Middle Game of the War

The Duran | Ukraine Military Crisis, Burnham To The Rescue, Ceasefire Buffer Zone Plan | Aug. 26, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
Ukraine Military Crisis, Burnham To The Rescue, Ceasefire Buffer Zone Plan

Timeline:
00:00:00 Ukraine possibly conscripting women
00:00:38 Mercouris explains the manpower crisis behind the decision
00:01:09 Failed attempts to lower the conscription age and recruit abroad
00:04:08 Andy Burnham in Kiev trades Storm Shadow blueprints for AI data
00:04:53 Peskov declares Britain a direct party to the conflict
00:09:19 Russia withdraws its ambassador from Britain
00:12:53 Why does the UK establishment want confrontation with Russia
00:19:35 The costly drone offensive turns into a complete bust
00:22:51 Zelensky demands tens of billions more in funding
00:26:46 Zelensky and Kellogg revive the same Donbas buffer zone proposal

The Duran | Operation Economic Outcast, Bessent's Economic War With China | Aug. 25, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

Alexander Mercouris and The Duran on Scott Bessent's Operation Economic Outcast and Washington's economic war with China. Episode 2607.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Recap of Bessent's D-Day statement and Operation Economic Outcast
00:00:51 Mercouris explains why this is really targeting China
00:01:17 The history of the US China tariff standoff and rare earths
00:02:21 Legal UN sanctions versus unilateral US sanctions
00:03:24 Why this accelerates the world's move away from the dollar
00:04:51 Bessent effectively becomes the general running the Iran conflict
00:06:59 Bessent's overconfidence and dislike of China
00:09:45 Why the real target is eighty percent about China
00:16:34 China Russia and Iran set to emerge stronger from this
00:17:04 Quick take on the Canada tariff dispute and Mark Carney

Alexander Mercouris | Russia AF Heaviest Odessa Bombing; Russia Storm Kiev After Donbas; Drones Cause Ukraine Budget Crash | Aug. 25, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description:
Alexander Mercouris discusses: Russia AF Heaviest Odessa Bombing; Russia Storm Kiev After Donbas; Drones Cause Ukraine Budget Crash. 

Timeline:
00:00:00 Intro and apology for delayed publication
00:01:35 Ukraine's Independence Day and total dependence on the West
00:03:35 The abandoned 2022 Istanbul peace agreement
00:04:16 New details on Western pressure against the peace deal
00:07:22 Only Macron remains of the leaders who blocked peace
00:10:25 Prediction that Putin outlasts every Western leader
00:13:16 Fedorov sacked after demanding elections
00:19:37 Zelensky admits Ukraine has run out of money
00:21:49 How the drone offensive blew through its budget
00:27:49 Syrskyi's revolt and unpaid soldiers
00:29:47 Ukraine's budget deficit hits tens of billions
00:32:21 More Western billions pledged despite the waste
00:35:26 Russia's heaviest ever bombing of Odessa
00:39:17 Front line update in Zaporizhzhia and Orikhiv
00:40:52 Dobropillya falls as Russia advances
00:47:36 Ukraine's exotic ceasefire proposal for Donbas
00:54:11 Why claims of a Russian fuel crisis are false
01:00:21 Zelensky predicts Russia will push toward Kiev next
01:03:04 The US economic D Day threat against Iran and Russia's immunity

The Duran | Russia's Economic Model: Growth Without the Debt Trap | Aug. 24, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
The Duran discusses: Russia's Economic Model: Growth Without the Debt Trap.

Timeline:
00:00:00 Intro Putin's statements on the Russian economy
00:00:28 GDP surprises to the upside despite tight monetary policy
00:01:29 Central bank cuts rates and the economy rebounds
00:03:05 Putin chairs a Kremlin meeting unveiling a new economic model
00:04:34 How the Russian model shifted after 2014 sanctions
00:05:52 A more China style approach with heavy investment in infrastructure
00:07:11 Europes economy compared to Russias low debt growth
00:08:25 Reindustrialization and new factories rising across Russia
00:10:35 Europes weapons spending replaces a real growth policy
00:15:10 Why the Draghi and Merz plans for Europe have failed