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

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.