Larry Johnson & Pepe Escobar | Iran Agreed to Meet Vance in Doha. Then Tehran Called Beijing. We're Looking at WW3 | Nov. 11, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

Iran had agreed to meet JD Vance in Doha. Then, sources in Tehran say, its leadership called Beijing and Moscow, and both said withdraw. Host Zulfiqar Ali explains what changed since Monday. Pepe Escobar in Shanghai and Larry Johnson in Florida on what Washington does next, why choking Iran runs into Russian ships on the Caspian, and why Tehran will not wait.

The account of decisions in Tehran, the Leader's permission, his reading of Washington, the call to Beijing and Moscow, and the decision to end "no war, no peace", is the host's own sourcing and cannot be independently verified. No public readout of those calls exists. "No deal, and no strikes" is Pepe Escobar's account of leaks from the G7 meeting. "The Qatari spin" is his characterisation. The report that Iran has acquired new technology is the host's and is unverified. On the public record, Qatar's prime minister met President Trump and Vice President Vance at the White House on 9 November. Afterwards Trump said the US remains "locked and loaded", and a senior Iranian official denied plans for a meeting. Secretary Rubio called Iran's demands "outrageous and ridiculous" on 8 November.

Timeline:
06:32 China said: withdraw. The call from Tehran to Beijing, per the host's sources.
10:04 The Caspian tripwire: why Larry Johnson says choking Iran means stopping Russian ships.
26:27 Tehran won't wait: Iran's decision to end "no war, no peace", per the host's sources.

Pepe Escobar | Rezaei’s Office Says Vance Pleaded for Talks. Would Iran Strike First if Doha Fails? | Nov. 10, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

If the negotiations Qatar is pushing produce nothing, Iran will act to break the “no war, no peace” stalemate. That is what a source in the office of Mohsen Rezaei told Zulfiqar Ali hours before this broadcast.

Pepe Escobar asks what that means in practice. Ali: “They are planning to take a preemptive attack if this does not go somewhere.” The source’s words, as Ali relays them: “We will take action to break out of this situation.” The same source says Tehran has agreed to talks with JD Vance in Doha — talks, not a deal.

These are Zulfiqar Ali’s source’s claims as he reports them; they have not been confirmed by the Iranian government. The Doha meeting, the approval chain, the move-first warning and the Russia–China–Pakistan backing are the host’s own sourcing from a person in Mohsen Rezaei’s office and cannot be independently verified. Iran’s foreign minister said on 1 November that no meeting with US officials is planned.

Timeline:
00:04:29 The room: Rezaei and Vance in Doha, with Pakistan, not Qatar, speaking for Iran
00:06:19 The Qatari plan: $8 billion, the naval blockade, Iron Gate and Hormuz
00:24:15 If the talks fail: what the source says Iran will do

Larry Johnson | Nuclear war averted? The secret US–Iran deal terms | Nov. 9, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube, sonar21.com



Description: 

Nuclear war averted? Our source has the terms of the secret US–Iran deal. Larry Johnson says Moscow and Tehran discussed what each would do after a US or Israeli nuclear strike on Iran. Now TP's source — who heard Putin's call with Mohsen Rezaei — says the two sides have reached a tentative agreement not to escalate: Washington releases $8 billion through Qatar and lifts its naval blockade, and only then does Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Timeline:
00:09:07 The brink: what Moscow and Tehran discussed, according to Larry Johnson.
00:14:24 Our source: in the room for Putin's call with Rezaei.
00:17:03 The terms: $8 billion, the blockade, then Hormuz — the nuclear file last.

Pepe Escobar | S-400s for Iran? Tehran’s 400-Target Warning to Every Gulf Capital, Aramco’s Tower Hit | Nov. 8, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

For years, Putin says, Iran turned down Russia’s air defence. Then — according to Pepe Escobar’s sources — Putin sent his own plane for Iran’s security chief, and after five hours a member of the negotiating team tells Zulfiqar Ali the S-400 deal is done. Escobar says it is not confirmed. Plus: Iran’s 400-target warning to every Gulf capital, and the strike on Aramco’s Riyadh tower.

Timeline:
00:09:45 Aramco’s Riyadh tower hit — and what Escobar says Ansar Allah hits next.
00:14:34 Iran’s message to every Gulf state: lend your airspace to an attack, and you are a target.
00:28:39 The S-400: what a member of the negotiating team told our host.

Vijay Prashad | The Wrong Regime Changed: Trump's Defeat, Putin's Call and Iran's Nuclear Card | Nov. 7, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

The war was supposed to topple Tehran. Trump lost Congress instead, and two days later, Iran's security chief was in the Kremlin. Vijay Prashad, speaking from Kenya, on Putin's call, Iran's nuclear card and what Tehran really gained. Host Zulfiqar Ali brings what his source inside the room says came first.

In Prashad's words: "If I was Iran… I would not put the nuclear issue on the table at all." And: "If Iran does decide to create a nuclear shield… people around the world in the Global South will cheer for Iran." And: "It's also erroneous to say Iran defeated the United States… So it had a strategic victory."

Timeline:
00:10:56 If I was Iran, I would not put the nuclear issue on the table at all
00:12:08 The 2 November call: sources say Putin placed it, and it ran 95 minutes
00:25:48 The Kremlin confirms: Rezaei flew to Moscow to meet Putin

Pepe Escobar | Putin's Jet, Iran's Leader on the Line, Strike Warnings and Trump's Blame List | Nov. 6, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

Putin sent his own jet for Iran’s security chief, sat him across from his military-intelligence chief for three hours and twenty-five minutes — and Iran’s Leader dialed in on an encrypted line, according to a member of the Iranian delegation. Pepe Escobar names the two nights to watch for a strike and the three men he says Trump would blame; host Zulfiqar Ali brings Pakistan’s message to the White House.

— 02:57 Putin sent the jet: the protocol nobody reported.
— 05:27 The phone: who was on the line, according to our source.
— 11:56 The two dates analysts are watching — and why one is a moonless night.
— 20:27 If the strike fails, who takes the fall — Escobar’s blame list.
— 25:11 Munir to Trump: don’t do it — per our host’s sources.

What you’ll learn: who sat at the Kremlin table on 5 November and who listened in · what Moscow and Tehran discussed on gas, rail and defence · how Escobar reads the meeting’s message to Washington · what China wants from the war · why Shenzhen, 18–19 November, may be the last off-ramp.

Pepe Escobar | Golden Corridor | Full Documentary | Feb. 18, 2026

Pepe Escobar | Putin’s 97-Minute Call, Iran’s “No” and Two Strike Routes “Locked” — Can Trump Still Strike? | Nov. 4, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

Pepe Escobar says Vladimir Putin phoned Iran’s No. 2, Mohsen Rezaei, directly and spoke with him for 97 minutes; China and Pakistan called afterwards. Host Zulfiqar Ali, citing a person in the room, says Rezaei then formally rejected the US offer and came back to Iran’s seven points. Ali also says two strike routes are “completely locked.” Neither the Kremlin nor Tehran has confirmed the call or the rejection.

Sourcing note: The call and the rejection come from a person in the room, as described by Pepe Escobar and by the host, and cannot be independently verified. Escobar says on the recording: “We don’t have the details of what they discussed.”

Timeline:
00:06:12 The call: Putin phones Iran’s No. 2, per Pepe Escobar
00:06:56 Why Escobar calls it “mind-blowing”: Putin’s calls “never last more than half an hour”
00:08:31 China and Pakistan call afterwards
00:23:42 Rezaei “rejected the U.S. offer formally… came back to the 7 points”, per the host
00:28:04 “You signed it as well” — Ali on Iran’s position
00:30:51 Can Trump still strike? Ali: two routes “completely locked”

Pepe Escobar | Trump Will Bomb an Empty Mountain? Dimona in Iran's Sights, Italy's Ghost Jet and "No Deal" | Transition Protocol | Nov. 3, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

Pepe Escobar with Zulfiqar Ali on Transition Protocol. Sources say Pickaxe Mountain, the Iranian site Trump says the US may strike, is empty, its materials moved to a highly secure location fewer than five people know. Escobar says a strike would hit "a mega, mega mountain for nothing."

Ali's Iranian contacts say "multiple warheads" are locked onto Dimona. Escobar describes a Saudi prince's warning in Tehran and a ghost Italian jet, and a contact close to Mohsen Rezaei says "flat-out no" to the deal reports.

The Pickaxe Mountain report is Transition Protocol's own sourcing and cannot be independently verified.

Timeline:
00:05:56 The empty mountain, a TP exclusive
00:07:37 Italy's ghost jet at Mehrabad: a plea to spare Aviano and Sigonella?
00:15:25 Oil fell on deal reports. A contact close to Rezaei: "flat-out no."
00:19:14 "Multiple warheads, many angles": what Iran's contacts say about Dimona
00:38:23 A Saudi prince in Tehran: "Turkey next. Then us."

Pepe Escobar | “Finish the Job”: Iran’s Reported Orders, Kharg Gamble Suicidal, Oil Splitting Into Dollar | Transition Protocol | Nov. 1, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

“Finish the job this time.” Sources close to Tehran and Islamabad say that is what Iran’s Supreme Leader told his commanders it is their obligation to do if the US strikes — and that “geographical constraints do not exist.” Larry Johnson’s sources say Trump’s option after Tuesday’s midterms is seizing Kharg Island, a gamble Pepe Escobar calls “absolutely suicidal.” Escobar, from Shanghai after midnight, and Zulfiqar Ali.

Timeline:
00:03:01 Washington’s option: Kharg Island, according to sources cited by Larry Johnson
00:17:29 “No traction”: Tehran’s answer to the Vance letter, per our host’s sources
00:20:51 The orders: “All have their orders, down to the level of the commander who’s going to push the button.”
00:21:24 Dimona: who decides, and on what trigger — per our host’s sources
00:33:03 Riyadh fears it’s next: the Saudi defence minister agreed in Tehran, per Mohsen Rezaei
00:40:52 Hormuz: “not gonna be a petrodollar oil chokepoint” — why Escobar says oil is splitting into blocs

Pepe Escobar | Iran’s Leader Hands Pakistan the Talks, Vance’s Letter, Trump’s Words, a $6B Demand | Oct. 31, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

Vance signed the letter. Iran’s intelligence believes Trump wrote it, a source close to Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei says — and Pepe Escobar challenged that on air.

The same source says that after an hour with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Pakistan’s army chief has taken over the talks, and Iran’s answer is its money back and the blockade gone before any nuclear talks. Qatar remains the public mediator.

Pepe Escobar, from Shanghai, on the $6 billion, the order that blocks a deal, and the strike plans after Tuesday’s midterms. Zulfiqar Ali brings his source.

Timeline:
00:19:14 Inside the room with Iran’s leader — per our host’s source.
00:20:12 Pakistan takes the talks.
00:25:05 Vance signed. Trump wrote? Iran’s assessment — and the on-air challenge.
00:27:43 $6 billion back, blockade gone, nuclear talks last.

Vijay Prashad | Iran’s Nuclear Material or America’s Bases: Who Blinks and Who Can Guarantee Trump | Transition Protocol | Oct. 31, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

America lost. Iran didn’t win. Vijay Prashad, back from Brazil and China, says that is why neither side will make the first concession — Iranian nuclear material or American bases.

Our host’s sources say Iran will ask China and Russia to act as guarantors of the Trump administration’s conduct — a task the host himself calls impossible. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia’s defence minister sat down in Tehran, and Prashad says what a real UN chief would do: “set up the UN headquarters in Gaza.”

Timeline:
00:18:01 Who could guarantee Trump? China, Russia and the Islamabad MoU — per our host’s sources.
00:25:53 “You can lose a war without the other side having won it”: Vijay Prashad’s verdict.
00:42:15 Move the UN to Gaza: “we dare you to bomb us.”

Larry Johnson | Strike Iran After Markets Close? Warning of Trump’s “Eagle Claw” Disaster, Friday Strike | Transition Protocol Oct. 30, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube, sonar21.com



Description: 

Larry Johnson warns a strike on Iran could become Trump's 'Eagle Claw' and expects it after the markets close Friday.

Johnson, a former CIA analyst, expects Trump to strike Iran after Tuesday's midterms, most likely Friday, after the markets close, and warns it could cost a ship, potentially an aircraft carrier, and a thousand lives: Trump's own Eagle Claw. Would his officers refuse the order? Johnson says they can, and after Tuesday, the Senate may hold their promotions. Meanwhile, per Zulfiqar Ali's sources, Iran has answered J.D. Vance's letter: our money back, blockade off, then talks.

Timeline:
00:03:33 Iran's reply to Vance — per our host's sources.
00:08:41 After the markets close: Johnson's timing.
00:37:15 Eagle Claw: the carrier, the thousand, and Jimmy Carter's 1980 failure in Iran.
00:40:35 Would his officers refuse? The Senate and every promotion from colonel up.

Pepe Escobar | Bolsonaro Lost to Lula and Vanished. MBS Blinked and Sent His Brother to Tehran | Oct. 27, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

Pepe Escobar on Transition Protocol. Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly crossed into Argentina on foot with just his ID; Argentina says it has no record of his entry, and his whereabouts are unknown. And MBS didn’t want the Tehran meeting at all: sources say Pakistan’s army chief persuaded him, and MBS sent his brother, Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.

Timeline:
00:01:24 Bolsonaro’s son: on foot to Argentina, with only his ID — as reported.
00:04:25 What Trump said about Brazil’s vote — and about Lula.
00:25:59 Why MBS sent his brother to Tehran — per the person who organised the meeting.
00:35:01 What Riyadh asked Iran — and what Yemen did hours later.

Larry Johnson | 14 Russian tankers, why Israel fears striking Iran again, and 33 commanders if the leaders are killed | Oct. 26, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Per Zulfiqar Ali’s sources, 14 Russian tankers have delivered arms to Iran, distributed to 33 IRGC commanders who can act on their own if Iran’s leaders are killed. The same sources say Israel’s own intelligence warns that one strike would bring ten back. Israel votes tomorrow; Larry Johnson on what changes if Netanyahu loses.

2:16 14 tankers from Russia, per the host’s sources.
3:05 The 33 commanders and the decapitation contingency.
4:28 Why Israel hasn’t struck Iran again: one punch, ten back.
5:36 The same day: Saudi Arabia’s defence minister in Tehran.

What you’ll learn: what the host’s sources say Iran has prepared for a strike on its leaders; why, per the same sources, Israel’s intelligence has held back; what Larry Johnson expects from Israel’s vote; why Saudi Arabia went to Tehran and who arranged it; why oil on the UAE’s beaches matters for the Gulf’s water; what Brazil’s result means for BRICS.

Sourcing note: The 14 tankers, the 33 commanders, the decapitation contingency, the Israeli intelligence assessment, the Supreme Leader’s approval of the Tehran meeting and Mohsin Naqvi’s presence are the host’s sourcing and could not be independently verified; no public report of the tankers was found. Larry Johnson’s statements on Israel’s vote, the Saudi agenda, the partners’ position and the desalination risk are his analysis.

Public record: Lavrov visited Tehran on 19 October; the Russia–Iran 20-year partnership took effect on 2 October. Israel votes on 27 October; final polls put Yashar (Eisenkot) at 22–23 seats and Likud at 19–21, with neither bloc at 61. The Makkah Pact delegations met Iranian officials in Tehran on 26 October at Pakistan’s request. Israel Hayom reported a $1 billion Saudi offer to the Houthis; Riyadh did not confirm it. UAE beaches in Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah were closed after an oil spill. Brazil: Lula 51.8%, Flávio Bolsonaro 48.2%.

Pepe Escobar | 14 Russian planes, what's inside? Pakistan's wartime supply; only two men, Ghalibaf and Rezaei | Oct. 25, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Pepe Escobar's Russian contacts count 14 Ilyushin cargo flights into Iran — contents unknown. A senior Pakistani military officer told the host Pakistan would supply Iran "with everything that Iran needs" if war comes. And a source close to the Supreme Leader says two men set Iran's terms: Ghalibaf and Mohsen Rezaei. Plus Pakistan's energy decision, its new partners, and Brazil's vote.

What the episode covers: how Pakistan is balancing its people's energy needs against its IMF commitments; what a senior officer says Pakistan would do if war comes; who sets Tehran's terms for any deal with Washington; what Russia is committing to Iran, per Iranian and Russian sources; what the new Badr MoU means for Pakistan, Qatar, Türkiye and Indonesia; why nothing moves before the 3 November midterms.

Sourcing note: The Pakistani officer's account and the report of the two Iranian negotiators are the host's own sourcing and cannot be independently verified in full. The count of 14 Russian cargo flights is Pepe Escobar's information; he says their contents are unknown.

The Russian LPG cargo for Pakistan has not been confirmed — the host says so on air. Public record cited on the video: Pakistan's Commerce Ministry withdrew its 3 October suspension of trade at the Gabd and Taftan crossings on 16 October (Dawn); the Badr MoU was signed in Doha on 21 October by Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar and Indonesia (Geo News); Iran International reported on 7 October that Ghalibaf's negotiating role was approved by the Supreme Leader; Lavrov met Araghchi in Tehran on 19 October (Al Jazeera); President Trump said on 8 October the US would not attack Iran before the midterms. The Brazil segment was recorded before polls closed; crowd figures quoted on air are not official estimates.

6:21 If war comes: what a senior Pakistani officer says Pakistan would do
8:00 14 Russian cargo planes, and what Escobar can and cannot say about what is inside
17:40 The two men who decide for Iran, per a source close to the Supreme Leader 

Larry Johnson | Russian Arms In, Diplomats Out? Kill Iran's Leaders — Who Stops 31 Commanders? | Transition Protocol | Oct. 24, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube, sonar21.com



Description: 

Netanyahu says Iran's leaders must go. Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson explains Iran's answer: a "dead man's switch" that lets 31 regional commanders fire at pre-selected targets on their own — and why Russian planes, he says, are flying diplomats out.

Timeline:
00:04:21 Russian arms in, diplomats out? What Johnson says the Russian flights signal — and what our host's Tehran sources say landed after Lavrov left (10:15).

00:05:09 The dead man's switch: "In the event of a decapitation strike… The 31 regional commanders of the IRGC have been authorized unilaterally to initiate strikes on their own."

00:11:44 The window: "as early tonight… tomorrow… if it does not happen by Sunday… highly unlikely."

00:24:43 The aim: Netanyahu says Trump "has signed off" on removing Iran's leadership. Johnson: "that I doubt."

Pravin Sawhney | Trump's $6B Offer, Netanyahu Beyond His Control, Iran Threatens Gulf Lifelines, Iran's Warning | Oct. 22, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

Trump offered Iran $6 billion to reopen Hormuz, and, Pravin Sawhney says, conceded he has no control over Netanyahu. Iran's answer, carried back by Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir: the next war "will not be the 40-day war" — if attacked, Iran would hit desalination plants, power grids, ports, refineries, US AI infrastructure in the Gulf and the seven subsea cables under Hormuz. Host Zulfiqar Ali brings what people in the room with Munir told him: Pakistan has decided to stand with Iran.

Timeline:
00:07:23 The $6 billion offer: Trump's terms for Iran, as the guest describes them.
00:08:15 "He has no control over Netanyahu."
00:11:38 The message: "this time, the war will be different."
00:22:57 Pakistan's decision — per people in the room with Asim Munir.
00:32:57 Netanyahu and the 27 October clock.

Larry Johnson | China signed off. Trump reportedly favors a first strike on Iran. Pakistan backs Iran, warns MBS | Transition Protocol | Oct. 22, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
A senior Pakistani source tells host Zulfiqar Ali that Pakistan has picked Iran's side against US and Saudi pressure — after consulting Beijing — and that "nobody can save MBS". Live, Larry Johnson reads Haaretz's report that Washington now favours a preemptive strike on Iran.

01:51 Pakistan's choice: "stand firmly on the side of Iran" — per a Pakistani insider.
02:45 "Six corridors… back to where they were."
04:52 The message to MBS.
06:52 The first strike, as Haaretz reports it — and the US embassy order Larry Johnson reads as a war signal.
10:43 "Nothing left": what was said in Tehran about an Israeli nuclear strike — reported by the host's source.

What you'll learn: which side Pakistan has taken and who signed off on it · why Pakistan has told MBS to choose · what Haaretz reported about a US preemptive strike · what the Gulf embassy order does and does not mean · what closing both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb would cost the world.

Sourcing note: Pakistan's decision, the consultation with China's Wang Yi, the message to MBS and the remark in Tehran are our host's own sourcing from a senior Pakistani source and cannot be independently verified. 

Public record: Field Marshal Munir was in Tehran on 20–21 October and met SNSC Secretary Mohsen Rezaei; Pakistan reopened its Taftan and Gabd–Rimdan crossings with Iran on 20 October after closing them on 17 October, citing security; LPG imports remained blocked. 

The "six corridors" are the source's account. Haaretz's correspondent reported an apparent US shift toward a preemptive strike, citing White House sources — that is the "reportedly" in our title; Haaretz also reported the same day that Trump had blocked an early-October strike. 

Reuters reports the US ordered some embassy staff and families out of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan, with US officials citing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia; no report lists Kuwait. Fars reported explosions of unknown origin in Sirik, southern Iran — not Iraq. Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar and Indonesia signed the "Badr" defence-industry MoU in Doha on 21 October. 

Pepe Escobar | MBS wants Pakistan. Trump needs Iran. What did Munir deliver? Munir in Tehran | Transition Protocol | Oct. 21, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
MBS wants Pakistan. Trump needs Iran. Pakistan’s Field Marshal Munir is in Tehran — and our host’s sources say MBS gets a no. Pepe Escobar says what Munir carried: a quiet return of IAEA inspectors, for little more than the interest on Iran’s $6 billion in Qatar.
— 06:10 The offer: IAEA inspectors back in Iran, and what Iran would get in return — according to Pepe Escobar.
— 14:21 “Show us the money”: why Escobar says Tehran won’t take it — before the 3 November midterms.
— 30:01 What MBS wants from Pakistan, and why our host’s sources say Islamabad will refuse.
What you’ll learn: what Field Marshal Asim Munir carried into Tehran · why Washington wants a concession from Iran before the midterms · how sanctions, the IMF and the border gates squeeze Pakistan · what Lavrov proposed in Tehran · what our host’s sources say about China’s backing, the Riyadh war room and Saudi pressure.

Sourcing note: The Qatari–Pakistani IAEA idea and its price are Pepe Escobar’s account; we have not located them in public reporting. The Pakistan–MBS and China reports are our host’s own sourcing from Islamabad and Rawalpindi and cannot be independently verified. 

The Najran delegation, the three Black Hawks and the Article 2 wording are as Escobar describes them; we have not located them. Escobar’s Balochistan remarks are a scenario, not a report. Public record: Fars said Munir’s trip was finalised on Monday 19 October; Reuters reported on 20 October — after this recording — that Mohsen Rezaei told Munir there would be “no talks with Washington until Tehran’s demands were met”, and that Iranian officials see “little prospect of a breakthrough before the November 3 vote”; Trump has said the US would not strike Iran again before 3 November. The 1934 Treaty of Taif was signed between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Larry Johnson | Lavrov Lands in Tehran, MBS Is on His Own, Trump Is Out of Options,Hegseth Summoned Generals | Transition Protocol | Oct. 20, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Trump said Russia was doing “very little, if anything” to help Iran. Today Sergey Lavrov sat beside Abbas Araghchi in Tehran. Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson asks whether that was a coincidence — and host Zulfiqar Ali’s Pakistani and Turkish contacts say the leader who is really on his own is MBS.

— 09:29 Lavrov in Tehran: “You think that was just a coincidence?”
— 19:55 MBS on his own: why Pakistan and Turkey have cut their support, per our host’s contacts — and China’s position.— 30:48 “There are no good military options”: Trump’s only way out, according to Larry Johnson.

What you’ll learn: why Lavrov’s visit contradicts Trump’s claim about Russia · why Pakistan’s border “closure” is two gates, not the border · what our host’s sources say about MBS, Pakistan, Turkey and China · why Iran wants the Islamabad MOU, not the JCPOA · what Johnson expects before the 3 November election.

Sourcing note: The reports on Pakistan’s and Turkey’s support for MBS, on China’s position, on sea traffic through Gwadar and on US helicopters off Pakistan’s coast are our host’s own sourcing and cannot be independently verified. Johnson’s report of a Quantico meeting of senior officers on 20 October had not been publicly reported at the time of publishing. 

Public record: Lavrov met Araghchi in Tehran on 19 October and said Russia is committed to its 20-year strategic partnership with Iran; Pakistan suspended trade at the Taftan and Gabd crossings (18 October; some reports say four crossings) and Iran’s foreign ministry cited “technical issues”; Trump said on 16 October that “Israel’s been very helpful to Saudi Arabia”; IRGC Brigadier General Hossein Zarifi was killed in Saravan on 24 September; Pakistan’s information ministry on 18 October called claims that the US Navy operates from Pakistani territory against Iran “baseless”.