Podcasts about houthis

Is the Middle East on the brink of a massive war or a historic nuclear deal that could change everything? This episode dissects President Trump's dramatic State of the Union warning to Iran, the looming U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, and the very real fear in Israel that missiles, from Iran, Hezbollah or the Houthis, could soon send millions running to bomb shelters. You'll learn why Israelis are deeply divided over whether any deal with the Islamic Republic can be trusted, what Trump's real red lines might be, how Netanyahu is navigating a political minefield with Washington, and why Hezbollah, Syria, Turkey and even India could shape what happens next.

Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio evaluate the limitations of air power against the Houthis and debate whether USstrikes could effectively decapitate or reform Iran's deeply unpopular and corrupt regime. 16.1915 SHAH AND AEROPLANE.CONSTRUCTION

Cartel leader El Mencho of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is killed in a military raid, triggering retaliatory violence across Mexico as Bill Roggio analyzes the limits of counterterrorism and demand. 1.John Batchelor and Bill Roggio examine the US fleet near Iran, questioning the effectiveness of air power alone against ideologically committed regimes like the Houthis. 2.Following El Mencho's death, Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa discuss the impact on Brazil and Venezuela, highlighting the Trump administration's aggressive strategy to dismantle organized crime throughout Latin America. 3.Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa explore Cuba's severe oil crisis and potential democratic transitions as Venezuelan support collapses and Lula da Silva seeks cooperation with the United States government. 4.Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddius McCotter report on massive casualties following Iranian protests and the buildup of US forces, discussing potential regime change and regional mobilization of proxy groups. 5.Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddius McCotter assess the US withdrawal from Syria, leaving minority groups vulnerable while ISIS resurges, while also covering Azerbaijan's regional influence and the stalemate over Hamas disarmament. 6.Bill Roggio and John Hardie reflect on four years of war in Ukraine, examining initial intelligence failures regarding Russian capabilities and the subsequent shift toward defensive, drone-centric modern warfare. 7.Bill Roggio and John Hardie analyze the conflict as it enters its fifth year, with negotiations stalled and Putinmaintaining maximalist demands, while assessing Russian casualty rates and the grinding war of exhaustion. 8.Jonathan Sayeh describes growing internal Iranian dissent, where students favor a pre-1979 Persian identity and the Crown Prince over the current "occupying" Islamic Republic of Iran. 9.General Blaine Holt analyzes China's J-35, noting it uses stolen F-35 designs but suffers from engine unreliability and systemic corruption within Chinese military procurement systems. 10.Morris Tan details the jailing of South Korea's ex-president, alleging election fraud by the current administration and a shift toward alignment with North Korea's regime. 11.David Daoud explains Israeli "policing" on the Lebanon border using quadcopters and stun grenades to deter Hezbollahand allow displaced northern residents to safely return. 12.Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio discuss the closure of Al-Hol camp in Syria, warning that releasing ISIS-affiliated families risks resurgence due to deep radicalization and lack of oversight. 13.Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio debate the chaotic Syrian civil war, noting the complex web of actors including the SDF and Turkey, while criticizing the US withdrawal and strategy. 14.Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio examine Iran's potential responses to US military pressure, contrasting diplomatic signals with threats of offensive missile deployment and regional proxy warfare. 15.Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio evaluate the limitations of air power against the Houthis and debate whether USstrikes could effectively decapitate or reform Iran's deeply unpopular and corrupt regime. 16.

John Batchelor and Bill Roggio examine the US fleet near Iran, questioning the effectiveness of air power alone against ideologically committed regimes like the Houthis. 2.1638

Preview for later today. Edmund Fitton Brown and Bill Roggio of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies report that while not fully defeated, Houthi forces were prevented from massing to capture Marib because US air power threatened to shred any concentrated military formations.1926 SA'NAA

Is Iran weaker today due to sanctions?In this episode of Energy Vista, Leslie Palti-Guzman sits down with geoeconomic expert Rachel Ziemba to unpack the use of US economic statecraft against Iran in an era of shadow fleets and great-power fragmentation.We discuss:• How much of Iran's current economic and political weakness is actually driven by sanctions• China's decisive role in sustaining Iranian, Russian, and Venezuelan crude exports• The rise of a sanctions-evasion ecosystem linking Iran, Russia, and Venezuela• Whether the Houthis' disruption of Red Sea shipping indirectly enables sanctioned oil trade• Has the US overstretched its economic statecraft tools?At stake is more than Iran. This is about the durability of US financial power, the fragmentation of global energy markets, and whether sanctions remain leverage.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.Watch the full conversation on YouTube.

In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Asher Lubotzky, senior research fellow at the Israel-Africa Relations Institute, to discuss Israel's recognition of Somaliland and its interests in the Horn of Africa. They trace the history of Israel's involvement in the region and its relationships today. They discuss why Israel moved to recognise Somaliland, how the decision links to Red Sea security concerns and the Houthi threat from Yemen, and what both sides hope to gain from closer ties. They also examine whether the growing rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could shape Israel's role in the Horn, and what Israel hopes to gain from diplomatic relations on the continent. For more, check out our recent episode “The Rupture in the Gulf, and Its Fallout”, our Analyst's Notebook “Gulf Tensions Spill into Somalia as Mogadishu Snubs UAE”, as well as our Horn of Africa page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The biggest American armada in two decades is assembling in the Middle East as negotiations fail. Today chief international correspondent Cameron Stewart joins us to step though Iran’s options from here, the Pentagon’s strategic calculations and what would happen to the agents of Iranian terror around the world, including in Australia. Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel. This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Tiffany Dimmack. Our team includes Lia Tsamoglou, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Le week-end approche… et avec lui, peut-être, le début d’une guerre majeure au Moyen-Orient. Selon des sources sécuritaires israéliennes, Donald Trump serait prêt à lancer une attaque d’envergure contre l’Iran “très prochainement”.Pas une frappe symbolique.Pas une opération limitée.Mais une campagne militaire de plusieurs semaines.

Today's HeadlinesDetainments among Yemen's Christian community, report saysSharing Christ during the Chinese New YearFaith sustains FARMS Lanka amid ongoing challenges

The National Security Hour with Major Fred Galvin – Unmanned aerial systems now provide persistent surveillance, precision strikes, and loitering munitions that are cheap, lethal, and disposable. During the Biden years, Houthi rebels repeatedly launched low-cost drones at U.S. Navy ships, forcing America to respond with multi-million-dollar missiles—a losing economic and strategic equation...

The National Security Hour with Major Fred Galvin – Unmanned aerial systems now provide persistent surveillance, precision strikes, and loitering munitions that are cheap, lethal, and disposable. During the Biden years, Houthi rebels repeatedly launched low-cost drones at U.S. Navy ships, forcing America to respond with multi-million-dollar missiles—a losing economic and strategic equation...

The Red Sea has become the centre of a geopolitical crisis. How to secure one of the world's most crowded trade routes? With, amongst others, NATO-Chief of Staff Geoffrey van Leeuwen we speak about proxy wars, maritime strategy and trade.Every year, roughly 33% of global containerised trade passes through the Red Sea. At its narrowest point, just 26 kilometres wide, the sea is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. The attacks in the last years by the Yemen-based Houthis have once again demonstrated the vulnerability of this geostrategic corridor. By sinking four vessels and hijacking another with relative ease, the Houthis have found an effective means to exert political leverage and managed to decrease maritime traffic through the passage from November 2023 onwards with 55%, bringing international trade through the Red Sea effectively to a standstill.With the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Suez Canal no longer viable routes for most shipping companies, vessels traveling between Europe and Asia have increasingly diverted around Africa. For the EU, particularly for a maritime trading nation like the Netherlands, this divergence significantly complicates supply chains, increases costs, and critically exposes strategic vulnerabilities. As the cessation of Houthi attacks appears contingent on the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, European shipping companies ask whether a return to the strait is a realistic option at all.During this event we think through a set of interrelated questions: what geopolitical stakes are at play in the Red Sea region, what conditions are required to ensure safety and security, who are the key actors shaping developments in this strategically vital corridor, and specifically what role does NATO take on in its naval strategy?About the speakersGeoffrey van Leeuwen is NATO-Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of the Secretary General. Before taking over as Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of the Secretary General, Geoffrey van Leeuwen served as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation for the Netherlands, after having spent several years as National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Mark Rutte.Benedetta Girardi is Programme Coordinator of the HCSS Europe in the Indo-Pacific programme and Strategic Analyst at HCSS. Her research focuses on the role of Europe in the Indo-Pacific, with specific attention to supply chains of energy, critical raw materials, and semiconductors as well as avenues for engagement between European and Indo-Pacific states. Paul van Hooft is expert on international security, nuclear deterrence and strategy, US-European relations, and the Indo-Pacific. He is a research leader at RAND Europe.Máté Szalai is a Research Fellow at the Conflict Research Unit of Clingendael. As a member of the Middle East group, he specializes in the international relations and the domestic political economic systems of the broader Gulf region.Programme editor: Senna FeliusModerator: Yoeri AlbrechtIn cooperation with: JASON InstituteZie het privacybeleid op https://art19.com/privacy en de privacyverklaring van Californië op https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Staunchly allied with Turkey, Somalia has become a flashpoint in Turkey's rivalry with Israel. Ankara recently deployed fighter jets to Mogadishu in the latest signal that it is determined to protect its strategic interests in the Horn of Africa after Israel recognised the breakaway region of Somaliland. In a conspicuous display of military strength, Turkish F-16 fighter jets roared over the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in late January. According to Turkish officials, the deployment was aimed at protecting Turkish interests and supporting Somali efforts to counter an insurgency by the radical Islamist group al-Shabaab.  It follows Israel's recognition of Somaliland in December, which Ankara condemned as a threat to Somalia's territorial integrity. Turkish international relations expert Soli Ozel said the jets send a message to Israel: "Don't mess with our interests here." Somalia is poised to become the latest point of tension between the countries, he predicts. "I don't think they will fight, but they are both showing their colours. Israel's recognition of Somaliland and the Turks sending F-16s and drones are attempts to set limits to what the other party can do," he said. "Could it get out of hand? I don't know. It may." The risky calculations behind Israel's recognition of Somaliland Mutual suspicion The episode reflects broader strains in Israeli-Turkish relations, which remain fraught over Ankara's support of Hamas and Israel's war in Gaza. "It's a new chapter in the competition between the two countries, which are now the dominant military powers in the Middle East," said Norman Ricklefs, CEO of geopolitical consultancy Namea Group. According to Gallia Lindenstrauss, an Israeli foreign policy specialist at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, Israel is not seeking to challenge the interests of Turkey or Somalia. Instead, she argues Israel's recognition of Somaliland and its commitment to deepening cooperation are motivated by the breakaway's state strategic location facing Yemen, where Houthi rebels launched attacks against Israeli cities last year. "The Houthis were the last ones who were still launching missiles against Israel, from the Iranian proxies. This is the most major threat for Israel," she said.  However, Lindenstrauss acknowledges that both sides increasingly view each other's actions with suspicion. "What Israel sees as defence, Turkey sees as something against Ankara." Rival blocs Turkey's suspicions could grow if Israel deploys military hardware in Somaliland to counter threats from Yemen, a move an anonymous Israeli expert suggested is Israel's aim. Ricklefs warns Israel needs to tread carefully, given the significant investments Turkey had made in Somalia over the past 15 years. Turkey has its largest overseas military base and embassy in Somalia, while Ankara has signed agreements with Mogadishu to explore potential energy reserves, as well as a naval accord. "Turkey is running the [Mogadishu] port, counterterrorism training, charities, NGOs, and all that kind of stuff. So it appears very important to Turkey's regional strategic ambitions," said Ricklefs. He noted that Somalia's location on the Horn of Africa, with coastlines in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, makes it "key for regional influence". With Somalia naval deal, Turkey steers into strategic but volatile region Lindenstrauss observed that the Turkish-Israeli rivalry over Somalia is further complicated by the emergence of two competing axes: "On the one hand, you see Greece, Cyprus, Israel, the UAE. On the other hand, you see Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Qatar," she explained.   "They are loose axes, but you do see that on many issues, these two axes think differently. And that's also a cause of the rising tensions." Ricklefs noted that tensions have already spilled over into confrontation elsewhere. “We've already seen the pretty strong competition leading to violence in Libya, between blocs aligned with the Emirates and, on the other side, blocs aligned with Turkey in Libya," he said. As for whether the same could happen in Somalia, Ricklefs said he doesn't believe the situation has yet reached that point.  "I don't think we're there just yet with Somaliland and Somalia," he said. "And frankly, the only party that can play a mediating role, a conflict-reducing role, in this situation is the United States."

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-9-20261828 BANK OF ENFGLAND Guests: Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani. Al-Qaeda has grown significantly since 9/11, maintaining a long-term vision for a global caliphate and establishing safe havens in Afghanistan and Syria, unlike the more isolated ISIS. Guests: Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio. Al-Qaeda veteran Ahmed al-Shara's presidency in Syria highlights the group's diplomatic manipulation and Western naivety in accepting jihadists who adopt modern suits and polished personas. Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Conservatives gathered in Brussels to champion freedom of speech and consolidate the "Foro Madrid," a transatlantic alliance uniting Latin American and Europeanleaders against socialism. Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Venezuelan regime factions clash over detaining opposition figures, while Brazilian conservative Flavio Bolsonaro seeks international support to combat totalitarianism ahead of the upcoming national election. Guests: Bill Roggio and Jonathan Schanzer. Reports indicate Iran's regime has killed thousands to suppress ongoing unrest, feigning diplomatic willingness while maintaining a paranoid grip on power and refusing real concessions. Guests: Bill Roggio and David Daoud. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem pledges loyalty to Iran, threatening asymmetric attacks on global U.S. assets if the "mothership" is struck, while organizing for Lebanese elections. Guests: Gordon Chang and Peter Huessy. China reportedly conducted secret underground nuclear tests to develop battlefield weapons for coercion, ignoring arms control treaties while the U.S. struggles to modernize its own deterrents. Guests: Gordon Chang and Brandon Weichert. NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission faces indefinite delays due to SLS rocket flaws, leading experts to urge replacing the bureaucratic program with SpaceX's efficient Starshipsystem. Guests: Bill Roggio and Bridget Tumi. The Houthis maintain improved military capabilities despite a temporary lull in attacks, remaining a persistent threat to Red Sea shipping and eager to support Iran if conflict erupts. Guests: Bill Roggio and John Hardie. Trilateral peace talks regarding Ukraine show limited progress on core issues, while Russia faces communication disruptions from Starlink denials and continues striking Ukrainianenergy infrastructure. Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Filmmaker Yarovskaya and activist Sobol discuss their documentary "Lyuba's Hope," highlighting the severe repression in Putin's Russia and the struggle of exiles fighting for democracy. Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Lyuba Sobol represents democratic Russian forces at the Council of Europe, aiming to delegitimize Putin, while facing continued threats and surveillance alongside other exiled activists. Guests: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara secures resources by integrating the Kurdish SDF into his forces, while the U.S. watches for red lines regarding threats to Israel or regional stability. Guests: Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown. The U.S. deploys military assets to pressure a defiant Iran, but the weakened regime refuses concessions to avoid looking vulnerable, relying on bluster and proxy distractions. Guest: Peter Berkowitz. Berkowitz argues that "National Conservatism," which seeks to root public life in a specific Christian vision, contradicts America's founding principles of religious pluralism and constitutional liberty. Guest: Craig Unger. Unger details Donald Trump's early alleged ties to Russian state security and the mob, beginning with the Commodore Hotel deal and continuing through real estate money laundering.E

Guests: Bill Roggio and Bridget Toomey.  The Houthis maintain improved military capabilities despite a temporary lull in attacks, remaining a persistent threat to Red Sea shipping and eager to support Iran if conflict erupts.1969 yemen

PREVIEW: Bridget Toomey discusses the resilience of the Houthis in Yemen following the end of active campaigns in Gaza. She explains that the Houthis are difficult to target due to their mountainous geography and their status as both an Iranian proxy and an indigenous movement. While Israeli strikes successfully targeted some political leadership, Toomey notes that the group has largely recovered and replaced those figures, though they have become significantly more paranoid and repressive internally as a result.1800 YEMEN

Shownotes On this episode of the Order from Ashes podcast, Peter Salisbury reports on his recent trip to the Gulf, new developments in the Yemen war, and the spread of drone and missile technology. The Houthis have matured with astonishing speed from a traditional militia to a group capable of sourcing parts and building long-range drones. They're also capable of teaching other armed groups how to do the same thing. One consequence: while the United States is walking away from peacemaking, Gulf powers—including Saudi, the United Arab Emirates, and the Houthis—are all increasing their military interventions in African conflicts. Related reading * Report, “From Smugglers to Supply Chains: How Yemen's Houthi Movement Became a Global Threat,” Century International Participants Peter Salisbury is a fellow at Century International. Thanassis Cambanis is director of Century International.  Date: Monday, February 9, 2026 Episode: Order from Ashes 101

War planners love simple stories. Threaten, strike, and watch a “decisive” blow topple a hated regime. Today we peel back the layers on the rush toward Iran—what a decisive strike actually means, what the timelines look like from the Pentagon and Tel Aviv, and why air defenses are being surged across the Middle East. We connect the dots between public threats, carrier deployments, and leaked briefings that point to leadership-targeting plans paired with an oil blockade. Then we stress-test the assumptions: Iran's missile and drone arsenal, Israel's interceptor stockpiles, and the uncomfortable reality that U.S. bases from Iraq to Qatar sit squarely within range. Diplomacy flickers at the edges with Turkish backchannels and whispered sit-downs, but Israeli “red lines” demanding zero enrichment and broader curbs on missiles and partners make agreement unlikely. We walk through the regional escalation ladder—Hezbollah in the north, Iraqi militias at home, the Houthis stretching air defenses from another axis—and explain how a “limited” strike becomes a map-wide conflict overnight. This isn't an abstract war game; it's a risk ledger for U.S. troops, Israeli civilians, and millions of people caught between missile arcs and sanction-induced scarcity. Then we pivot to Cuba. The script feels eerily familiar: choke oil flows, squeeze the economy, court insiders, promise a clean transition. We unpack why decades of embargo failed to topple Havana, how sanctions can cement regimes by shifting blame, and why the most likely export of a forced collapse is a new migration wave to Florida, not a stable democracy. If the goal is real security, we argue for smarter off-ramps—credible diplomacy with Iran that sets achievable constraints, and calibrated engagement with Cuba that prioritizes humanitarian access and measured leverage. If you care about avoiding a wider war and the blowback from brittle regime-change bets, this one's for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who follows foreign policy, and leave a review with your take: what's the off-ramp leaders keep missing?

Listen to the article with analysis from the author:  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to travel to the US to meet with President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The discussion will center on Iran. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump this Wednesday in Washington, and will discuss with him the negotiations with Iran,” a statement posted to the Israeli Prime Minister’s account on Saturday said. Prime Minister’s Office announcement: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump this Wednesday in Washington, and will discuss with him the negotiations with Iran. — Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 7, 2026 The meeting was requested by Netanyahu, and it will be the seventh with Trump in the past year. The Israeli leader wants to ensure the American President reaches an agreement with Tehran that does not cross Tel Aviv's red lines.  The statement was posted following US and Iranian talks held in Oman. “They had a very good meeting with a very high representative Iran, of Iran, and we'll see how it all turns out,” Trump said on Air Force One on Friday.  “We're going to meet again early next week, and they want to make a deal, Iran, as they should want to make a deal.” He continued, “They know the consequences if they don't. If they don't make a deal, the consequences are very steep. So we'll see what happens.” Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran in recent weeks over the country's nuclear and missile programs, as well as Tehran’s crackdown on demonstrators. The President has ordered a massive military buildup in the Middle East and instructed the Department of War to create military plans for a “decisive” attack on Iran.  Even if Tehran agrees to a deal with Washington, Israeli officials have told Trump that Tel Aviv may decide to unilaterally attack Iran if the agreement does not meet Israel's redlines on Iranian ballistic missiles. “We told the Americans we will strike alone if Iran crosses the red line we set on ballistic missiles,” a source told The Jerusalem Post.  An Israeli defense official told the outlet that Tel Aviv had a “historic opportunity” to strike a blow to Tehran's missile program. Another Israeli official said Tel Aviv was concerned Trump may decide to strike Iran, but it will not be expansive enough to eliminate the threat posed by Iran's ballistic missiles.  “The worry is he might choose a few targets, declare success, and leave Israel to deal with the fallout, just like with the Houthis,” they explained.  A source explained to Axios that Netanyahu “intended to send a message to Iran that Trump has other options if the negotiations fail.” In June, Israel attacked Iran, knowing that the US would have to be drawn into the conflict for Tel Aviv to achieve its goals. After about a week, Trump ordered the US to attack three Iranian nuclear facilities that Israel lacked the military capability to destroy.  On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran was unwilling to negotiate on its missile program. Tehran has said it’s willing to negotiate additional inspections and limitations on its civilian nuclear program. 

“God is great. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam.”The Houthi slogan isn't just a chant — it's a worldview. To understand who they are and what they want, Cliff is joined by former British ambassador to Yemen and FDD senior fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown, who gained firsthand experience dealing with senior Houthi leaders while serving as ambassador.

“God is great. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam.”The Houthi slogan isn't just a chant — it's a worldview. To understand who they are and what they want, Cliff is joined by former British ambassador to Yemen and FDD senior fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown, who gained firsthand experience dealing with senior Houthi leaders while serving as ambassador.

1. U.S. Government & Political Context The podcast opens with a brief discussion of the government shutdown that ended quickly, and is evidence of political posturing rather than substantive conflict. The transition sets the stage for broader national security concerns rather than domestic legislative issues. 2. Emergence of the Polisario Front as a National Security Threat The Polisario Front, a separatist group in Western Sahara founded in 1973, is presented as an underrecognized but growing terrorist threat. Iran is funding, training, and supplying the group, attempting to turn it into a West African proxy similar to the Houthis. Alleged activities include: Collaboration with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah Use of drones, weapons transfers, and regional destabilization Labeling the group as a terrorist organization is essential, this represents a dangerous blind spot in U.S. counterterrorism policy. 3. Accusation of Institutional Caution and “Deep State” Resistance State Department officials are portrayed as intentionally evasive during Senate testimony. The analysis claims this reluctance stems from: Ongoing diplomatic efforts in Africa Desire to avoid disrupting negotiations involving Morocco and Algeria 4. Iran at a “Tipping Point” Iran has become internally fragile, facing: Widespread protests Mass casualties allegedly ranging from 10,000–40,000 protesters The Iranian regime’s actions (e.g., drones near U.S. naval assets, attempted tanker seizures) are interpreted as provocations meant to rally domestic support and distract from internal collapse.: Negotiations with Iran are a delaying tactic The U.S. should support Iranian protesters directly, including by providing weapons Regime change is framed as: Preferable if carried out by Iranians themselves Potentially the largest positive national security shift since the Cold War if successful. 5. Global Domino Effect Narrative Iran is grouped with Venezuela and Cuba as regimes allegedly near collapse. Simultaneous democratic transitions in all three would represent a historic geopolitical realignment in favor of U.S. interests. 6. Netflix–Warner Bros. Merger & National Security Concerns The proposed $83 billion Netflix–Warner Bros. merger is criticized on two main grounds: Cultural and ideological influence The entertainment industry is portrayed as overwhelmingly left‑leaning and hostile to conservative or pro‑American perspectives. Concern that increased market power could amplify ideological “propaganda.” Foreign influence Alarm over foreign (especially Middle Eastern and Chinese) capital shaping American entertainment content. Content has been altered or censored to appease foreign governments. The merger is not merely an antitrust issue but as a matter of national sovereignty and cultural security. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Edmund Fitton-Brown. Fitton-Brown explains Saudi Arabia denies airspace to U.S. forces to offer Iran a "fig leaf," signaling neutrality to maintain a fragile ceasefire with the Houthis.1890 caravan

Rob & Ruairi explore one of the Middle East's most complex and under-examined geopolitical questions: what is Saudi Arabia really trying to achieve in southern Yemen — and what does it mean for the rest of the region?As Riyadh shifts from years of direct military intervention toward political influence, reconstruction, and regional diplomacy, the focus is increasingly on southern Yemen. We examine Saudi Arabia's efforts to strengthen the internationally recognised Yemeni government, counter southern separatism, and manage growing competition with the UAE — all while the north remains firmly under Houthi control, backed by Iran.Crucially, the discussion asks how these southern moves affect Houthi-controlled Yemen and the wider war. With Saudi Arabia and Iran cautiously improving relations, could de-escalation between the two regional rivals reduce the conflict's intensity? And might diplomacy, rather than proxy warfare, finally create space for a more stable and unified Yemen?

https://thecommunists.org/2025/11/01/news/history/understanding-heroism-of-yemen-pt2/ Based on a presentation delivered at Saklatvala Hall in London in June 2025, this in-depth article attempts to tear through the imperialist lies and explain the real origins of Yemen's dominant national-liberation movement. From youth clubs to national government: the rise of Ansar Allah as the leader of Yemen's anti-imperialist forces. The anti-imperialist and national-liberation essence of the so-called ‘Houthi movement' is deliberately hidden from western audiences. But as the national government of Yemen in Sanaa has shown itself to be one of the most indomitable pillars of the middle-eastern Axis of Resistance during the Gaza genocide, workers all over the world are increasingly interested in finding out more about who and what the Ansar Allah movement really represents. Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: https://thecommunists.org/education-programme/ Each one teach one! www.londonworker.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/

Yemen’s conflict is entering yet another volatile chapter, not towards peace, but into a sharper power struggle. Former partners Saudi Arabia and the UAE are drifting apart, local factions are recalculating, and control of the south and east hangs in the balance, while the Houthis hold firm in the north. As alliances fracture and air power looms, millions of civilians remain hungry and displaced. What future is being decided over their heads? In this episode: Abubakr Al-Shamahi, Al Jazeera Editor Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Melanie Marich with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Tuleen Barakat, Maya Hamadeh, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker and Alexandra Locke. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhemm. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Donald Trump calls it a ‘beautiful armada’: an American aircraft carrier group now pointing its missiles directly at Iran. But will Trump actually strike - and how would Iran’s terror proxies, Hezbollah and the Houthis, react? Read more about this story, plus see photos, videos and additional reporting, on the website or on The Australian’s app. This episode of The Front is presented and produced by Claire Harvey and edited by Tiffany Dimmack. Our team includes Kristen Amiet, Lia Tsamoglou, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday's Mark Levin Show, Democrats and the media create violent, riotous situations through their rhetoric and positions, leading to deaths for which they take no responsibility, instead they blame others like President Trump while ignoring organizers behind the unrest.  This strategy is how they aim to win elections and the presidency, as they cannot win on the issues. There are organized far-left networks in Minnesota coordinating via encrypted chats, alerts, and databases to interfere with ICE operations, mobilizing agitators to obstruct arrests of criminal illegal immigrants, making enforcement extremely difficult amid non-cooperation from local/state officials and lack of media coverage. Also, tens of thousands of people slaughtered in Iran in a few weeks, and the slaughter goes on day after day, because they want to be free, and the world takes no action against a regime that is weaker than it has ever been. What have we become Meanwhile, over the past couple of weeks, the Saudis have attacked the UAE as infidels and Zionist stooges.  At the same time, the Saudis have announced ties with Pakistan. They opposed the Israelis dealing with Yemen and the UAE supporting opposition to the Iranian-backed Houthis. They opposed Israel aligning with Somaliland. And they have built strong ties with Qatar and Turkey. They have lobbied us against attacking Iran -- joining with Qatar and Turkey. They've also made their conditions for joining the Abraham Accords so absurd as to make their membership impossible. Saudi Arabia has learned much from their previously hated enemy, but new friend, the Qatar terror regime. Later, Gordon Chang calls in to discuss significant but opaque developments in Communist China, particularly the reported arrest and investigation of General Zhang Youxia, the top uniformed military officer, along with another senior general. Amid conflicting rumors—including claims of a coup, gunfire involving Xi Jinping's bodyguards, and Zhang's possible release—little is definitively known due to the regime's secrecy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The logistics sector is sending mixed signals in early 2026, with some data pointing to a boom while other indicators suggest fragility. On the growth side, 3PLs are dominating industrial leasing as corporations aggressively outsource their complex supply chains. Financial metrics back up this optimism, with Triumph Financial reporting rising invoice sizes and the addition of major fleets like J.B. Hunt to their network. This consolidation suggests big players are circling the wagons around platforms that provide stability and value. Operational efficiency is also improving, as C.H. Robinson uses AI agents to automate ready-checks and reduce unnecessary return trips by 42%. These technological advancements are helping stabilize networks by cutting out pure waste like fuel and driver time. However, friction remains in the air cargo sector, where Alaska Airlines is dissatisfied with its Amazon contract due to pilot scheduling issues and thin margins. The airline is looking to renegotiate terms or exit the deal as it struggles to optimize utilization between passenger and cargo operations. Regulatory and geopolitical risks are also mounting, highlighted by a court decision denying a reprieve for non-domiciled CDL renewals in California. Furthermore, global trade lanes face renewed uncertainty after Houthis threatened new attacks in the Red Sea, potentially forcing ships back around the Cape of Good Hope. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last Call for March Heartland Experience Trip https://israelguys.link/israel-trip-86ew4cj2t Tensions remain high across Israel.  The U.S. continues to ramp up its military presence in the region amid internet blackouts and mass casualties inside Iran. We also look at new threats facing Israel, including IDF  preparations for extreme scenarios such as a possible Houthi infiltration through the Jordanian border and coordinated terror attacks in Judea & Samaria. We also cover major developments in Gaza, where the IDF has launched a sensitive and dangerous operation to recover the body of Israel's last remaining hostage, Staff Sgt. Maj. Ran Gvili — a mission that reflects Israel's commitment to bring every soldier home. *UPDATE* The IDF has confirmed that they have successfully recovered the body of Staff Sgt. Maj. Ran Gvili. Ran Gvili was the final hostage from Oct 7 who remained in Gaza. Finally, we discuss Israel's controversial decision to partially reopen the Rafah Crossing in accordance with President Trump's 20-point peace plan, and why many Israelis fear this could strengthen Hamas once again. Follow us on Telegram: https://t.me/theisraelguys      Follow Us On X: https://x.com/theisraelguys    Follow Us On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theisraelguys  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theisraelguys  Heartland Tumbler: https://theisraelguys.store/products/heartland-tumbler  "Israel" Leather Patch Hat: https://theisraelguys.store/products/israel-1948-cap  

Prime Minister Mark Carney announces GST credit top-up for lower-income Canadians, as Parliament returns from winter break. In Minneapolis, demonstrators continue to demand an end to federal immigration operations. Two federal court judges will hear arguments today about ICE operations in Minneapolis, days after Alex Pretti was shot and killed by officers. Houthis in Yemen threaten new attacks on ships in Red Sea, as USS Abraham Lincoln sails in Middle East. Radon gas may be giving more Canadians lung cancer; Scientists are racing to save lives. Police warn people to take precautions when using gay dating apps, following two high-profile killings in British Columbia. B.C. man who uses wheelchair says he is shut out of accessible seating as venues — including Vancouver's Rogers Arena — fail to stop abuse of honour system

Freight markets are turning earlier than usual. In this episode of Supply Chain Secrets, Caroline Weaver and Lars Jensen break down sharp declines in quoted rates, early signs that the Chinese New Year peak has already passed, and what actual paid spot rates are signaling across key trades.Lars also walks through a real-world example showing how choosing the wrong index in an index-linked contract can materially impact costs, underscoring why detail matters as indexing gains traction. The conversation then turns to tariffs and the Red Sea, where new signals—from carrier routing decisions to a fresh Houthi warning—suggest risk may not be fully behind us yet.A practical discussion on what shippers should watch as volatility continues into 2026.

Les rebelles houthis du Yémen reprennent les attaques contre les navires israéliens, ce qui aggrave les tensions dans la région maritime stratégique.​Traduction : Yemen's Houthi rebels resume attacks against Israeli ships, escalating tensions in the strategic maritime region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Les rebelles houthis du Yémen reprennent les attaques contre les navires israéliens, ce qui aggrave les tensions dans la région maritime stratégique.​Traduction : Yemen's Houthi rebels resume attacks against Israeli ships, escalating tensions in the strategic maritime region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's FIDF briefing, host Lara Krinsky, FIDF Director of Content and Production, welcomes Jonathan Schanzer (FDD), Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense Democracies, who maps the IDF's “strategic chessboard." Schanzer argues the region is nearing a peak moment in a conflict driven by Iran and its proxies, pointing to renewed unrest inside Iran amid economic freefall, regime crackdowns, and reports of mass violence, all in the shadow of recent direct Israel–Iran confrontation and U.S. pressure. He says the massive U.S. force posture in the region suggests real readiness for action, but emphasizes that outcomes are hard to predict because so much hinges on President Trump's next move. The discussion then shifts to the risk of a wider “ring of fire” response—whether Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, the Houthis, and other proxies might attempt a saturation-style missile campaign—and what that would demand from Israel's layered defenses. Gaza is treated as a diminished battlefield in this scenario, with attention moving to “phase two” plans for the strip's future and the unresolved question of hostages, while Schanzer repeatedly flags Qatar and Turkey as dangerous actors shaping postwar arrangements. The host closes with a blunt call to action: stay informed, speak up, and materially support the soldiers carrying the burden of deterrence through FIDF.

In late 2023, one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints effectively broke. After Hamas' October 7th attack on Israel, Houthi militants began targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Initially, their target was Israel-linked vessels, then they increasingly started targeting anything that passed through. What followed was a near-collapse of confidence in the Suez Canal, a route that normally handles roughly 10–12% of global seaborne trade. Ocean carriers rerouted thousands of ships around the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks, cost, fuel burn, and complexity to global supply chains. Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026, and something quietly significant happened: Maersk, the world's second-largest container carrier, sent ships back through the Red Sea. It wasn't a full return or a declaration of victory, but it was a meaningful test. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers:  Why Maersk's Red Sea test voyages matter more than they may appear The economic and capacity pressures pushing carriers back toward Suez Why a "safe reopening" may still create winners and losers What procurement and supply chain leaders should be watching for next Links: High Stakes in the Red Sea Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

This week we talk about war, inflation, and currency devaluation.We also discuss tyrants, police violence, and social media threats.Recommended Book: Post-Growth Living by Kate SoperTranscriptBack in mid-June of 2025, a shooting war erupted between Iran and Israel, with Israeli military forces launching attacks against multiple Iranian military sites, alongside sites associated with its nuclear program and against individual Iranian military leaders.Iran responded to these strikes, which left a lot of infrastructural damage and several military leaders assassinated, with large waves of missiles and drones against both Israeli and allied military targets, and soon after, later the same month, both sides agreed on a ceasefire and that was that.Following that blip of a war, though, Iran's economy suffered greatly. It already wasn't doing well, in part due to the crippling sanctions enforced by the US government for years, but also because of persistent mismanagement by Iran's ruling regime, and the resultant deterioration of local infrastructure, both physical and bureaucratic.Millions of people fled Iranian urban centers during the war with Israel, and while most of them returned when the ceasefire was brokered, the pace of life and other fundaments of these cities never got back up to where they were, before, as there have been fairly consistent blackouts that have kept people from being able to function as normal, and these outages have also kept businesses from getting back on their feet. That, in turn, has resulted in closures and firings and an overall reduction in economic activity.The general hamhandedness of the government has amplified these issues, and the countless other issues of trying to exist within a country that is being so persistently targeted—both in the sense of those crushing sanctions from the US, but also in the sense of being periodically struck by Israel—has dramatically increased uncertainty throughout Iran these past several years.Even before that brief war, Iran was already on the backfoot, having suffered the loss of their local proxies, including the Assad regime in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip—all of which have been either severely weakened by Israel in recent years, or functionally wiped out—and that in turn has more directly exposed them to meddling and attacks from their key opposition, which includes the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.That new vulnerability has put the Iranian government on high-alert, and the compounding effects of all that infrastructural damage, mismanagement, and the need to reallocate more resources to defense has left the country suffering very high levels of inflation, a severely devalued currency, regular blackouts, mass unemployment, a water shortage, and long-time repression from a government that is in many ways more paranoid and flailing than in any time in recent memory.What I'd like to talk about today is a recent wave of protests across Iran and why the US government is apparently considering taking action to support protestors against the Iranian government.—Iran has long suffered all sorts of issues, including regular efforts by ethnic secessionists to pull it apart into pieces they periodically occupy and want to govern, themselves, and concerns from citizens that the government spends a whole lot of their time and the nation's resources enriching themselves, oppressing the citizenry, funding what seems to be a pointless nuclear program, and prioritizing their offensive efforts against Israel and their other regional enemies, often by arming and funding those aforementioned, now somewhat defunct proxy militias and militaries.On top of all that, as of October 2025, inflation in Iran had surged to 48.6% and the Iranian currency, the rial, dropped in value to 1.45 million per dollar. The government tried to artificially boost the value of the rial to 1.38 million per dollar in early January of 2026, but it dropped further, to 1.5 million per dollar a few days later, hitting a record low. This combined with that wild inflation rate, made the basic fundamentals of life, food, electricity, and so on, unaffordable, even for those who still had jobs, which was an ever-shrinking portion of the population.For context, the drop of the rial to a value of 1.38 million per dollar, the boosted value, represented a loss of about 40% of the rial's value since June of 2025, just before that war with Israel, which is a staggering loss, as that means folk's life savings lost that much in about half a year.When currency values and inflation hit that level of volatility, doing business becomes difficult. It often makes more sense to close up shop than to try to keep the doors open, because you don't know if the price you charge for your product or service will make you a profit or not: there's a chance you'll sell things at a loss, because the value of the money you receive and the cost of goods you require, both to survive and to keep your business functioning, will change before the day ends, or before the sale can be completed.Iran's economic crisis has further exploded in the past few weeks, then, because all those issues have compounded and spiraled to the point that simply selling things and buying things have become too risky for many people and entities, and that means folks are having even more trouble getting food and keeping the lights on than before; which becomes a real survival issue, on top of the regular crackdowns and abuses by the government that they've suffered in various ways for decades.In 2022, those abuses and limits on personal rights led to large protests that were catalyzed by the death of a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini, who was in police custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Those 2022 protests were historically large—the biggest in the country, by some estimates at least, since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.On December 28 2025, a group of shopkeepers in Iran's capital city, Tehran, went on strike, closing their shops in protest against what's been happening with Iran's economy; again, it's basically impossible to safely do business in a country with that much inflation and currency devaluation happening.Other shopkeepers followed suit, and large protests formed around these closed shops. Those protests flooded social media platforms in short order, protestors shouting slogans that indicated they were pissed off about all the economic mismanagement in the country, and then eventually that led to anti-government slogans being shouted, as well.Things remained peaceful at these protests, at first, and they expanded across the country within the next few days, shops closing and people filling the streets.By the fourth day, police had started to use live ammunition and tear gas against protestors, some of the protestors were killed, and things spiraled from there.By December 31, the government ordered a total, nationwide business shutdown, to try to get ahead of these protests, which again tended to revolve around the shutdown of businesses in protest—the government said they were making this call because of cold weather, but the writing was kind of on the wall at this point that they were scrambling to make it look like businesses were shutting down because they said so, not in protest of the government.The government also announced that they would start cracking down on protestors, hard, and on the first day of 2026, things escalated further, police using even more force against those who gathered, which of course led to more protests in more places, more angry slogans being shouted, and more protestor deaths at the hands of government forces.Protests had spread to all 31 Iranian provinces by early January of 2026, and at this point there were only 17 confirmed deaths.US President Donald Trump got involved around this time, maybe feeling confident following the successful nighttime grab of Venezuelan President Maduro; whatever the case, he warned the Iranian government not to shoot protestors, or the US government might have to get involved, coming to the protestors' rescue.Iran's government responded by saying the rioters must be put in their place, suppressing the funerals of protestors, and muffling local internet service, slowing down access speeds and increasing the number of outages by about a third. They threatened to execute hundreds of protestors by hanging, then said they wouldn't. Trump declared this to be a personal victory, though the Iranian government has used his insinuation of himself into the matter to position the fight as Iran against the US, the protestors backed by their great enemy, which has shown itself to be responsible for these protests.The government then started forcing captured protestors to make confessions on video, which only seemed to further anger the non-arrested protestors, and some protestors began to fight back, in one case setting a police officer on fire, and in other cases local militia groups defended protestors against police, leading to several deaths.Iran's government shut down more communication services in an attempt to regain control, in some cities taking down the internet completely, though some information, photos and videos of police abuses of protestors still made it out into the wider world using satellite services like Starlink, and by the 9th of January, protests reached a scale that rivaled and maybe surpassed those seen during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and protestors began to set fire to buildings associated with the Islamic Republic, the government, and directly clashing with security forces in some cases.Hundreds of people were reportedly killed per day from that point forward, and thousands were rushed to hospitals, overwhelming local doctors.Thousands of people were also violently killed by police, under cover of the now complete internet blackout, and on January 10th, it was estimated that around 2,000 protestors had been killed in the past two days, alone, while other estimates from inside and outside Iran range from 12,000 to 20,000 protestors killed by the government. The most reliable source I could find, as of last weekend, indicated that the true number of dead is something like 3,300 people, at minimum.In the past week or so, the Iranian government has apparently figured out how to jam Starlink internet signals, making it even more difficult for protestors to share what's happening in the country, and President Trump posted on his social network, Truth Social, telling Iranian citizens that they should overthrow the government and that help is on the way.The Iranian government has arrested tens of thousands of people, has tanks patrolling their towns and cities, and seems to have successfully quashed protests for the time being; no protests at all were reported across the country as of mid-January, and so many people were killed and injured that hospitals and other institutions are still overwhelmed, trying to work through their backlog; much of the country is in mourning.Government forces are reportedly going door to door to arrest people who were spotted in CCTV and social media footage participating in protests, and they've set up checkpoints to stop people, look through their phones, and arrest them if any photos or videos are found that indicate they were at protests, deleting that digital evidence in the process.This remains a fast-moving story and there's a chance something significant, like the US striking Iranian government targets, or renewed, more focused protests will arise in the coming days and weeks.Some analysts have argued that it's kind of a no-brainer for the Trump administration to hit the Iranian government while it's strained in this way, because it's a long-time enemy of the US and its allies that's currently weak, and doing so would reinforce the narrative, sparked with the capture of Maduro, that Trump's administration is anti-tyrant; which is questionable by most measures, but again, this is a narrative, not necessarily reality. And narratives are powerful, especially going into an election year.It's also possible that, because economic conditions in Iran haven't changed, that this is just the beginning of something bigger; protestors and militias taking a moment to regain their footing and consider what they might do to have more of an impact when they start back up again.Show Noteshttps://www.iranintl.com/en/202601130145https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/we-want-the-mullahs-gone-economic-crisis-sparks-biggest-protests-in-iran-since-2022https://www.nytimes.com/article/iran-protests-inflation-currency.htmlhttps://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/06/25/mapping-the-protests-in-iran-2/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/us/politics/trump-iran-strikes.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/world/middleeast/iran-protests-death-toll.htmlhttps://www.reuters.com/world/china/iranian-mp-warns-greater-unrest-urging-government-address-grievances-2026-01-13/https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-is-hunting-down-starlink-users-to-stop-protest-videos-from-going-global-d8b49602https://archive.is/20260114175227/https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/bank-collapse-iran-protests-83f6b681https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-protest-death-toll-over-12000-feared-higher-video-bodies-at-morgue/https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/did-irans-currency-collapse-rial-plummets-to-000-against-euro-while-inflation-protests-escalate-across-the-country-164403/https://archive.is/20260116034429/https://www.ft.com/content/5d848323-84a9-4512-abd2-dd09e0a786a3https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8nohttps://theconversation.com/the-use-of-military-force-in-iran-could-backfire-for-washington-273264https://archive.is/20260114182636/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/14/iran-regime-protest-trump-strike/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/world/middleeast/iran-protests-deadly-crackdown.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/17/world/middleeast/iran-ayatollah-khamenei.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%932026_Iranian_protestshttps://www.en-hrana.org/day-thirteen-of-the-protests-nighttime-demonstrations-continue-amid-internet-shutdown/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Iran_internal_crisishttps://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-trump-khamenei-fc11b1082fb75fca02205f668c822751 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

Wednesday, January 17th, 2024Jury selection and opening statements kicked off day one of the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial in New York; Trump won the GOP Iowa caucus with embarrassingly low turnout; Capitol Police and the FBI have opened an investigation into Roger Stone's comments about assassinating Rep Swalwell and Rep Nadler; President Biden invites the top four congressional leaders to the White House to discuss Ukraine funding; the US will re-list Yemen's Houthis as global terrorists; Trump loses a string of appeals in court; the House Republicans are backing down on holding Hunter Biden in contempt. Plus Allison and Dana deliver your good news.More from our Guest:Simon ShusterThe Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelenskyhttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-showman-simon-shuster?variant=41083800682530https://twitter.com/shustrySimon Shuster | Time Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

THE COLLAPSE OF THE AXIS OF RESISTANCE Colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown. Fitton-Brown explains how the fall of the Iranian regime would devastate its regional proxies, including Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi militias, which depend on IRGC funding and training. Without Tehran's "big brother" support, these groups would likely be forced to make accommodations with local governments. He also notes Hezbollah's role as an international drug cartel. NUMBER 141921 ALEPPO

SHOW1-12-26"THE MAKING OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW""The Making of the John Batchelor Show" is a live-streaming "beta" experiment launched by John Batchelor on Monday, January 12, 2026. The primary objective of this specific program is to demonstrate "total transparency" by allowing the audience to see the behind-the-scenes process and technical "bumps" involved in producing the show.GLOBAL CHAOS AND THE EROSION OF STABILITY Colleagues Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani. The guests discuss worldwide instability, arguing that the US has abandoned its traditional role in maintaining global order. They examine conflicts in Iran, Syria, and Venezuela, suggesting US actions are often driven by whims rather than strategic planning, leading to a state of heightened chaos. NUMBER 1FICTIONS IN SYRIA AND THE RISKS OF INTERVENTION Colleagues Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani. The discussion focuses on the Syrian conflict, criticizing the US for maintaining "fictions" about local actors and security forces. Haqqani warns against military intervention in Iran, citing past failures like Vietnam and Iraq, noting that military force cannot solve misunderstood political problems. NUMBER 2CHINA'S GREAT HEIST OF AMERICAN SECRETS Colleagues David Shedd and Bill Roggio. David Sheddoutlines China's extensive cyber espionage campaigns, including "Salt Typhoon," which successfully hacked US Congressional committees. These operations aim to steal sensitive communications and embed sabotage tools within USinfrastructure, highlighting a critical failure in American defensive preparedness. NUMBER 3REGIME CHANGE AND SHIFTING POWER IN THE AMERICAS Colleagues David Shedd and Bill Roggio. Shedd details the removal of Nicolas Maduro and a regional shift toward center-right governments. This transition aims to end Russian and Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere. Furthermore, the US is demanding stricter security cooperation from Mexico to dismantle powerful drug cartels. NUMBER 4IRANIAN PROTESTS AND THE COLLAPSE OF REGIME CONTROL Colleague Malcolm Hoenlein. Protests across Iran have turned deadly, with reports of hundreds killed by live fire and hospitals refusing wounded demonstrators. Malcolm Hoenlein highlights a communication blackout and a collapsing economy where the currency has plummeted. A new minority coalition of Baluchis and Kurds is now supporting rebellion. NUMBER 5THE SHIFTING BALANCE OF FEAR IN IRAN Colleague Malcolm Hoenlein. As the regime faces potential implosion, discussions involve a return of the Shah's son as a symbolic figurehead, though no clear path to collective leadership exists. Revolutionaries are now tagging the homes of officials, signaling that the balance of fear has shifted from the people to the leadership. NUMBER 6RUSSIA'S ORESHNIK MISSILE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERRENCE Colleague John Hardy. Russia is utilizing the Oreshnik missile to strike Ukrainian infrastructure, leaving thousands without heat. John Hardy explains these strikes serve as psychological intimidation to deter Western nations from providing security guarantees or ground troops. Recent strikes likely targeted an aircraft repair plant, not gas storage. NUMBER 7ESCALATING CONFLICT BETWEEN SYRIAN FORCES AND KURDISH ALLIES Colleague Akmed Khari. Clashes have erupted in Aleppo between the Syrian government and the Kurdish SDF after a failed integration agreement. Akmed Khari notes the complexity of the US coordinating with Syrian security forces that remain riddled with jihadists. The conflict is expected to expand into other contested regions. Analogy: The situation in Syria is like a shaky alliance between rival firefighters who, while ostensibly trying to put out the same blaze, begin turning their hoses on each other while the fire continues to spread. NUMBER 8THE US-MANAGED TRANSITION IN POST-MADURO VENEZUELA Colleague Ernesto Araújo. John Batchelor and Ernesto Araújo discuss the US-led operation that captured Nicolas Maduro. Araújo describes the current situation as a well-managed transition where the US is navigating internal power struggles among military factions and criminal gangs rather than allowing a power vacuum to form. NUMBER 9REGIONAL SHIFTS: COLOMBIA'S DIPLOMACY AND BRAZIL'S POLITICAL FUTURE Colleague Ernesto Araújo. The discussion focuses on Gustavo Petro's pivot toward the United States and the historical concept of "Grand Colombia." In Brazil, they evaluate Lula da Silva's potential re-election bid against the enduring popularity of the imprisoned Jair Bolsonaro and the influence of new nationalist political forces. NUMBER 10REGIONAL REACTIONS TO MADURO'S CAPTURE AND THE ISOLATION OF CUBA Colleague Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Alejandro Peña Esclusa reports that Venezuelans are celebrating Maduro's capture while the Trumpadministration halts oil shipments to Cuba. He explains that regional left-wing leaders fear a trial will reveal their corrupt ties to Maduro, while the Cuban regime faces collapse without Venezuelan energy. NUMBER 11THE FOUR FAMILIES OF CARACAS AND THE END OF THE REGIME Colleague Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Esclusa analyzes the four mafias currently competing for power in Caracas: the Rodriguez siblings, Diosdado Cabello, Padrino Lopez, and Maduro's remnants. He argues that overwhelming US military force has rendered local weapons irrelevant and that the dismantling of these groups is necessary for elections. NUMBER 12ESCALATING IRANIAN PROTESTS AND POTENTIAL US INTERVENTION Colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown. Edmund Fitton-Brown describes the current Iranian protests as a movement that has shifted into a repression phase characterized by internet blackouts and rising casualties. He argues that US military force targeting repression organs could tip the balance in favor of the protesters, who are increasingly calling for a constitutional monarchy. The regime is reportedly attempting to negotiate following US strike threats. NUMBER 13THE COLLAPSE OF THE AXIS OF RESISTANCE Colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown. Fitton-Brown explains how the fall of the Iranian regime would devastate its regional proxies, including Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi militias, which depend on IRGC funding and training. Without Tehran's "big brother" support, these groups would likely be forced to make accommodations with local governments. He also notes Hezbollah's role as an international drug cartel. NUMBER 14THE ZOMBIE REGIME AND STRATEGIC TARGETS Colleague Jonathan Sai. Jonathan Sai labels the Islamic Republic a "zombie regime" facing an existential threat despite its brutal crackdowns. He reports that the IRGC and foreign militias are using automatic weapons against protesters in cities like Tehran and Mashhad. Sai suggests that USintervention should prioritize striking repression centers and state-run propaganda machines to dismantle the regime's control. NUMBER 15HEZBOLLAH'S SURVIVAL AND THE LOSS OF REGIONAL LIFELINES Colleague David Daoud. David Daoud characterizes Hezbollah as an ideological extension of Iran currently in survival mode as its lifelines in Syria and Venezuela weaken. While Hezbollah wants the regime to survive for power projection, Daoud suggests Iraqi militias are more likely to be physically assisting Tehran's crackdowns due to their proximity and lower combat losses compared to Hezbollah. To clarify the current state of the Iranian government, Jonathan Sai uses the metaphor of a "zombie regime": it may appear to be moving and in control, but it is functionally dead because it can no longer sustain its support base or provide basic necessities for its people. NUMBER 161832 PERSIAN GIRL, SKETCHED ON STONE BY JAMES ATKINSON

Iran who? Venezuela what? The hottest place you need to know about right now is a little Muslim democracy in the horn of Africa called Somaliland. Recently, Israel just became the first country to recognize Somaliland as it cements its independence from Somalia, and we are now all in the honeymoon phase. We invited our new best friend Saeed Ibrahim, founder and editor of Somaliland Chronicle, to answer our hard-hitting geopolitical questions like “where is Somaliland?” and “what do you eat there?” Saeed took us through the history of the region, the longstanding bond with Israel, the reactions on the street (they like us! They really like us!), the relationships with their not-so-nice neighbors, and why countries should be on their oxygen masks first before they help others. But first, where are we?Also:* How are the daycare centers?* Come for the camels, stay for the sea cucumbers.* Oh, a real genocide. * Houthis be maaaadddd.* Location, location, location.* Any kosher hotels?* How can we be good allies?* Do you know who Mandy Patinkin is?* A Hebrew lesson - Um Shmum! * The African Union? Please. Good for the Jews is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Here are some celeberations on the streets of the capital Hargeisa after the recognition:Thanks for reading Good for the Jews! This post is public so feel free to share it.And a visit from Israel's Foreign Minister:Thank you for listening! If you made it this far, it is your duty to the people of Israel and Somaliland to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It will really help us gain independence. Just click on the button below and hit those 5 stars. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

The world is shifting fast and this episode dives straight into the heart of the storm. As mass protests erupt across Iran, shocking footage shows Iranian students openly rejecting regime slogans like “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.” At the same time, Russia is reportedly evacuating its embassy from Israel, signaling that something far bigger may be unfolding behind the scenes. In this powerful episode of The Land of Israel Guys Podcast, we unpack: What the Iranian protests really mean—and whether the regime is losing control Why Russia's embassy evacuation from Israel could signal an imminent escalation How Israel, the United States, and President Trump may be coordinating major strategic moves The collapse of Iran's proxy network, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Venezuela The rise of a spiritual and ideological war beneath the military conflict How foreign funding, media influence, and cultural shifts in the West are shaping this global battle Why biblical prophecy may be converging with modern geopolitics in real time This is not just another Middle East update. It's a deep conversation about power, ideology, faith, and the future of Israel and the world and why the next few weeks could change history.

Vous aimez notre peau de caste ? Soutenez-nous ! https://www.lenouvelespritpublic.fr/abonnementUne émission de Philippe Meyer, enregistrée en public à l'École alsacienne le 11 janvier 2026.Avec cette semaine :Jean-Louis Bourlanges, essayiste, ancien président de la Commission des Affaires étrangères de l'Assemblée nationale.David Djaïz, entrepreneur et essayiste.Antoine Foucher, consultant, spécialiste des questions sociales, auteur de Sortir du travail qui ne paie plus.Lucile Schmid, présidente de La Fabrique écologique et membre du comité de rédaction de la revue Esprit.LE GRAND VIDE DES PARTIS POLITIQUESLe système institutionnel français, organisé pour structurer une alternance entre deux blocs, fonctionne désormais avec trois forces irréconciliables. Résultat : aucune majorité stable, aucun mandat clair et la porte ouverte à la démagogie puisque personne n'est responsable. Tandis que le Parlement s'enlise, l'exécutif temporise, l'opinion se lasse. Cette résignation est liée à une fatigue démocratique, sur fond de décomposition politique, dont l'Assemblée nationale fragmentée est le reflet. Fin décembre, le Cevipof et l'Obsoco (Observatoire société et consommation) ont publié les résultats d'une enquête réalisée par l'Ifop : « Priorités françaises ». Les Français ne placent plus en tête de leurs priorités le pouvoir d'achat ou l'inflation mais le fonctionnement du système politique. L'enquête montre une délégitimation personnelle du chef de l'État, une remise en cause institutionnelle et un rejet de la classe politique. Les Français ont des mots très durs et parlent des responsables politiques comme d'une « caste » dénoncée notamment pour sa « surdité ». La mobilisation agricole fait écho à ce désarroi de l'opinion face à un pouvoir qu'il juge « autoritaire ». Selon un sondage Ipsos/Cevipof, 34% des Français pensent que « d'autres systèmes politiques peuvent être aussi bons que la démocratie ».Au très fort degré de défiance dont souffrent aujourd'hui l'exécutif et le Parlement s'ajoute la difficulté qu'éprouvent les partis de gouvernement à apporter une réponse crédible aux bouleversements en cours : déclin démographique, réchauffement climatique, extrême vulnérabilité du continent européen face au retour des tensions militaires et commerciales, révolution de l'intelligence artificielle. La politique se limite de plus en plus à la gestion, la France paraît privée de récits fédérateurs, observe le politologue Brice Soccol qui rappelle que pendant des décennies, la vie politique française s'est structurée autour de visions du monde fortes : le progrès, la révolution, la nation, l'État-providence, la lutte des classes, la justice sociale … Aujourd'hui, ni la gauche de gouvernement ni la droite classique ne racontent plus d'histoire. Elles administrent, ajustent, corrigent. Leur horizon s'est rétréci au calendrier budgétaire et parlementaire amplifié par la dissolution ratée de 2024. Engluées dans leurs divisions internes et leurs obsessions du casting présidentiel, les forces politiques ne parviennent pas à structurer le débat public avec de nouvelles idées, à dessiner des raisons d'espérer. Si mercredi, le président des Républicains, Bruno Retailleau a présenté des mesures économiques pour encourager le travail, elles ont un air de déjà-vu. Dans la perspective desPrésidentielles de 2027, alors que les partis protestataires – le Rassemblement national et La France Insoumise sont quasiment en ordre de marche, le grand flou règne du côté des partis de gouvernement, tant sur le candidat, les programmes que sur le mode de désignation. Un grand flou sur un grand vide.OÙ VA LA « DOCTRINE DONROE » ?Avec l'enlèvement du président vénézuélien Nicolás Maduro, à l'aube du 3 janvier, Donald Trump entend désormais régir l'ensemble du continent américain et avoir la main sur l'« hémisphère occidental », mis au service de la prospérité et la sécurité des États-Unis. Des élections au Vénézuéla ne semblent à ce stade pas à l'ordre du jour : « nous attachons de l'importance à la démocratie. Mais ce qui nous importe avant tout, c'est la sécurité, le bien-être et la prospérité des États-Unis », a précisé le secrétaire d'État américain Marco Rubio. Les États-Unis réactivent ainsi la doctrine Monroe de 1823 selon laquelle l'hémisphère occidental devait être la chasse gardée exclusive de Washington.La Stratégie nationale de sécurité des États-Unis publiée en novembre dernier se réfère explicitement à ce précédent, tandis que la presse américaine l'a déjà baptisée « doctrine Donroe », condensé de Donald et Monroe. Les autres pays de la région, qu'ils soient amis comme le Mexique ou ennemis comme Cuba, ont été mis en garde : ils devront coopérer avec les Etats-Unis ou en subir les conséquences. Les gouvernements latino-américains de gauche, comme celui du Brésil, se sont déclarés particulièrement alarmés par la violation de la Charte des Nations unies. Ceux de droite, comme celui d'Argentine se sont montrés plus favorables. Ceux d'autres régions du monde, notamment en Europe, ont plaidé en faveur de la stabilité.Sur la « liste des envies » de Trump figurent également le Canada, le canal de Panama, et le Groenland. Dès le lendemain de l'enlèvement du président vénézuélien, Donald Trump est revenu sur l'idée d'annexer le Groenland, jugeant qu'il « nous le faut absolument, pour des raisons de sécurité nationale ». Cette sortie a déclenché de nombreuses protestations des Européens. La Première ministre danoise en a été réduite à invoquer l'article 5 de l'Otan pour protéger le royaume contre … le leader de l'Otan. Les Européens semblent pris au dépourvu par l'accélération des événements. La doctrine Donroe marque le retour explicite d'un monde où l'appartenance à une sphère d'influence l'emporte sur la souveraineté. Une sphère d'influence américaine extensible bien au-delà du continent américain : en mars 2025 Donald Trump avait ordonné une campagne de frappes contre les rebelles Houthi au Yémen, en juin contre les installations nucléaires iraniennes et en décembre au Nigéria contre des militants du groupe Etat islamique. Le président américain menace de nouveau d'intervenir en Iran si la répression des manifestations se poursuit. Il confiait vendredi au New York Times, « je n'ai pas besoin du droit international » assurant que sa « moralité » est son unique limite pour agir dans le monde.Chaque semaine, Philippe Meyer anime une conversation d'analyse politique, argumentée et courtoise, sur des thèmes nationaux et internationaux liés à l'actualité. Pour en savoir plus : www.lenouvelespritpublic.frHébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

THE OCTOPUS STRATEGY: IRAN'S PROXIES AND ISRAEL'S COUNTERATTACK Colleague Seth Frantzman. Frantzman employs the "octopus" metaphor to describe Iran as the central brain directing proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis to encircle Israel. He details Hamas's October 7 strategy: massacre civilians, seize hostages, and retreat to human shields and tunnels to await international pressure on Israel. The conversation outlines the IDF's counter-strategy, which involved cutting Gaza in half via the Netzarim corridor and systematically clearing areas from north to south. Frantzman notes the extensive tunnel network discovered in Khan Yunis, which served as a learning ground for IDF anti-tunnel operations. OCTOBER 7 WAR BY SETH FRANTZMAN NUMBER 31868 NAZARETH

SPONSORS: 1) MOOD: Get 20% off your first order of federally legal, hemp-derived cannabis gummies, flower, edibles, and more at https://mood.com with code JULIAN at checkout. 2) GHOST BED: Get an extra 10% off already-great prices at https://GhostBed.com/julian with promo code JULIAN. 3) MARS MEN: For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://mengotomars.com (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Michael Scott Moore is a novelist and journalist, who was kidnapped by Somali pirates and spent two and half years in captivity. His book "The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast" is available below. MICHAEL's LINKS - BUY BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Desert-Sea-Captive-Somali-Pirate/dp/0062449176- IG: https://www.instagram.com/michaelscottmoore1/?hl=en FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 0:00 – Intro 1:54 – Michael Name, Somali Piracy Origins, Hamburg Trial, Navy History, Houthis, Captain Phillips 12:16 – How Somali Piracy Changed, Mercenaries, Suez Route, Order Collapse, Pirates vs Al Shabab 22:18 – Piracy Law Gaps, International Waters, Der Spiegel, Why Michael Followed the Story 33:52 – Back to the Somali Trial, Traveling to Somalia, Interviewing a Pirate Boss, Warning Signs 46:52 – Grey Markets, Clan Soldiers, Somali Regions, Clan Justice vs Sharia, Terror Group Cycles 53:44 – The Kidnapping, Time Slows Down, Captured Alone, Beaten, Prison House 01:05:50 – Day Two Care, First Week, Friend “Rolly,” First Phone Call 01:24:17 – Daily Life in Captivity, Food, Vatican Radio Homily, Why He Didn't Grab a Gun 01:39:26 – Empathy for Pirates, Al Shabab vs Piracy, Six Months on Hijacked Ship, Captain's Body 01:50:56 – Failed Escape Attempt, Jumping Ship, BBC Escape Stories, Chinese Captives 02:06:46 – Writing, Yoga, Guards Joining, Losing Hope, Forgiveness Shift 02:14:41 – Ransom Begins, June 2014, $1.6M Fund, The Morning of Freedom 02:24:46 – Pilot Derek, Re-acclimating to Freedom, Physical Recovery 02:35:38 – Reuniting with Mother, PTSD, Father's Suicide, Alcoholism 02:45:59 – Hostage US Nonprofit 02:53:01 – Michael's Work CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 372 - Michel Scott Moore Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Les États-Unis ont mené des frappes "décisives" contre les Houthis au Yémen, tuant neuf civils selon les rebelles, attisant les tensions régionales.​Traduction:The United States conducted "decisive" strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, killing nine civilians according to the rebels, exacerbating regional tensions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The widely publicized Somali daycare fraud scandal in Minnesota is being deliberately amplified now to stoke outrage while obscuring larger geopolitical moves involving Israel, Somaliland, and the Middle East. As Jimmy points out, the fraud storyis linked to claims that Israeli intelligence, U.S. officials, and Gulf states are coordinating around recognizing Somaliland, building military facilities near the Red Sea, and countering Houthi activity tied to Yemen and Iran.  Jimmy shares past statements from General Wesley Clark, allegations about redirected U.S. aid money, and accusations that elite corruption and pardons for large-scale Medicare fraud receive far less scrutiny. These claims, he says, serve as a "distraction" narrative, suggesting the scandal serves broader strategic interests rather than being an isolated case of domestic fraud. Plus segments on President Trump saying he'll bomb Iran, Alex Jones' recent unhinged attacks on Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson's questions about the FBI's investigation into Charlie Kirk's assassination. Also featuring Stef Zamorano!

The United Arab Emirates says it will end its operations in Yemen, after Saudi Arabia conducts a strike on the southern port of Mukalla. Riyadh claims the target was a UAE-linked weapons shipment, intended for separatists. The attack marks the most significant escalation in a widening rift between the two Gulf powers, who once cooperated in a coalition against the Houthis. Also: protests are spreading in Iran, sparked by rising prices and the plummeting value of the currency. China has launched rockets on a second day of large-scale military exercises around Taiwan. South Korea announces steep fines for companies found guilty of price fixing. BBC analysis suggests Russian losses in the war with Ukraine have been growing faster than at any time since the start of the full-scale invasion. Nepalese authorities are scrapping a clean-up scheme that was meant to encourage climbers to bring down their waste from Mount Everest. A new search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH-370 begins in the Indian Ocean. We speak to the dinosaur hunters who discovered a spiky “punk rock" dinosaur. And why the Danish Postal Service will stop delivering letters, ending centuries of service.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

SHOW 12-22-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT FUTURE NAVY. 1941 HICKAM FIELD 1. Restoring Naval Autonomy: Arguments for Separating the Navy from DoD. Tom Modly argues the Navy is an "underperforming asset" within the Defense Department's corporate structure, similar to how Fiat Chrysler successfully spun off Ferrari. He suggests the Navy needs independence to address critical shipbuilding deficits and better protect global commerce and vulnerable undersea cables from adversaries. 2. Future Fleets: Decentralizing Firepower to Counter Chinese Growth. Tom Modly warns that China's shipbuilding capacity vastly outpaces the US, requiring a shift toward distributed forces rather than expensive, concentrated platforms. He advocates for a reinvigorated, independent Department of the Navy to foster the creativity needed to address asymmetric threats like Houthi attacks on high-value assets. 3. British Weakness: The Failure to Challenge Beijing Over Jimmy Lai. Mark Simon predicts Prime Minister Starmer will fail to secure Jimmy Lai's release because the UK mistakenly views China as an economic savior. He notes the UK's diminished military and economic leverage leads to a submissive diplomatic stance, despite China'sdeclining ability to offer investment. 4. Enforcing Sanctions: Interdicting the Shadow Fleet to Squeeze China. Victoria Coates details the Trump administration's enforcement of a "Monroe Doctrine" corollary, using naval power to seize tankers carrying Venezuelan oil to China. This strategy exposes China's lack of maritime projection and energy vulnerability, as Beijingcannot legally contest the seizures of illicit shadow fleet vessels. 5. Symbolic Strikes: US and Jordan Target Resurgent ISIS in Syria. Following an attack on US personnel, the US and Jordan conducted airstrikes against ISIS strongholds, likely with Syrian regime consultation. Ahmed Sharawi questions the efficacy of striking desert warehouses when ISIS cells have moved into urban areas, suggesting the strikes were primarily symbolic domestic messaging. 6. Failure to Disarm: Hezbollah's Persistence and UNIFIL's Inefficacy. David Daoud reports that the Lebanesegovernment is failing to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River, merely evicting them from abandoned sites. He argues UNIFIL is an ineffective tripwire, as Hezbollah continues to rebuild infrastructure and receive funding right under international observers' noses. 7. Global Jihad: The Distinct Threats of the Brotherhood and ISIS. Edmund Fitton-Brown contrasts the Muslim Brotherhood's long-term infiltration of Western institutions with ISIS's violent, reckless approach. He warns that ISISremains viable, with recent facilitated attacks in Australia indicating a resurgence in capability beyond simple "inspired" violence. 8. The Forever War: Jihadist Patience vs. American Cycles. Bill Roggio argues the US has failed to defeat jihadist ideology or funding, allowing groups like Al-Qaeda to persist in Afghanistan and Africa. He warns that adversaries view American withdrawals as proof of untrustworthiness, exploiting the US tendency to fight short-term wars against enemies planning for decades. 9. The Professional: Von Steuben's Transformation of the Continental Army. Richard Bell introduces Baron von Steuben as a desperate, unemployed Prussian officer who professionalized the ragtag Continental Army at Valley Forge. Washington's hiring of foreign experts like Steuben demonstrated a strategic willingness to utilize global talent to ensure the revolution's survival. 10. Privateers and Prison Ships: The Unsung Cost of Maritime Independence. Richard Bell highlights the crucial role of privateers like William Russell, who raided British shipping when the Continental Navy was weak. Captured privateers faced horrific conditions in British "black hole" facilities like Mill Prison and the deadly prison ship Jersey in New York Harbor, where mortality rates reached 50%. 11. Caught in the Crossfire: Indigenous Struggles in the Revolutionary War. Molly Brant, a Mohawk leader, allied with the British to stop settler encroachment but became a refugee when the British failed to protect Indigenous lands. Post-war, white Americans constructed myths portraying themselves as blameless victims while ignoring their own Indigenous allies and British betrayals regarding land rights. 12. The Irish Dimension: Revolutionary Hopes and Brutal Repression. The Irish viewed the American Revolutionas a signal that the British Empire was vulnerable, sparking the failed 1798 Irish rebellion. While the British suppressed Irish independence brutally under Cornwallis, Irish immigrants and Scots-Irish settlers like Andrew Jackson fervently supported the Continental Army against the Crown. 13. Assessing Battlefield Realities: Russian Deceit and Ukrainian Counterattacks. John Hardie analyzes the "culture of deceit" within the Russian military, exemplified by false claims of capturing Kupyansk while Ukraine actually counterattacked. This systemic lying leads to overconfidence in Putin's strategy, though Ukraine also faces challenges with commanders hesitating to report lost positions to avoid forced counterattacks. 14. Shifts in Latin America: Brazilian Elections and Venezuelan Hope. Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusapredict a 2026 battle between socialist accommodation and freedom-oriented transformation in Brazil, highlighted by Flavio Bolsonaro's candidacy against Lula. Meanwhile, Peña Esclusa anticipates Venezuela's liberation and a broader regional shift toward the right following leftist defeats in Ecuador, Argentina, and Chile. 15. Trump's Security Strategy: Homeland Defense Lacks Global Clarity. John Yoo praises the strategy's focus on homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere, reviving a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. However, he criticizes the failure to explicitly name China as an adversary or define clear goals for defending allies in Asia and Europe against great power rivals. 16. Alienating Allies: The Strategic Cost of Attacking European Partners. John Yoo argues that imposing tariffs and attacking democratic European allies undermines the coalition needed to counter China and Russia. He asserts that democracies are the most reliable partners for protecting American security and values, making cooperation essential despite resource constraints and political disagreements.