Pepe Escobar | Ukraine War is Desperate Bid by US to Preserve Hegemony and Prevent Multipolar World | Jan. 28, 2023

Source: Finian Cunningham youtube, Pepe Escobar Twitter



The war in Ukraine is not just about Ukraine and Russia with the US and NATO acting as seemingly benevolent supporters of Ukraine, as the Western media portray.

The United States and its NATO allies are deeply involved in the conflict. The military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 – after 20 years of futile occupation – was a calculated “reorganization of firepower” against Russia, says Pepe Escobar.

Ukraine is merely a proxy and ultimately cannon fodder for American imperial planners.

This war is part of a bigger geopolitical confrontation between the US and Russia, China and other nations that are pushing for the emergence of a multipolar world. That is a multipolar world no longer under the hegemony of US-dominated Western capitalism.

Pepe Escobar assesses the bigger picture and outlines how the US imperial state is in "panic mode" to shore up the collapsing American-controlled global capitalist system, and in particular the privileged position of the US dollar.

Going to war with Russia presently and in the longer term against China is part of the desperate dynamic to prolong the dominant position of Washington that was established after the Second World War. That postwar imperial order – euphemistically called the "rules-based order" – is increasingly falling into disrepute from unbridled imperialist wars and abuse of financial controls.

The vast majority of the planet wants liberation from the US/Western warmongering system that underpins capitalist exploitation that only enriches a global elite. The war in Ukraine is but the manifestation of the breakdown in US global power and the desperation to preserve the systematic inequality that defines capitalism.

This year is fraught with extreme danger, says Pepe Escobar. But if the psychotic US deep-state planners can be contained by Russia and China without an all-out catastrophic war erupting then there is a chance of a more hopeful, peaceful and just world order emerging.

Pepe Escobar | Major Insights | BRICS 2025 Summit | July 29, 2025

Source: Think BRICS youtube, Pepe Escobar on X



Description:
BRICS 2025 Summit delivers shocking revelations as Pepe Escobar exposes how the BRICS 2025 summit exceeded all expectations despite initial skepticism. In this exclusive BRICS news analysis, renowned geopolitical expert Pepe Escobar breaks down the major developments from the BRICS Summit 2025 in Rio, revealing how Russia's announcement about the New Development Bank (NDB) bypassing SWIFT represents the most significant de-dollarization move yet.

Discover why Lula's leadership surprised everyone, how Modi's strategic partnership with Brazil positions India as the next BRICS chair, and the real reasons behind Xi Jinping's absence. Escobar reveals exclusive insights from BRICS Business Council meetings, the emergence of a BRICS media alliance, and how BRICS partners like Malaysia and Iran are reshaping global geopolitics.

Learn about BRICS expansion strategies, the critical role of Southeast Asia and ASEAN integration, and how the Global South is building parallel financial systems. This BRICS summit analysis covers everything from Indonesia's growing influence to the formation of alternative payment mechanisms that challenge Western dominance.

Get the inside story on BRICS trade developments, media platform initiatives, and why Trump's immediate tariff response proves BRICS 2025 highlights represent a genuine threat to dollar hegemony.

This BRICS 2025 analysis doesn't include detailed technical specifications of new payment systems, specific investment figures for China-Brazil projects, or comprehensive coverage of all BRICS partners' individual policies. We don't explore internal NDB restructuring processes, detailed ASEAN member country positions, or extensive analysis of Iran-Indonesia bilateral relations outside the BRICS framework.

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction and welcome to Think BRICS
00:45 - Reflections on the BRICS Summit in Rio and early skepticism
01:35 - Success of the summit and key pre-summit engagements
02:53 - BRICS Business Day and global participation
04:00 - Discussions on BRICS investment and networking
05:15 - Major announcement: NDB to bypass SWIFT
06:42 - The role of Dilma Rousseff and NDB challenges
08:05 - Importance of the Rio Declaration and its geopolitical impact
09:10 - De-dollarization and BRICS economic strategy
10:33 - Lula’s renewed leadership role at BRICS
12:46 - Anwar Ibrahim’s impactful speech and ASEAN connection
13:55 - Malaysia’s diplomatic leadership in ASEAN
16:16 - Key takeaways: Trade in national currencies and geopolitical coordination
17:12 - Hybrid war threats and regional destabilization
18:33 - Leadership dynamics: Anwar Ibrahim’s role and BRICS unity
19:30 - Proposal for an intra-BRICS media alliance
21:01 - Guancha, Sputnik, and Brazil247 media collaboration
22:30 - The need for decentralized media across the Global South
23:00 - Examples of BRICS-aligned media initiatives
24:10 - Audience reach of Guancha and Think BRICS' growth
25:25 - NDB’s second golden decade and expansion plans
26:30 - Importance of NDB’s visibility and future growth
27:45 - Reflections on the Rio summit’s improvisational success
28:56 - On Xi Jinping's absence and Modi’s central role
30:35 - Xi’s strategy and Brazil-India cooperation
31:48 - Major Chinese investments in Brazil are already underway
34:42 - India’s growing influence in BRICS and global outreach
36:28 - BRICS support for Iran and final declaration diplomacy
38:15 - Iran’s vocal participation and united BRICS stance
38:55 - Tensions between India and China within BRICS
39:55 - The importance of Iran and Indonesia as key BRICS members
40:55 - Looking ahead to India’s BRICS chairmanship
42:45 - Conclusion and future outlook

Pepe Escobar Travels Silk Road with Carl Zha | Nov. 3, 2025

Source: Carl Zha youtube



Description:
Carl Zha has an incredible conversation with legendary journalist Pepe Escobar, fresh off the road from a groundbreaking trip across China's Xinjiang region. We traveled the modern Silk Road, from the high-tech capital of Urumqi to the ancient oasis of Kashgar, and what we witnessed completely shatters the Western media narrative.

In this episode, Pepe contrasts his travels in Xinjiang from 25 years ago with the reality on the ground today. We discuss the mind-boggling modernization, the seamless integration of ethnic groups, the truth behind the "redevelopment" of Kashgar's old city, and the shocking scale of the Belt and Road Initiative's infrastructure. This is a firsthand, on-the-ground account you won't get anywhere else.

TIMESTAMPS: Key Topics Discussed

(00:00) - Introduction to Pepe Escobar, the "OG" Foreign Correspondent
(01:45) - Pepe's Career: From Asia Times to Being Smeared as a "CCP Agent"
(06:50) - The Mission: Documenting the New Silk Road in Xinjiang
(08:45) - First Impressions: The "Enormous Shock" of Modern Xinjiang
(11:30) - The Karakoram Highway & China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
(13:45) - Crossing the Taklamakan Desert: A Modern Engineering Marvel
(16:10) - The Reality of Kashgar: From Segregated City to Integrated Hub
(19:30) - An Emotional Moment: Showing Locals Footage of Their City from 1998
(22:45) - People-to-People Exchange: Han Chinese, Uyghurs, and Others Living & Working Together
(25:15) - The Tourism Boom: Driven Domestically, Missing Westerners Due to "Demonization"
(29:00) - On the Ground Security: Facial Recognition, Polite Police, and the Real Story
(33:45) - The Upcoming Documentary: A "Multipolar" BRICS Production
(37:20) - Plans for Part 2: Focusing on Northern Xinjiang and Central Asian Borders
(41:50) - Xinjiang as a High-Tech & Green Energy Hub
(47:10) - The Power of Long-Term Planning: 5-Year Plans vs. Western Short-Termism
(52:30) - The "Asian Century" is Already Here: The Vibe of Development vs. Western Decline
(58:00) - China's Offer to the Global South vs. The Washington Consensus
(01:01:30) - How to Follow Pepe Escobar's Work

Pepe Escobar | Putin's Oreshnik BOMBSHELL Shocks NATO, Trump's Tanker War ERUPTS | Dec. 22, 2025

Source: Danny Haiphong YouTube 

 

Description:
Pepe Escobar joins to analyze how Russia is sending a stark message with one of its most powerful weapons and no one is talking about it except the panicked European backers of Ukraine's dying regime. Meanwhile, Trump is escalating an oil tanker war against Venezuela and the Western hemisphere that is already backing him into a corner that won't end well for the flailing US empire.

Pepe Escobar's latest column: Pepe Escobar: Europe’s Elites Pay For The Privilege of Losing Conflict

Larry C. Johnson & Pepe Escobar | The ISLAMABAD Accord - Trump’s Possible Off-Ramp From WAR!! | Power Shift | June 4, 2026

Source: Power Shift youtube, Sonar21.com, Pepe Escobar on X



Description:
According to sources with direct access to decision-makers in Pakistan, the Gulf war may be days from ending — with President Trump expected to travel to Islamabad to meet Iran’s President Pezeshkian and sign the “Islamabad Accord.”

In this episode of POWER SHIFT, Zulfiqar Ali, Pepe Escobar, and former CIA officer Larry C. Johnson lay out the full picture: the three-stage roadmap (Israel halts Lebanon and Palestine → the Strait of Hormuz reopens → the accord is finalized), a 24–48 hour announcement window, China’s role behind the scenes with Putin’s blessing, and the real risks that could still derail it.

⚠️ This reflects source-based intelligence on a deal that is NOT yet signed. We present it as developing, and we mark what we know versus what we don’t.

Timeline: 

• 00:00 The breaking story
• 00:50 The 3 stages
• 02:30 The Islamabad Accord
• 03:00 Trump vs. Netanyahu
• 03:30 America’s options
• 05:55 Johnson: the source & caveats
• 07:53 Escobar from St. Petersburg
• 09:24 “The mother of all game changers”
• 11:45 Why Munir matters / accord vs. treaty
• 16:54 MBS & Pakistan force the issue
• 18:46 The 20–25 day timeline
• 21:09 A Chinese deal, blessed by Putin

Pepe Escobar | Invasion of Libya, Arab Spring & R2P, October 20, 2011

Source: redicecreations.com, Pepe Escobar at Asiatimes



October 20, 2011–Pepe Escobar, born in Brazil, is the roving correspondent for Hong Kong/Thailand-based Asia Times and analyst for Toronto/Washington-based The Real News. Since the mid-1980s he has lived and worked as a foreign correspondent in London, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles and Singapore/Bangkok. Since 9/11 he has extensively covered Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, Iran, Iraq and the wider Middle East. He authored three books and is associated with the Paris-based European Academy of Geopolitics. In the first hour, Pepe will talk about the neo-con agenda of “humanitarian imperialism” and the concept of RtoP, “The Responsibility to Protect.” We’ll discuss the NATO agenda and strategies in Libya. Then, Pepe talks about the Arab Spring, rebels and future guerilla wars. We’ll get into the specifics of why the west is so focused on Libya. ~Red Ice Creations
download mp3

The China You've NEVER Seen: Pepe Escobar's Xinjiang Journey Will Stun You | Oct. 9, 2025

Source: Counter Currents youtube



Description:
They told you one story about Xinjiang. Pepe Escobar went to see for himself. What he found was not oppression, but an economic and technological boom that will leave you speechless.

In this latest episode of Counter Currents, Pepe takes us on a journey across China's new Silk Road, revealing:

• The truth about development and life in Xinjiang.
How China built a highway with Wi-Fi across a deadly desert.
• Why Chinese brands are now BETTER than Western ones.
• The end of American dominance and the rise of a new world.
Forget everything you think you know. Watch to see the real China.

Timeline:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Pepe Escobar’s Trip to China
00:01:19 - Journey Planning and Reflections
00:02:44 - Xi Jinping's Influence and Modernization
00:03:05 - Tianjin Summit and Major Events
00:05:07 - Silk Road Journey Begins in Xi'an
00:06:20 - China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
00:10:18 - Exploration of Xinjiang’s Silk Road
00:11:06 - Modernization in Remote Areas of Xinjiang
00:13:56 - Crossing the Taklamakan Desert
00:15:05 - Lost Tribe of the Taklamakan and Uyghur Life
00:17:15 - Modernization and Infrastructure in Xinjiang
00:27:11 - Energy Hub of China
00:29:31 - Economic Transformation of China and Belt and Road
00:48:28 - Chinese Meritocracy and Central Planning
00:51:21 - Technology Leadership and National Development
00:56:17 - Decline of Western Influence
00:59:16 - The Future of Global Relations
01:02:34 - Final Thoughts on China's Development and US Relations

Pepe Escobar | BREAKING-PEPE : Why Iran US Signing Moves to VERSAILLES -Is US–Iran Signing Vanishing? | June 19, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
The US–Iran signing was supposed to happen in Geneva. Instead it reportedly moved to Versailles overnight — and according to sources cited in this episode, the reason was a credible assassination threat against Iran's delegation.

Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali break down what their sources at the table are saying about the Iran–US MOU, the Strait of Hormuz red line, Israel's continued bombing of Lebanon, and a reported Monday deadline that could trigger Iranian retaliation within 72 hours.

In this special edition of Transition Protocol, we connect the dots between Iran's claimed “strategic victory,” the threat to close the Strait of Hormuz (and what that means for global oil prices), Iran's reported readiness to pursue a North Korea–style nuclear path, and Pakistan's elevated role as power broker — backed in the background by China and Russia. We also examine why sources describe Trump as boxed in, and what choice the White House faces this weekend.

Source note: Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical analyst covering Eurasia and the multipolar world order; Zulfiqar Ali brings reporting sourced through Pakistani and Iranian channels. Some claims in this episode are source-based and developing — we flag verification status on-screen and present them as attributed reporting, not confirmed fact. Transition Protocol is a serious, source-driven geopolitical analysis channel.

Timeline:
00:00 — Why the Iran–US Signing Vanished
00:45 — Versailles, Not Geneva: The Hidden Reason
02:30 — Why This Is NOT a Routine Ceasefire Story
03:18 — The Assassination Threat at the Table
04:48 — Iran's Red Line: “We Break It Twice as Hard”
07:12 — Why the Supreme Leader Almost Refused to Sign
09:34 — Is the MOU Dead on Arrival? The 72-Hour Window
11:10 — Zulfiqar's Sources: What Iran's New Leadership Decided
12:39 — The “North Korea Path” on Nukes
15:09 — Pakistan's Elevated Role + The Hormuz Threat
17:09 — Why Washington Can't Accept the New Chessboard
20:08 — How Pakistani Intelligence Intercepted the Plot
22:14 — Trump as a “Caged Animal”
24:11 — The World Has Changed: Final Word

Pepe Escobar | EXCLUSIVE: UAE Flew GOLD SECRETLY to Tehran,Iran's Warning: 2k ATTACK Boats Are Waiting | Aug. 15, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

Iran has reportedly given Washington a matter of days — not weeks — to change course on the Strait of Hormuz, according to Pakistani and Iranian mediation sources detailed in this Transition Protocol special. I

n this breaking-news episode, Zulfiqar Ali and Pepe Escobar break down MBS's second phone call blocking a revamped US strike on Iran, the UAE's stunning gold-and-cash outreach to Tehran, Pakistan and China's central role as mediators, and Iran's readiness — including a reported 2,000-boat swarm fleet — to defend the Strait of Hormuz if diplomacy fails.

Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical analyst and journalist covering Eurasia, BRICS, and multipolar world affairs for over two decades; Zulfiqar Ali hosts Transition Protocol, a source-driven geopolitical and economic analysis show reaching audiences in fourteen languages. This is analysis and source-based reporting — claims marked DEVELOPING or UNVERIFIED are clearly flagged throughout.

Pepe Escobar | Trump CAVES to Iran Strike Threat, Israel FURIOUS – Is War OVER? | June 15, 2026

Source: Danny Haiphong youtube, Pepe Escobar on X, TRANSITION PROTOCOL youtube



Description:
Geopolitical analyst and independent journalist Pepe Escobar joins the show to discuss the announcement by Trump & Iran that a deal to end the war, and the Iranian strike threat which accelerated Trump's desperation to seal it.

Pepe Escobar & Larry Johnson | BREAKING: Trump Is Trapped-What Iran's Majlis Just Voted For — And What It Deliberately Left Out | July 15, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Desription:
Iran’s parliament has voted 400–0 to accelerate the country’s nuclear capabilities. Sources close to Tehran’s decision-making now tell Transition Protocol that a nuclear test on Iranian soil is being openly discussed at the highest levels — with a final decision expected within days if the Sunday Pakistan–Qatar mediation window collapses.

In this episode, veteran geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar and former CIA analyst Larry Johnson join Zulfiqar Ali to map the critical week that could determine whether a U.S.–Iran war breaks out.

We examine:
- Trump’s reported personal phone calls to Field Marshal Asim Munir seeking an off-ramp
- The Pentagon’s Crisis Action Teams returning to full 24/7 war footing
- The arithmetic no one in Washington wants spoken aloud: Larry Johnson’s assessment that the U.S. Army currently holds only 56 units of its newest precision missile

We also break down why Iran believes it only needs to hit ten fixed targets — from Al Udeid to Erbil — while the United States faces roughly a thousand regenerating launch sites along the Strait of Hormuz; what an Iranian NPT withdrawal vote would actually signal; why Hezbollah now considers itself unbound; and the escalation card that has not yet been played: Bab el-Mandeb.

Source note: This episode combines publicly confirmed reporting on the collapse of the June 17 MOU with source-based information developed by Transition Protocol’s contacts. Claims that have not yet been independently verified are flagged on screen. Pepe Escobar is a globally published geopolitical correspondent; Larry Johnson is a former CIA analyst and State Department counterterrorism official.

Pepe Escobar | Putin & Iran’s BOMBSHELL Crushes Trump’s War Bluff, Israel in DEEP Trouble | Jan. 23, 2026

Source: Danny Haiphong youtube



Description:
Trump messed around and found out says Pepe Escobar as his seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers accelerates a century humiliation for the West says geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar. Russia and China have stepped in to bolster the defenses of Nicholas Maduro and war is rapidly approaching. Trump's latest failures are about to change everything. Watch until the end to understand how and why.

Pepe Escobar, Larry Johnson & Zulfiqar Ali | Iran's Secret Memo Lands in Riyadh-Iran Is ‘Ready for War' | July 2, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube

Description:
A confidential Iranian memo — hand-carried to Riyadh by Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi — and one word that decides what happens next: “provoked.” Pepe Escobar, Larry Johnson, and Zulfiqar Ali with what a source at the negotiating table shared just one hour before recording.

Also in this episode:
- Qalibaf’s on-the-record refusal to negotiate until the US implements the June 17 Islamabad Memorandum
- Why not a single tanker has headed West in 14 days
- The fuel-supply crisis Larry Johnson says forced Trump’s signature
- The confirmed knockout of the Al Udeid CAOC
- Hormuz fees after day 60
- Saudi Arabia’s position
- The 9-day window that opens when Khamenei’s funeral ends July 9

Timeline:

00:00 Iran–US MOU: The 60-Day Clock Begins
01:06 Did Iran Damage America’s Gulf Command Structure?
03:31 Lebanon: The First Test of the Deal
06:23 Strait of Hormuz: Who Controls the Chokepoint?
08:30 Ghalibaf’s Red Lines: No New Negotiations?
13:49 Oil, Diesel, Aviation Fuel, and Trump’s Constraint
20:50 Pakistan and Qatar: The Mediators Behind the Deal
24:10 Saudi Arabia’s Quiet Role
29:59 Larry Johnson: Birth of a New Financial Order
34:48 Is US Hegemony in the Gulf Ending?
39:03 Pepe Escobar: Eurasia, Civilizational States, and the Power Shift
43:16 Transition Protocol Closing Analysis

Pepe Escobar & Larry Johnson | Breaking: Iran's Warning One More Strike and We Leave the NPT, Will Iran Build the Bomb?" | July 9, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Iran has sent a message the world wasn’t supposed to hear. According to sources relayed to Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir from inside the inner circle of Iran’s new leader Mostafa Khamenei, one more US military strike could trigger Iran’s formal withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) — and, in the source’s own words, “all bets are off.”

In this breaking episode, Pepe Escobar and Larry Johnson break down the renewed US bombing campaign, strikes on BRICS-linked civilian infrastructure, the Strait of Hormuz sovereignty standoff, and the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve countdown that could hit crisis by mid-August.

Larry Johnson explains why 70% of US refineries depend on sour crude now blocked at Hormuz, why Iran’s mass mourning of 40+ million people is Iran’s “Pearl Harbor moment,” and why Trump — not Tehran — is the one begging mediators for talks in Islamabad. This is the fullest breakdown connecting Iran’s NPT decision, the oil shock, and the collapse of the Versailles MOU before anyone else. 

Sources: Pepe Escobar (geopolitical correspondent) and Larry Johnson (former CIA / State Department analyst). Some claims are source-based and developing; framing reflects verification status.

Timeline:
00:00 — The Bombshell: One Strike From Nuclear
01:30 — 40 Million in the Streets: Iran’s Turning Point
04:00 — US Bombs BRICS Infrastructure: Railways & Chabahar
06:00 — The Tanker Trap in the Strait of Hormuz
08:20 — The Oil Clock: When America Runs Dry
10:48 — Larry Johnson: Did Iran Hit US Warships?
14:08 — 70% of US Refineries Need Crude They Can’t Get
17:51 — Iran’s Next Target: Ben Gurion?
18:25 — Islamabad Talks: Who’s Really Begging?
21:36 — THE BOMBSHELL: Iran and the NPT
30:18 — Iran’s Pearl Harbor: A Nation Transformed
33:50 — Red Flags: The Signal for Blood Revenge
37:08 — Trump Trapped in His Own Web

Pepe Escobar | Trump BEGGED Munir for an Off-Ramp-Then Rejected It HERE'S WHY? | July 22, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Iran just handed Donald Trump one last off-ramp — and he said no. In this exclusive Transition Protocol briefing, Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali reveal the exact terms of Iran’s counter-offer, delivered from the office of the Supreme Leader to Islamabad: a 10-day pause on one condition — the US must PERFORM on Day One. Same-day sanctions relief. Same-day unfreezing of assets. Or nothing.

Meanwhile the Strait of Hormuz is effectively shut, the Houthis have declared a “siege for a siege” against Saudi shipping, and two Saudi crude tankers turned around in the Red Sea today.

With up to a quarter of the world’s oil now hostage to two chokepoints at once and the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve at its lowest since 1983, the question is no longer who wins the war — it’s whether Trump can escape the corner he’s in. 

 
Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical analyst reporting from the ground across West Asia; Zulfiqar Ali brings direct sourcing from Islamabad’s intelligence circles. Transition Protocol delivers serious, source-driven analysis you won’t get from legacy media.

Larry C. Johnson & Pepe Escobar | EXPOSE Iran has become NUCLEAR POWER | June 2, 2026

Source: Power Shift youtube, Sonar21.com, Pepe Escobar on X

Description:
Are we weeks away from a global power shift? In this explosive interview, insider Zulfiqar Ali, geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar, and former CIA officer Larry Johnson reveal the shocking truth about Iran's nuclear timeline, the hidden Russian alliance, and the looming "economic tsunami" that will crash the US Petrodollar.

Discover why global superpowers are abandoning the United States and how the upcoming resource shortages in oil, gas, and helium will reshape the world economy and the AI revolution

Pepe Escobar | Iran Gave TRUMP a Way Out of WAR Return to the MOU or Hormuz Stays SHUT Why He Said NO | Transition Protocol | Sept. 2, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Trump called Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir repeatedly — "find me an off-ramp" — according to a source close to Munir cited by Zulfiqar Ali. 

Munir went to Tehran and, Zulfiqar reports, persuaded a reluctant Iran to offer Washington a way out; Trump rejected it because he could not present it as a victory. 

Days later the Strait of Hormuz tanker incident restarted the bombing. The call-level details are Zulfiqar's sourced reporting and have not been independently verified; the 14-point Islamabad MOU is public (link below).

Pepe Escobar then lays out what Washington won't: Iran's actual terms (return to the MOU or Hormuz stays shut), the timeline Tehran is reported to be planning for, the endurance contest over interceptors and resupply, and why the global economy cannot sustain a forever war at the world's most important chokepoint.

Then the story the West ignored this week: the SCO summit in Bishkek. The declaration on the attack on Iran and "indivisible security"; the proposed SCO energy consortium and development bank outside the dollar system; 

Mongolia and Afghanistan moving toward membership; Pakistan's 2027 chairmanship; and the Saudi–Pakistan–Turkey Mecca Defence Agreement moving from paper to institution. What is confirmed, what is developing, and what it means for oil, the dollar and the next phase of the war.

Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical analyst who has covered the SCO since its 2001 founding. Zulfiqar Ali's reporting draws on sources inside Pakistan's military and diplomatic leadership. Transition Protocol is an independent, source-driven channel; claims from insiders are labelled as such on screen. Subscribe and turn on notifications — tomorrow: Larry Johnson on Vladivostok and the Eastern Economic Forum. 

Pepe Escobar | Iran’s Silent Strategy: How It’s Ending US Dominance in West Asia | Mar. 26. 2026

Source: Dialogue Works youtube



--- Source: presstv.ir, Pepe Escobar on X

 

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Why Trump wants to hit Iran?
Because Iran is becoming Eurasia's logistics hub — and a new documentary by Pepe Escobar and Press TV shows exactly why that terrifies Washington.

The First and Only documentary in English on the Russia-Iran-India corridor (linking 3 BRICS), filmed last May in Iran, from the Caspian to the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
The Empire of Chaos simply cannot allow the corridor to go through.

Timeline:
(00:00) Iran as a historic and modern crossroads of global trade
(05:28) The North–South Corridor: Russia–Iran–India axis explained
(12:02) Caspian ports, rail gaps & the Rasht–Astara missing link
(20:50) Competing routes & China–Pakistan corridor comparison
(30:26) Bandar Abbas, Hormuz & maritime power
(37:35) Chabahar: Deep-water gateway & Gwadar comparison
(49:42) From geopolitics to geoeconomics

Pepe Escobar | BREAKING: MUNIR GETS IRAN’S GREEN LIGHT, HE Met the Man Who Threatened to Shut Off Gulf Oil | Aug. 26, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Iran has told Washington that if the United States succeeds in economically suffocating it, not a drop of oil will leave the Gulf — not from Saudi Arabia, not the UAE, not Qatar, not anywhere.

That message was carried out of Tehran this week by Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and delivered to the acting US ambassador in Islamabad within hours of their return.

Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali break down the full sequence — the Trump phone call that started it, the six-point mechanism now on the table, the Strait of Hormuz deal-breaker, and the message from Beijing that landed in the room while the talks were still running.

Also in this episode — what Iran is demanding before it returns to the table (frozen assets, sanctions relief, an end to the naval blockade); why the new US Treasury sanctions package is functionally aimed at China; the single American decision that would collapse the entire process overnight; Iran's four-step escalation ladder and the NPT exit that sits on the first rung; and why both analysts now describe this as the last chance saloon. Chapter markers below.

Pepe Escobar is a globally recognised geopolitical correspondent covering Eurasia, BRICS and the multipolar transition. Zulfiqar Ali reports from direct channels in Islamabad and Tehran. Transition Protocol is a 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 single-source and are identified on screen as such.

Larry C. Johnson & Pepe Escobar | Why Was the Venue Moved from Islamabad to Switzerland? Sources Warn! | June 18, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Iran and the US are set to sign a memorandum of understanding this Friday, June 19, at Bürgenstock in Switzerland — and our sources say an Israeli plot to derail it may be hanging over the ceremony. In this episode, Pepe Escobar, Zulfiqar Ali, and Larry Johnson break down the breaking intel: the alleged assassination threat against an Iranian signatory, Pakistan's blunt warning to Tel Aviv ("you'll hear directly from us"), and why the venue was moved to a secure, Qatari-owned mountain site hosted by Pakistan.

We connect the dots the headlines are missing: the hidden oil clock and Strait of Hormuz reality (it won't fully reopen for months because of mines), the 60-day, 14-point MOU, Iran's strike threats that bent Donald Trump, and the deepening China–Russia–Iran alignment behind every mediated term. We also cover JD Vance and Ghalibaf as the Friday signatories, Bennett vs. Netanyahu, the $24bn in frozen Iranian assets, and the global recession/de-dollarization stakes for your wallet.

Guests: Pepe Escobar (veteran geopolitical correspondent), Larry Johnson (former CIA analyst), hosted by Zulfiqar Ali. Some claims in this episode are source-based and developing; we flag verification status on screen. Transition Protocol is a serious, source-driven geopolitical and economic analysis channel focused on evidence-based breakdowns of global power shifts.

Timeline:
00:00 — Breaking: The Assassination Plot Over the Iran Signing
00:35 — Why the Deal Moved to a Secret Swiss Mountain (Bürgenstock)
03:00 — Pakistan's Blunt Warning to Israel
06:00 — Inside the 14-Point MOU and the 60-Day Clock
09:00 — How Iran's Strike Threat Bent Trump in Minutes
12:00 — Has Iran Actually Signed? The Internal Debate
14:00 — Bennett vs. Netanyahu: Why Israel Still Wants War
16:00 — China's Hidden Hand and Live Missile "Field Research"
17:45 — The 17-Day Oil Clock Forcing Trump to the Table
18:55 — Why the Strait of Hormuz Won't Fully Reopen
21:00 — Trump as "Messenger": The Real War on China–Russia–Iran
24:40 — The Mid-August Economic Shock Warning
26:30 — Final Warning to the "Spoilers" and Wrap

Pepe Escobar | World Reactions to Putin Peace Plan | June 18, 2024

Source: Judge Napolitano youtube



Welcome to our latest episode, where we dive deep into the global reactions to Vladimir Putin's Peace Plan with renowned geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar. In this insightful conversation, we explore the nuances of Putin's proposal and its potential impact on international relations.

Topics Covered:

- The specifics of Putin's Peace Plan
- How different countries are responding to the plan
- The implications for global power dynamics
- Pepe Escobar's expert analysis on the situation
- Potential outcomes and future scenarios

Pepe Escobar & Larry Johnson | Breaking: Iran is now forcing the United States out of Persian Gulf 10-day countdown | July 22, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

BREAKING: Iran is now forcing the United States out of the Persian Gulf — base by base — even as U.S. precision-missile stockpiles run critically low.

In this intelligence briefing, Pepe Escobar, Larry Johnson and Zulfiqar Ali break down the “strategic rupture”: the confirmed U.S. drawdown from Gulf and Jordan bases, the missile-magazine crisis (Patriot, THAAD, Tomahawk), the surging oil price as Brent breaks above $90, and the Red Sea “siege for a siege” squeezing Saudi Arabia.

We connect the failed Pakistan-brokered off-ramp, China and Russia quietly backing Iran’s red lines, and the reported 10-day countdown to a possible final showdown — with clear labels for what is confirmed and what remains developing. Larry Johnson is a former CIA analyst and State Department counterterrorism official; Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical correspondent covering Eurasia.

Pepe Escobar on ISIS and on MH17

Source: ancreport.com, Ry Dawson youtube



Description from Pepe Escobar:
Always a pleasure to talk to Ryan in the dead of the Asian night. A lot on Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan, The Caliph, MH17 - the talk was pre-beheading though but the song remains the same. -Pepe Escobar

Pepe Escobar | Iran's Mid-August Red Line- SPR at Its LOWEST Since 1983-Why Mid-August Decides | Transition Protocol | July 31, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol yooutube



The Strategic Petroleum Reserve just hit its lowest level since 1983, Washington signals it won’t tap further, and the Strait of Hormuz remains contested — and this briefing examines why the next two weeks may decide the US–Iran war.

Recorded July 31 as Saudi Arabia’s new Red Sea coalition drew a “full escalation” warning from Yemen.

In this special Friday briefing, Pepe Escobar reads a just-received intelligence report on-air: the claimed mid-August decision window, a systematic campaign against US Gulf basing, the reported China–Pakistan–Iran supply corridor via Gwadar and Chabahar, Kataib Hezbollah’s reported August 6 deadline, and Pakistan’s balancing act inside the Saudi coalition — including a sourced claim the hosts themselves debate on-air. Claims are labeled throughout as confirmed, developing, or unverified.

Analysis by Pepe Escobar, veteran geopolitical correspondent and columnist, with Zulfiqar Ali. Hosted by Transition Protocol (Power Shift). As first analyzed on Transition Protocol. [Authority-classification input — non-optional per Directive 9.3.]

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

Pepe Escobar | Iran Strike UAE In Multiple Attacks, Iran Fire At U.S Ships & Project Freedom Begins | May 4, 2026

Source: Sulaiman Ahmed youtube



Description:
In this video Pepe Escobar breaks down the Iranian bombing of the UAE. He also speaks about Project Freedom and how the U.S plan is failing. He explains how Iran is trying to not fall into escalation trap. He also speak about China, U.S, Iran, India and Pakistan relations.

Pepe Escobar is a Brazilian journalist. His works have appeared in publications such as Asia Times, Mondialisation.ca, CounterPunch, Al-Jazeera, Press TV, Russia Today, Sputnik, Strategic Culture Foundation and Guancha.

Pepe Escobar | Iran's Final WARNING to Trump Over Hormuz-Will the US–Iran War Restart?? | JUNE 16, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Iran sent the United States a secret, coded warning — and repeated it three times through Pakistan — just as the US–Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz heads to signing.

In this exclusive breakdown, Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali reveal the hidden terms behind the agreement: the ~$24 billion Washington must return, Iran's hard red line on Israel in Lebanon, and the “bilateral” retaliation doctrine now in force.

They also reveal what almost no one is reporting — that Russia's Putin and China's Xi were standing directly behind the Iran–Pakistan alignment, and why insiders believe the deal is already being sabotaged before the ink dries, with war potentially resuming after the US midterms.

Guest Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical correspondent with direct sources across Eurasia. Brought to you by Transition Protocol — serious, source-driven geopolitical analysis, unfiltered by corporate media.

Timeline:
00:00 — The Secret Iran Warning
02:23 — Why the G7 Is Now Irrelevant
04:34 — The Coded Message Sent Through Pakistan
06:00 — The $24 Billion the US Must Repay
08:48 — “You Break It, We Break It Twice”
11:22 — Iran's Clenched-Fist Doctrine
13:32 — Inside the 14-Point Memo
16:20 — Why War Could Restart After the Midterms
18:06 — How Israel Is Already Sabotaging the Deal
23:50 — Putin & Xi: Secretly Behind Iran
31:12 — Pakistan's Decisive Secret Role

Pepe Escobar | IRAN Will Charge World To Use Hormuz Now – 12 Days Until FREE PASSAGE | Aug. 5, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube


Description:
Strait of Hormuz news today: Washington says a deal to reopen the strait could come within 48 hours — but the Islamabad Memorandum's free-passage clause expires on 16 August, and the arrangement replacing it is being negotiated in Muscat. Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali on the US–Iran MOU deadline, the Iran–Oman Hormuz agreement, and who is actually writing the terms.

What Article 5 of the memorandum actually says and why the sixty-day free-passage window matters more than the headline. The fee structure reportedly under negotiation between Tehran and Muscat, and how it collides with the freedom-of-movement framing given to markets this morning. 

Why crude moved today. The Pakistan channel: Ishaq Dar's invitation to Foreign Minister Araghchi, and the reported parliamentary visit stacked against Independence Day on 14 August and the expiry of the clock on 16 August. The Saudi reversal, the weekend phone call, and the strike that did not happen.

Analysis by Pepe Escobar, geopolitical analyst and correspondent, and Zulfiqar Ali, Transition Protocol. This episode distinguishes throughout between publicly confirmed developments and single-source reporting from our own channels; both are labelled as such on screen.

Pepe Escobar | Iran Says YES On Its Terms: Inside Monday's Rawalpindi Meeting US Team with Asim Munir | Transition Protocol | July 28, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Sources tell Transition Protocol that Iran has informed Pakistan it agrees in principle to return to the MOU process — on Iran's sequencing: the Strait of Hormuz settled first, the US blockade lifted and funds unfrozen second, and the nuclear file last.

In this episode, Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali go line by line through a fresh intel report: the US delegation's Monday meeting with Field Marshal Asim Munir at GHQ Rawalpindi, the personal letter hand-delivered to the Supreme Leader, the venue fight between Islamabad, Doha and Switzerland, and the security guarantees Pakistan is prepared to mount.

With Abqaiq burning, the Red Sea effectively uninsurable, and the Strait of Hormuz still closed to unapproved shipping, our analysts assess that Washington has roughly until mid-August to start implementing its MOU commitments — or lose control of a global oil shock. Where a claim is based on our sources rather than public reporting, we say so on screen.

Credibility note: Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical correspondent and analyst of Eurasian integration; Zulfiqar Ali brings direct regional sourcing on the Pakistan–Iran channel. Transition Protocol is a serious, source-driven geopolitics program covering the multipolar transition, de-dollarization and West Asia. Subscribe on YouTube and Substack for daily coverage.

Larry Johnson & Pepe Escobar | Iran Told Trump "GET LOST" 10-Day Ceasefire REJECTED Trump Begged Iran | Transition Protocol | Sept. 2, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Iran told Trump "get lost." Sources with direct contact to Islamabad and Tehran tell Transition Protocol that Trump offered Iran a 10-day cessation of hostilities this week — and was refused. Then, through Qatar, the White House asked Iran to allow "performative strikes" with no retaliation. Iran refused again. 

Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir has stopped returning Trump's calls after being sent to Tehran twice and reneged on twice. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed despite official claims it is "wide open," CENTCOM has re-stood up a 24/7 battle staff, and Iran's retaliation doctrine is now 2-to-1, 3-to-1, 5-to-1 with a war plan built to run through the US midterms.

Larry Johnson explains why the bond market — not the Pentagon — is forcing Trump to back down: Treasury yields are rising and, in his words, "nobody's buying." Pepe Escobar breaks down the tanker-for-tanker gamble that could detonate global shipping insurance, Ghalibaf's warning that "if we cannot export oil, nobody will," and the SCO development bank being built outside the US dollar at Bishkek and Vladivostok ahead of the BRICS summit in India. Zulfiqar Ali reports Tehran's final position: diplomacy only through the Islamabad MOU — no more negotiations.

Guests: Larry Johnson, former CIA analyst and State Department counter-terrorism official; Pepe Escobar, veteran geopolitical correspondent covering BRICS, SCO and Eurasia from the ground; hosted by Zulfiqar Ali. Inside-source claims in this episode are attributed and identified on screen as developing; nothing unverified is presented as settled fact. Transition Protocol is a serious, source-driven geopolitical and economic analysis channel — evidence-based reporting on global power shifts and their financial consequences. Subscribe and join us on Substack for twice-weekly briefings 

Larry Johnson & Pepe Escobar | BREAKING: China's 72-HOUR Ultimatum to the US -Fix the Iran DEAL by Monday Or It's WAR | July 17, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
In this emergency Friday briefing, Pepe Escobar, Larry Johnson and Zulfiqar Ali break down why Iran’s missiles have suddenly become accurate — the panel reports a shift from US GPS to China’s BeiDou satellite guidance — and why the next 72 hours may decide whether the Iran–US war stays regional or goes global. According to sources cited on the show, China has set a Monday deadline for Pakistan to restore the collapsed 14-point US–Iran MOU.

The panel also covers the Saudi strike on Sana’a’s runway that nearly downed an Iranian civilian flight, Iran’s signal that it may revise its nuclear doctrine and leave the NPT, the US strike on Iran’s Chabahar port, and Pakistan’s new red line. Several claims are developing and source-based; framing throughout reflects their verification status.

Transition Protocol is a serious, source-driven geopolitical analysis channel focused on evidence-based breakdowns of great-power rivalry, energy, and de-dollarization. Support us on Substack ($5/mo). Guests: Pepe Escobar (veteran war correspondent), Larry Johnson (former CIA/State analyst), hosted by Zulfiqar Ali.

Pepe Escobar | SAUDI ARABIA JUST DUMPED AMERICA-Will Pakistan's Nuclear Umbrella Now Cover Saudi ? | June 23, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
BREAKING: In the fullest on-camera breakdown yet, Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali reveal how Pakistan — not Washington — quietly brokered the Iran–US Memorandum of Understanding at Bürgenstock, Switzerland, and how Saudi Arabia is now signaling a historic move away from the US security umbrella toward a Pakistan-coordinated, China-backed order.

Sources close to the talks describe a 60-day MOU framework, $12 billion (and a possible $24 billion) in frozen Iranian funds underwritten by Riyadh and Doha, and zero face-to-face US–Iran contact — every word passing through Pakistani and Qatari mediators.

We connect the Bürgenstock talks to the bigger story: a Saudi–Pakistan military doctrine, an unsigned nuclear umbrella over the Gulf, Iran's ~440 kg of 60% enriched uranium as the central 60-day question, and the deep-background roles of China and Russia. President Pezeshkian's first foreign trip since the February 28 war is to Islamabad — confirmed — and Sharif and Field Marshal Munir head to Riyadh this week.

Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical analyst on Eurasia and the multipolar world; Zulfiqar Ali brings deep Iran–Pakistan sourcing. Transition Protocol / Power Shift is a serious, source-driven channel delivering evidence-based, high-signal breakdowns of global power shifts — with developing claims clearly labeled. Some details below are source-based and not yet independently verified.

Timeline:
00:00 — Breaking: The Iran–US Deal the West Got Wrong
00:45 — Bürgenstock: Pakistan Secured the Whole Site
03:00 — Shock: They Never Spoke Face-to-Face
05:15 — Why Pakistan — Not Qatar — Runs the Deal
07:30 — The Vance–Munir–Sharif Back-Channel
09:00 — Iran Walked Out Three Times on Trump
11:00 — Saudi Arabia Will Pay Iran's $12 Billion
13:00 — The Big One: Riyadh Leaving Washington
19:00 — Pakistan's Nuclear Umbrella, Backed by China
22:15 — 440 kg of Uranium: The 60-Day Clock
24:45 — Pezeshkian's First Trip — and the Secret Letter
29:00 — Riyadh Summit This Week: A New Doctrine
31:00 — The Man the West Ignores: Mohsin Naqvi
33:00 — What Comes Next

Pepe Escobar | BREAKING: The Nuclear Signal Nobody Expected.Why the Next 72 Hours Decide Everything | Aug. 27, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
IRAN HAS SIGNALLED IT MAY OPEN THE NUCLEAR FILE — and the Strait of Hormuz has 72 hours to prove whether the deal is real. 

Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali break down the Iran–US architecture now being assembled through Pakistani mediation: the closed Strait of Hormuz, the war-risk insurance premiums that will move before any government speaks, the six billion dollars sitting in Qatari banks, and the three-capital joint statement that sources say could land within 48 hours. Sources close to the talks indicate Iranian negotiators may show flexibility on the nuclear dossier at a later stage — a reversal from the position held a day earlier.

Also in this episode: why Iran has shut Omani territorial waters to transiting ships and taken control of the whole strait; why Pakistan has refused to enforce US secondary sanctions on Iran — described here as a first in its history — alongside coordinated foreign-ministry pushback from Russia and China; the role of former Pakistani army chief Raheel Sharif in carrying the framework to Riyadh and onward to Washington; the 40 million Pakistani Shias offered to Tehran as a guarantee of good faith; and the 60-to-90-day framework of indirect talks and cessation of hostilities now under discussion, with Pakistan as mediator and Qatar as the financial channel. Islamabad and Switzerland are both being pushed as the signing venue.

Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical correspondent who has covered Eurasian politics and energy for decades; Zulfiqar Ali reports from direct contacts across the Pakistani and Iranian political and military leadership. Claims sourced to those contacts are marked DEVELOPING on screen and are not independently verified. Transition Protocol is a source-driven geopolitics channel covering de-dollarization, BRICS, the multipolar order and the financial consequences of global power shifts. Subscribe for the follow-up the moment the joint statement lands. 

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

Source: presstv.ir, Pepe Escobar on X

 

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Why Trump wants to hit Iran?
Because Iran is becoming Eurasia's logistics hub — and a new documentary by Pepe Escobar and Press TV shows exactly why that terrifies Washington.

The First and Only documentary in English on the Russia-Iran-India corridor (linking 3 BRICS), filmed last May in Iran, from the Caspian to the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
The Empire of Chaos simply cannot allow the corridor to go through.

Timeline:
(00:00) Iran as a historic and modern crossroads of global trade
(05:28) The North–South Corridor: Russia–Iran–India axis explained
(12:02) Caspian ports, rail gaps & the Rasht–Astara missing link
(20:50) Competing routes & China–Pakistan corridor comparison
(30:26) Bandar Abbas, Hormuz & maritime power
(37:35) Chabahar: Deep-water gateway & Gwadar comparison
(49:42) From geopolitics to geoeconomics

Pepe Escobar | Trump in TROUBLE! HORMUZ SAFE, Iran & China Leave U.S Out in the Cold, WW3 Plan OVER | May 18, 2026

Source: Moral Resistance youtube, Sulaiman Ahmed youtube

Description:
Pepe Escobar joins to discuss Trump's trip to China, how it was failure and it put China and Iran in a dominant position. The failure of this meeting has resulted in Trump taking the U.S empire into renewed warfare with Iran and the consequences this will have on the U.S empire and the world.

Pepe Escobar is a Brazilian journalist. His works have appeared in publications such as Asia Times, Mondialisation.ca, CounterPunch, Al-Jazeera, Press TV, Russia Today, Sputnik, Strategic Culture Foundation and Guancha.

Larry Johnson & Pepe Escobar | Trump Tried to Buy Iran's Revolutionary Guard IRAN REJECTS TRUMP'S BILLIONS IN BRIBES | Transition Protocol Aug. 20, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Trump's White House tried to buy off Iran's Revolutionary Guard with a multi-billion-dollar offer modeled on the Venezuela playbook — and got refused twice, first by IRGC commander Vahidi, who called it treason, and then by Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir, who told Trump directly that Islamabad would not help destabilize Tehran's leadership.

In this episode, Zulfiqar Ali, Pepe Escobar, and Larry Johnson break down the failed bribery attempt, China's directive to Pakistan to prioritize its Iran relationship, and why the collapse of the US–Iran memorandum of understanding is now pushing Washington toward open discussion of a nuclear strike on Iran.

The panel also covers the global diesel and aviation-fuel shortage triggered by the Strait of Hormuz blockade, the UAE's public cutoff of trade with Iran days after reportedly sending Tehran billions in cash and gold, and why Oman and Qatar are now openly rejecting US pressure over who controls the strait.

This episode is built on direct reporting from sources inside Tehran and Islamabad and lands the same week the US–Iran MOU formally expired (August 17–18, 2026), with Iran declaring a shift to a fully offensive posture on Hormuz.

Zulfiqar Ali reports with direct access to decision-making circles in Islamabad and Tehran; Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical analyst covering Eurasia and the multipolar order from the ground; Larry Johnson is a former US intelligence and State Department official providing military and strategic analysis. 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.

Pepe Escobar | Iran RAINS Missile HELL on Israel & Gulf, Trump's Invasion COLLAPSES | Mar. 27, 2026

Source: Danny Haiphong youtube, Pepe Escobar on X



Description:
Pepe Escobar joins the show to break down Iran's shocking response to Trump, who is now seeking an off-rap through desperate escalation that could spiral into full-scale catastrophe. Iran has called Trump's bluff and we analyze what you need to know to cut through the fog of war.

Pepe Escobar & Larry Johnson | Hormuz Deal in 24 Hours? Iran–US Deal: Sequencing Agreed SANCTIONS LIFTED | Aug. 27, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
A source described by Zulfiqar Ali as the person drafting a Pakistani announcement says Iran and the United States have agreed on a contemporaneous first step: a controlled reopening of the Strait of Hormuz alongside U.S. sanctions and naval-blockade relief.

That claim is not yet publicly corroborated. What is verified is that Pakistan’s mediation channel is active, Iran and Oman are working on a temporary maritime corridor, Hormuz remains severely disrupted, and Washington has just intensified sanctions pressure.

In this urgent Transition Protocol conversation, Pepe Escobar and Larry C. Johnson stress-test the reported Trump–Iran off-ramp: who moves first, what “simultaneous” action would actually mean, whether a 60–90 day indirect process exists, how an oil and fuel shock changes Washington’s choices, and why Trump—or a third-party spoiler—could still collapse the window. The central question is not whether officials sound hopeful. It is whether reciprocal action becomes observable.

Zulfiqar Ali brings source-based reporting from Pakistani and Iranian contacts; Pepe Escobar and former CIA analyst Larry C. Johnson provide geopolitical and security analysis. Transition Protocol is a source-driven geopolitical and economic analysis channel focused on evidence, power shifts, and real-world consequences. Source claims in this episode are identified as developing or uncorroborated where appropriate.

Pepe Escobar & Larry C. Johnson | Exposes: How Did Pakistan’s Hidden Tech Stop Kill Chain in Iran? | June 24, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Pakistan — with China behind the scenes — has emerged as the broker that ended the US–Israel war on Iran, and in this special edition Pepe Escobar and Larry Johnson join Zulfiqar Ali to explain what it means for the Strait of Hormuz, the petrodollar, and the new security order taking shape from Islamabad to Riyadh. The guests lay out how Iranian oil is now moving to China settled in yuan through CIPS, why Iran's president made Islamabad his first stop abroad, and what to watch when Pakistan's leadership meets MBS in Riyadh this week.

The conversation also covers the guests' most sensitive claim: that a Pakistani-Chinese technological breakthrough helped Iran halt the assassination campaign against its leadership after the March 17 killing ofAli Larijani. We flag clearly where claims are sourcebased or developing versus publicly confirmed.

Guests: Pepe Escobar (veteran geopolitical correspondent) and Larry Johnson (former CIA/State counterterrorism). Transition Protocol delivers serious, source-drivengeopolitical analysis of the multipolar shift.

Pepe Escobar | Breaks: Trump Halts Iran Attack-REAL STORY WHITE HOUSE LIED of Iran's 10-to-1 Warning | Aug. 2, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
BREAKING — Iran has responded to the US military stand-down, and insiders say it is not a peace signal.

In this Transition Protocol briefing, Pepe Escobar reveals Iran's warning of a 10-to-1 retaliation against Gulf energy infrastructure and a secret 40-minute call between UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed and Iran's Foreign Minister.

This episode covers Tehran's read on the US stand-down, the upgraded Chinese BeiDou-linked targeting systems reportedly routed through Pakistan's Gwadar port, Saudi Arabia's reported pressure on Trump to stand down, and Iran's readiness posture including a reported 2,000-vessel rapid-response fleet.

Analysis by Pepe Escobar, veteran geopolitical correspondent. Hosted by Zulfiqar Ali on Transition Protocol (Power Shift). All claims are attributed and framed according to verification status.

Pepe Escobar & Larry Johnson | BREAKING:The Secret MOU Returns -Pakistan Guards IRAN in Islamabad July 11, TRUMP Invited to Join | July 6, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Transition Protocol has learned that Pakistan has moved from mediator to operational security guarantor in the revived US-Iran diplomatic channel — providing surveillance, military intelligence, and protection to Iran's delegation ahead of the confirmed July 11 Islamabad talks. Field Marshal Asim Munir's discussions with Iranian leadership reportedly went beyond diplomacy into implementation: how to protect the MoU channel under extreme threat conditions, including alleged Israeli disruption attempts during Ayatollah Khamenei's record-breaking funeral.

This episode also covers the looming US fuel shortage tied to depleted high-sulfur crude reserves (July 11 marks the mathematical endpoint of the drawdown announced by Energy Secretary Wright), Iran's unexpected oil revenue surge despite sanctions, and reports that China and Russia have quietly backed Pakistan's expanded role. Featuring geopolitical analysts Larry Johnson and Pepe Escobar, with exclusive insider sourcing from Zulfiqar Ali.

Source note: Larry Johnson is a former CIA/State Department official; Pepe Escobar is a veteran geopolitical journalist covering Eurasia; Zulfiqar Ali brings direct sourcing from Pakistani military intelligence channels. Some claims in this episode are DEVELOPING or UNVERIFIED and are labeled accordingly on-screen. Subscribe to Transition Protocol and find our weekly Intel newsletter on Substack.

Timeline:
00:00 Cold Open — Pakistan's Secret Role
00:45 Introduction & Episode Framing
06:34 Khamenei's Funeral Breaks World Record
09:51 Iran's Formative Generational Shift
12:15 Saudi & Qatari Money Still Missing
14:39 The US Oil Reserve Countdown Explained
18:15 Pakistan's Shift from Mediator to Guarantor
20:34 The Secret Tehran Meeting That Sealed the Deal
23:45 Why Iran Refused Qatar
27:48 The Israeli Threat During the Funeral
29:47 'All Hell Will Break Loose' — The White House Warning
31:10 America's Gulf Bases Are Now Symbols
33:20 China's Hidden Approval Channel
35:35 The Global Power Realignment

Pepe Escobar & Larry Johnson | US v. BRICS: The Global Battle for Power | June 28, 2025

Source: Counter Currents youtube



Iran, Russia, and China are at the heart of a geopolitical storm, but why did Iran pull back from its aggressive stance? What’s really going on with BRICS and global alliances? In this interview, geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar helps break down the hidden dynamics that could shape the future of world politics. Watch to understand how Iran, Israel, and BRICS are navigating a complex web of power, strategy, and survival. Don't miss out on the details that are shaping today's global conflicts.

TIMELINE:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:20 - The Growing Power of BRICS and Its Challenge to the U.S.
00:02:47 - U.S. Pressure on Iran: Escobar’s Key Analysis
00:06:05 - BRICS’ Bold Move Against the U.S.
00:07:53 - Russia and China’s Rising Financial Power
00:10:30 - Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions: What’s at Stake?
00:12:17 - Russia’s Military Bond with Iran: A Game Changer?
00:15:54 - Escobar on Iran’s Military Capabilities and Strategy
00:17:43 - Russia, China, and Iran: A New Axis Against the U.S.
00:19:00 - Inside Iran: Power Struggles and Global Influence
00:23:53 - Iran’s Calculated Approach to Beating Up Israel
00:27:52 - Putin and Trump: Global Strategy and Power Plays
00:29:02 - BRICS vs. U.S.: Russia’s Fight for Global Dominance
00:31:43 - The Battle for Hormuz: Iran’s Strategic Calculus
00:34:47 - Putin’s Role in Defending Iran and Strengthening BRICS
00:38:23 - The U.S. and the Global War for Influence
00:41:32 - The Future of Iran’s Nuclear Program and Global Stability

Pepe Escobar | TRUMP'S "MAXIMUM PRESSURE" ON IRAN JUST GOT REJECTED — 440kg Missing | Aug. 22, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description: 

Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali on Transition Protocol on unaccounted Iranian uranium, Pakistan's Iran corridors, and Trump's maximum-pressure campaign.

440.9 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium are unaccounted for, and according to sources inside the Pakistani command the only remaining channel with visibility into where it went runs through a mediator Donald Trump has discarded. Escobar and Ali report Pakistan will not close the six overland corridors keeping Iran supplied, will not close Gwadar, and does not treat Scott Bessent's sanctions threats as reason to change course.

They also report Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has met Wang Yi and secured a Chinese commitment to backstop Pakistan if it walks away from the $10 billion IMF programme. Iran's internal calculation, they say, is that it can absorb maximum pressure until November; Escobar assesses Tehran may go on the offensive within weeks if provoked again.

Pepe Escobar | U.S. Desperation in Iran: Bribing the IRGC—and Preparing for a Nuclear Strike? | Aug. 22, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube



Description: 

Pepe Escobar and Glenn Diesen on alleged U.S. attempts to bribe IRGC commanders and talk in Washington of a nuclear strike on Iran.

Escobar is a journalist, political analyst, and author.

Pepe Escobar | The Russia-China Strategic Partnership Deepens | May 26, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube



Description:
Pepe Escobar is a journalist, a political analyst and author. Escobar discusses why the threats from the U.S. intensify the deepening of relations between the two Eurasian giants, yet the objective of forming a new international economic architecture is not reliant on a common adversary. The failure in the West to appreciate the substance of this partnership results in further mistakes being made.

Pepe Escobar | Yemen Joins the War, and the Entire Middle East Could Go Up in Flames | July 14, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube



Description:
Pepe Escobar discusses the escalations and widening of the war against Iran, which now threatens to set the entire Middle East in flames. Escobar is a journalist, a political analyst, and author.

Pepe Escobar | Khamenei Pivots After Secret Six-Hour Meeting with Pezeshkian; Pakistan Mecca Pact Shakes Eurasia | August 12, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
On Transition Protocol, Pepe Escobar walks through a tightly packed Iran–Pakistan–Eurasia brief: a reported secret six-hour meeting between Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, and what a “pivot” in Tehran’s internal and regional posture could signal.

Escobar also flags Pakistan’s Mecca-linked diplomacy as a potential shock to wider Eurasian alignments—how religious, security, and trade vectors can move together when great-power pressure is high.

The conversation ties these moves to the broader multipolar map: Iranian decision-making under stress, Islamabad’s balancing act, and why opaque elite meetings matter more than the daily headline cycle.

Pepe Escobar | Iranian Victory & Rise of Greater Eurasia | June 18, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube



Description:
Pepe Escobar is a journalist, a political analyst, and author. Escobar discusses the complexities behind the US-Iranian Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and the likely resumption of war. 

The role of Pakistan, China and Russia demonstrates that the war was a major defeat for US hegemonic ambitions, and it intensifies the advancement of Greater Eurasia as a multipolar alternative.

Pepe Escobar | Thailand's coup in four minutes, May 22, 2014

Source: RT.com



Asia Times correspondent Pepe Escobar explains the military coup in Thailand: Bangkok elites, militaries and former PM in a power struggle. Pepe calls it a 'soft coup' but warns of what might happen next.

Larry Johnson & Pepe Escobar | Breaking: Exposes Bessent's Dumbest Claim Yet Trump Says “Total Control” Iran Says No | Aug. 12, 2026

Source: Transition Protocol youtube



Description:
Strait of Hormuz irrelevant in two years? Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said so on Aug. 8, claiming pipelines will replace most Gulf oil flow — but existing bypass capacity covers less than a quarter of what actually crosses Hormuz.

The same week, President Trump claimed “total control” of the Strait, and Iran's newly confirmed Supreme National Security Council chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said it stays shut until the US ends the war and returns frozen assets. Pepe Escobar, Larry Johnson, and Zulfiqar Ali break down all three claims against the actual numbers, plus the new Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and a US Strategic Petroleum Reserve that just hit its lowest level since 1983.

Beyond the headlines: what a stalled Hormuz reopening means for global diesel and jet fuel supply, why the US emergency oil reserve matters for every driver and airline, and what Pakistan's active back-channel diplomacy with Tehran could mean for the weeks ahead. Verification note: claims in this episode are labeled Confirmed, Developing, or Assessment/Unverified throughout. Source-based intelligence is clearly flagged and should be weighed accordingly — we'd rather be right than first.