Russia-Iran’s Strategic Partnership Agreement: Reshaping Global Energy!

All right, hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends, where truth matters. Very excited to be with you today because of the topic. As you all know, I wrote a book about each country, Russia and Iran, and that's something that I'm very, very familiar with. But that's not what I'm going to be talking about. Of course, I'm going to be talking about what's in the deal, the agreement, strategic agreements that both countries just signed. So you are in for, for a ride, if I may use the term. So, but first, let me say hi to our wonderful community. Abdul, good to see you. Peace be with you as well. Wow, that's so kind of you. That's very, very kind of you, Abdul. Willie Holman, Taiwan Steel. Uh, Lee Yang, good to see you. Truth Seeker as always. Hong Wong, good to see you. I haven't seen you for the last few live streams, Hong. Hope all is well. Uh, Zayan, good to see you. Who else is here? Let me see, I'm, I'm scrolling. Oh, there's some conversation going on there on the chatbot. Alistar O'Keen. Phil, good to see you from Ottawa, Canada. Famida, good to see you. Concerned Citizens, good to see you here. Freedom from Toronto, Canada, good to see you. Uh, and Lali, uh, uh, Pliton, good to see you. I remember you last time you were here, good to see you. Wong Casey, as always, and Musa Sal, good to see you. Hello, hello to you as well. So anyway, excited to be with you guys. Uh, yeah, because it's the nature of the topic and, and we got a lot to cover on this I will be happy to answer some Super Sticker questions if you have any. So, but before I'll do all this, let me start with some housekeeping items. And housekeeping, the first thing on order, I put a survey for you. I made a decision last night that I will be heading out to Asia. Yes. So please take a look at the survey and response or vote honestly. So, because truth matters, so please take a look at it. So I will greatly appreciate, uh, your vote on it before I'll make any details as to what I'm looking at financially for the funding for the trip, what I'm looking at geographically to the locations. And because this now comes during a very crucial time in line with what's going on with TikTok and Red Notes and all that because the truth is coming out. Okay, this is why I made the decision last night. So, so take a look and we will talk even further. Second thing I want to let you know is about the video I released regarding the analysis that I did about the, uh, uh, possibility of confrontation between Turkey and the United States over Kurdish. So I don't, I don't know, maybe, maybe some of you didn't see it, so here is a link to the, uh, video. Take a look at it, and, uh, it's an analysis that I spent time, uh, putting together. So just go ahead and take a look at that, and please share your comments on that one if you feel like doing so. All right, let me also— one more thing I want to share with you is that, uh, which has not been disclosed openly, of course, is the media. What do you expect? Fact. So I'm gonna share one. Let me see if I can pull up the picture for it. Uh, yeah, I'm gonna share it with you guys in, in its original language. So, uh, hold on, just bear with me here. Share screen. And this one has to do with what is not being reported here in the West regarding the demonstrations that took place in Europe. Europe witnessed 30,000 demonstrations. You heard me correct, 30,000 demonstrations in support of Gaza in the last 470 days. Did we hear anything about it in the West? No. So here's— I'm going to share screen with you here, guys. And you guys take— I'm, I'm going to just scroll quickly here to show you, uh, and what it says right there, that Europe had about 30,000 demonstrations. Look at these ones here from all different countries. As a matter of fact, this list here, guys, it shows how many demonstrations took place in Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland, uh, Austria, Greece, Norway, Luxembourg, Poland, Bosnia, Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, and Malta. Yeah, very— I was, I was very— I was surprised to even see this much because I didn't expect it till I read the overseas. Uh, this is where I do the— this is why this channel, guys, the, the effort and the time and the energy I put into it. So, and without your support, there will be nothing in it. Straightforward. You know me, I don't sugarcoat things, and I don't need to. So, all right, let's get into our analysis here as to what does this strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Iran— we means which basically the Russian president and, and the Iranian president Masoud Peshkigan signed the agreement yesterday, so, uh, two days ago, I'm sorry, uh, it was on Friday and Saturday, so, and I kind of spent those two days. I didn't want to rush into this, uh, on a weekend because I had to, uh, first of all, confirm some information, check few things. You know how I do it. There's no need to beat the dead horse, but this is what I'm gonna be sharing with you, my own analysis with this, so And this leads me to ask the key questions like we always do, because we can't move forward without understanding this dynamic. So here's the— without understanding the key questions. So first question: how significant is, is this deal? If you notice, I always use the term significance because in geopolitics every movement has some significant importance. No matter how you look at it. So like I always say, you see the big picture for that. So second question, what is the geopolitical, economic, and military impact? Even though— and I give you a heads up— even though Russia and Iran did not sign anything specific to military dimensions, and I'm going to give you a comparison to some other treaty Russia signed with other countries to put it in perspective for you. And third question, which is the key: what, what about the impact on the global energy market? If you only know one of the, the deals, uh, in, into this agreement pertain to energy. So very, very, very interesting. Uh, I had a chance to read a variety of articles from overseas, uh, in, in two— I, I remember two foreign languages And one of them I had to translate it from Russia, a Russian, uh, language to— because it was written by a very, very key figure, somebody very well known inside the political systems around the world, uh, and it's this guy right here. So, and, and we'll get into it and as I move forward. So, so here's the thing, this is what I need you to understand. Like I always say, nothing happens in a vacuum. Why is this important as far as the, the strategic deal that they signed and the timing of it? Because it happened only about 3 days prior to the inauguration today, which taking place in Washington. A lot of Americans are not even paying attention to all this because we know, you know how it is, two faces of the same coin. We just changing the players. The game is still the same. That's all it is. That's— I personally don't pay attention to this stuff. But anyway, this deal between Iran and Russia came only 3 days or 2 days about the time of the signature that took place prior to the inauguration, okay? And also comes in on the heels of a major, major aspects of the Iranian European negotiations that took place in Geneva last week. A lot of people do not know that Europe is reaching out to Iran to work out some deals for two main reasons. One is to ensure access to energy, and two, to get back at Donald Trump, because Donald Trump, he plans on putting tariffs on Europe You all know where Europe is economically due to their own making. Let's not blame the Americans. The Americans didn't put a gun on them. However, the Europeans were weak enough not to take a stand and say to the idiot and outgoing Biden to say no. They couldn't. So you blame the Americans? Of course, to a degree. But, you know, it's a I'm a believer, guys, of when there are problems, you never shift the blame to others before looking inward. Start with yourself first. Like in everyday life, the stuff we do, whatever, you know, we quick to shift the blame because we don't want to take responsibility. Europeans found themselves into this. They drag themselves into this. The same with the idiot comedian, uh, Zelensky. Because he could have taken stand back then when a peace offer was given to him. He could have said no to the West, but because he was too weak, so we pressured. The same argument. Nonetheless, you need to understand the dynamics of the Iran-European negotiations last week, and this is why those two main events prior to the inauguration and, uh, the, the, uh The signature of the comp— the partnership, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Iran and Russia came on the heel of Iran's negotiations with Europe. So, so I had a chance to read an article by Ellis Jivori, and I'm gonna put a link for you guys later on. So now the idea is, what you need to understand about this is this is nothing new. Of course, there are those who will say, and I agree with you, Why they haven't done this before? It doesn't work that way when it comes down to how you move strategically vis-à-vis the shifting of the geopolitical landscape around the world. Except that now Iran and Russia found themselves facing that shift on the global landscape with the changes in Syria. Both of them lost Syria to a degree. Another word, the influence they used to have It's not there at the moment. Things can be worked out differently. So, and this is why that idea of the cooperation between Iran and, uh, and, and Russia sort of reinforcing the ties between those two countries, and for one reason and one reason only, is to face the geopolitical tensions and pressures that exist around the world. So So the deal, the 20-year deal that was signed between, uh, uh, the Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Iranian president Masoud Brezhnev, uh, uh, sort of— it was on Friday, by the way, to be exact. Now, one thing that came important about it was to enhance and support the military and defense cooperation. That doesn't mean that military dimension was neglected. No, it was not, because here is the key that I need you to know, and I'm not going to go into the entire detail of the, of the agreement. You guys can read it, I'll put the link for you, but I'm going to highlight the aspects that I see very crucial into influencing the geopolitical trajectory. That is the reason why I do the analysis for you. So, uh, the thing is about this military dimension It includes a clause in this agreement, and the clause in this specifically stated that neither country, Russia or Iran, would allow their territories to be used for any action that would threaten the safety of the other country. In other words, Russia will not allow its territory to be used that could threaten, uh, Iran, and vice versa. Nor provide any help to any party attacking either country. Because you all know how it is, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The possibilities are, are there. This is a normal approach. However, for Iran and Russia, they decided to put that clause because this is a long term. That is also an anticipation of the geopolitical changes coming down the pipe. This deal wasn't about 5-year deal, 10-year deal, 15— it was 20. The same argument I could make about Iran making the agreement, economic one, that is, with China for 25 years. You see what I'm getting at? This is the importance of it. So, so the way I decided to approach this for you guys, I'm going to divide it into three dimensions. One is geopolitical, one is economic, and one is military. And then I'll conclude with the, uh, an excerpt from one of my books because I— what's taking place, I addressed this few years ago as to the possibility of it, and here it is. I'm not surprised at all. So, so let's start with geopolitical dimension of this particular deal. So now there are aspects of the geopolitical implications of strategic importance, uh, that will be for both countries, Russia and Iran. And this is exactly when I read the analysis of none other than Alexander Dugin. Now, to those who do not know Alexander Dugin, you need to look him up. He is someone who's been called in the West as Putin's whisperer. He is the one who whispers to Putin. In other words, Putin listens to this guy. He is a political philosopher, you know, that's not a small matter. He knows what he's talking about. Of course, the West will have to, uh, paint this negative image. You know how it is. I don't need to beat the dead horse here. So, but here is what I found interesting, and I'm going to share a clip with you, uh, so you guys can, uh, take a listen yourself. Of course, they're describing him as the far right and all that stuff. So, so take a listen, guys. Porter of Putin. So I am, I'm transmitting the will of our, of conservative society, of Russian identity. I'm not formulating this individually.

Alexander Dugin is a Russian political philosopher who's been called the Putin Whisperer. He's got Vladimir Putin's ear, and he's really influential in shaping Russian policy at the highest level.

You are known as Putin's Rasputin, and I've even seen Putin's brain. So he has listened to you in the past. The base of this affirmation is precisely the correspondence between what Putin does and what I always say.

I'm Shachar Baran, and I produce for Leslie Stahl at 60 Minutes. In 2017, we shot an interview with Dugin as part of a story we were reporting about the Russian disinformation campaign after the 2016 presidential elections. We ended up not using the interview. Sometimes that happens when we interview.

Okay, I'm gonna stop right there because it's long, you know, that's almost an hour. Uh, if you want the link, I'll be happy to put it for you, but I just need you to, uh, uh, I wanted to put a face to a name first of all, so you know, should you want to educate yourself about this, go and read up on him and understand. But nonetheless, his analysis was spot on. I read it. I, I, I read the translated version of it because I don't speak Russian, and, and it made sense to me. Again, the way I look at analysis is, does it make sense? And to me, what he argued makes sense to myself. The idea that, uh, for, for Russia and, uh, Iran, for them to take these steps moving forward is because they share some strategic interest. And why this interest is shared between the two, this is in response to the major transformation that is taking place, not only in the region, West Asia or Middle East, that is, but around the world. This is one of the things I argued in that video that I did, released for you yesterday. And I hope a lot of people, I hope you guys can take a look at it or listen to it because the analysis reflects this reality. So And this is what Alexander Dugin sort of expressed in his argument that the Russia now, and I agree with him, it's more closer to Iran than ever before in a way that they can achieve one of the key aspects that the Russian generals were always hoping for. Do you guys know what that is? Is the access to the Indian Ocean. Now, some might think what this has to do with geopolitics? A lot. Sorry, I showed you the wrong map there. So, so I don't have the full, but if you look at, you know, where Russia or Soviet Union as it was, this is an old map by the way. So, and when you look at where Iran is and when you look at right here, look at the access to the Indian Ocean. Because Iran will provide that, the strategic. So, so this, to me, this move is very, very calculated. And I think it's, uh, it was smart of, uh, uh, the Russians to go ahead, uh, with that, uh, agreement. And like I mentioned, both countries share, uh, one common thing. Can anybody tell me what it is? Both of them share one common thing. Let me just see. Again, you just think, think outside the box. This is vis-à-vis a country. They all have one particular thing towards a particular country. Oh, Ali Salukin, common threat. Called US. You're absolutely correct. That is exactly what it is, because their, their interest, strategic interest, converge towards some specific for their countries, but also converge over one particular aspect which has to do with the United States. So, so, and this is why, uh, sort of because the US, and now with Trump, officially, there is expectation that Trump is going to be putting more pressure, maximum pressure on, on Iran. So, and why is this important? Because also Iran has lost its geopolitical ally in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. And same for Russia as well, but for, for Iran is more so because now even The Lebanese, uh, Hezbollah is also has lost that aspects of it. So it becomes very, very, uh, dynamics moving forward from a geopolitical aspect. The other aspect has to do with for Iran itself geopolitically. It has been described as neither on the east neither on the west. Another word, he wanted to remain, uh, uh, uh, non-aligned. Uh, maybe on the papers, but in reality it's not. I disagree with some, some analysts who argue that, oh, Iran is pursuing the policy of non-alignment. I disagree with that, but that's my opinion. So, so I had a chance to read again another analysis by a Middle East researcher by the name Mohammad Bayat, and this is where some my disagreements comes in. The other points he talked about was, was spot on. So Because the idea that Iran is independent power, it is when it comes down to how it is in West Asia. But again, now she— Iran is being forced to kind of realign itself with Russia, with China, with BRICS. So that independence might not be there as you and I understand it, or that non-alignment, that is. So However, Iran has always been known for the slogan neither east nor west. So this is where that, uh, uh, uh, importance of understanding this joint ventures with Russia comes in, because to Iran it attaches more and more importance to the strategic aspects of its foreign policy, to a degree, that is. So, and this is why this 20-year deal between Iran and, uh, Russia, we cannot classify it the same way that I will say Russia deal with North Korea. Because do you guys know about the deal between Russia and North Korea? What do they share in common? One particular thing, that each, each, each country will come to the support of the other if attacked. With Iran and Russia, they don't have this as part of this particular strategic agreement. Major difference. Is this a sign for the possibility of a conflict in the Far East, in the neighborhood? There are those who will say the possibility is there. Maybe, maybe not. So now the one thing I will have to agree, uh, uh, uh, not completely but to a level with the, uh, the analyst, the Middle Eastern researcher Muhammad Bayat, that is, is that the idea that now the neoconservatives and warmongers in Israel, because they all of them includes Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China. They all include those within the block of authoritarian regimes. But within, as the author, as the analyst argue, within the framework of formulating the discourse of the new Cold War. I, I, I don't subscribe to that. I respectfully disagree with the researchers about reaching this conclusion as to combining those countries into the context of the Cold War. No, no, because the dynamics of the global, of the recent contemporary geopolitical time has changed or is different from that of the Cold War era. Because here is the thing, reality on the ground is different. This is where I see that difference as to the idea of from a geopolitical perspective. And like I mentioned earlier, the big, big, big advantage to all this is that Russia will have access to the Indian Ocean. It's a big dream that always been for the Russians. And this is where I concur with Alexander Dugin who stresses that the visit by the Iranian president, uh, to Russia sort of, uh, uh, uh, highlights the, the, the, the advancements of this relationship between the two countries. This is a step forward into ensuring that both parties achieve that strategic interest in light of the changes that's taking place. I couldn't agree more. So Moving on to the military dimension, like I mentioned, the strategic agreement between Russia and Iran, uh, did not delve deeper into or, uh, include some, uh, unexpected dimensions into the military realm. This is completely the opposite from that, the one Russia signed with North Korea. You know, especially since the agreement with Iran does not— this is the key, guys, that I need you to understand. When you look at this, uh, agreement between the two, this does not oblige either country to defend the other in the event of an attack, but is limited only to not providing military assistance to the other, support to the attacker. Very, very crucial. There are those— I'm one of those— that's saying, yes, this is on a paper. However, should be tensions on the ground, there will be support behind closed doors. It's normal. Look no further now at the Houthis launching their, uh, uh, uh, uh, hypersonic missiles into Israel. Look at the Houthis chasing out the USS, uh, uh, Harry Truman aircraft carrier. How they got— they're gonna do this with drones? No, they're doing them with some advanced systems. Where the systems came from? Now, that doesn't mean they can't manufacture it, but let's be realistic, guys. We're talking about hypersonic missiles here. I spent time in Yemen. I'm very familiar with the level of infrastructure for this kind of stuff? There is none. Let's just be straightforward about it. That doesn't mean they can't develop some, uh, indigenous type of, uh, rockets, whatever. You all know what I mean. So, so that is where the difference— so now here is where I have to think as to this military agreement that is limited. Is this a good thing for the West? Is this a positive sign for the West? And I think the West is relieved. They're not going to disclose this, of course. They are relieved. They, the West, Western, you know, uh, uh, the EU and the United States and Britain and all the, you know what, the collective West, let's just put it that way. So they are relieved that the military dimension, because they were watching this closely, does not adventure into some sort of, uh, way, uh, uh, Russia signed its agreement with North Korea. So, but there is one dimension to this, which means what is that if the West, which most likely it will— this is another reason why I want to head out to Asia again, it's because I already already got a word as to what the upcoming Secretary of State is intended to, to do in Asia. As a matter of fact, at the time of this live stream, there is a delegation of Trump team that is already on its way to Australia. Why do you think they going there for? So, and this is why I'm saying there are those on the West that saying, oh great, that Russia and Iran did not expand on the military, because in case which tensions gonna emerge into the east, Iran is not obliged, it's not obligated by treaty to go and send its, uh, support there. So however, for the military dimension, you're going to have to look at it more so for Iran than it is for Russia. Why is this? Because Iran has settled with the Europeans on the positioning of its ballistic missiles in future negotiations with American President Trump. Settled— pardon me— settled in a way that it do not want to discuss this in detail, and you all know why. Why Iran doesn't want to discuss this with, uh, uh, uh, the Europeans is because if they— if it does, that's going to give them an idea about the length of the missiles, how far the missiles can go. Then the NATO or the US, which mainly the US is not NATO, is the US. The US and Israel can adjust their strategies by targeting. This is the reason why Like I always say, as of now, the US or Israel or Britain, for that matter, are unable to attack Iran. They won't be able to for one reason and one reason only: they do not know how far Iran's ballistic missiles can reach. Yeah, there are those who say, why Iran just talks? And it doesn't work that way, guys. Iran has to think strategically. You know, but I tell you this, as I argued in my, uh, uh, uh, I think I did this one, uh, not on the Russian book, I did it on the Iran book, that if Iran's nuclear infrastructure is attacked, they're gonna respond. And this is one of the reasons why they never wanted to disclose. So The other dimension that Iran has an advantage of is, should pressure mount on it, that they're going to change their nuclear doctrine. Because any, any pressure goes that direction, it will activate these mechanisms. And we all know what it means. Iran is in a position to upgrade the production of uranium to the level of military, of weapon grade. Which means he can turn it into a, a nuclear device in no time. As a matter of fact, some say Iran already has, uh, I don't know, what do you guys think? Let me, uh, just yes or no. In your opinion, do you believe Iran is in possession of a nuclear device, yes or no? All right, let me see. Uh, Hong Wong, you say yes. Flat Earth, you say no. Jesus Aguilar, you say no. Taiwan still, you say yes. Uh, Seymour Perea, you say close to. Kevin James, you say yes, Iran has a nuclear weapon. Truth Seeker, you say yes. Hairless ape, you say no. Yeah, see, you can just tell even here, guys, even within our own community is, is divided. Yeah, more so. Masan Dorsia, you say yes. Enzo, you say no. Yeah, it's, it's, it's— if I am to say just figuratively, it's 50/50, is divided. So, you know, personally I can confirm, you know, I've been around that part of the world, I've been near, I was in up north in Kurdistan, which overlook Arabians and so forth. But beside all this, I, I, I can't— if something I am not sure 100%, I can't. Now this is different than two other countries, Israel and North Korea. Now that I can tell you, they are in possession of nuclear weapons, simple as that. But even for Israel, it's not what we might think. Israel also just given the fear of having so-called nuclear, because what, what Israel is going to end up doing the same way Saudi Arabia does It's through a third party they can acquire that. You all know what I mean by this. Read, read the line between the lines. As a matter of fact, this is one of the lines that is redacted in my Saudi book. So just get a copy of the book, guys, if you are interested in learning, and you will see what I'm detailing there. So you can get it through Buy Me a Coffee. That's where I have the, the books up. Question. Now, this lack of cooperation, defense cooperation between Russia and Iran, paves the way for the West to reconsider what if, what if. No, but, but it's different than what it is between Russia and North Korea. So let's move on to the economic aspects, and this is again where the bulk of what this treaty is all about, or the military— uh, I'm sorry, with the Comprehensive Strategic Agreement is all about. So, so in addition to the military cooperation, there is an expansion of the economic ties between those two countries, and the major one has to do with Russia's North-South Transport Corridor. I had a chance to read up again some other analysis from different sources, and I was aware of this particular thing. Now take a look at this. When you look at the map, the one— the, the line in blue, that is the standard route where Russia's energy will have to go through. See where it's going around and so forth. Now with this pipeline, the gas pipeline between Iran and Russia, which is going to go through Azerbaijan Look how much it cuts the distance. This is the north, uh, uh, what they call the North-South Transport Corridor. Very, very strategic. So, so then there is another dimension, and the dimension is that Iran already joined BRICS. You all know what it means. Saudis back down. Saudis, uh, you know, they wishy-washy. You know, how can you trust the Saudis? Or the Emirates, whatever. You know how Arabs are, or Muslim countries. When I say countries, I'm referring to the leaders, not the people. So, so, and because for BRICS specifically, when it comes down to Iran, it provides the platform for this collaboration. So because Iran already eyed this membership and integration into a multipolar economic bloc aligned with its objectives. That is where the key is economically. So this is why this idea of the Strategic Partnership Agreement, uh, uh, makes perfect sense, perfect sense when it comes down to the building of this, uh, facility, uh, as far as the, uh, pipeline. Very, very, very crucial. That is, I even had the, uh, I remember seeing it. I don't know what it is. Hold on, just bear with me, guys. Here, guys. Yeah, the, the pipeline in itself, because despite these difficulties, you know, I had a chance to read an article by You'll remember, uh, Dr. Digby James Rand that I, I brought him here on the channel. I wrote an article, one, not a great article about this particular, uh, aspects of it on his Substack account. So, and the idea that this building of this natural gas pipeline that is gonna connect to Russia into Iran, because there will be some challenges to it. One of the challenges that I see is that Azerbaijan can be used or pressured by the US and Israel. You know, I did a video for you about the, the silent supporter of Israel providing energy, Azerbaijan, and Turkey providing the transport, by the way. So, but what are we talking about here regarding this transport? Just to put it in perspective for you, so We're talking about— uh, it's going to start with small volumes of about 2 billion cubic meters, but this is gonna reach later on about 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. This is what Putin stated. So because oil is also another dimension to all this, Iran is part of OPEC. Russia is part of OPEC+. You all know what it means. This is the importance of understanding this dynamic. So, so the pipeline itself— but again, are we going to be seeing the same sabotage that took place with Nord Stream 2? I won't be surprised, because you're going to have to allocate a lot of funding to ensure the protection of these types of pipelines unless they are underground which we all know what it means. So when you look at also the dimensions on the military aspects between Iran and, uh, Russia, it put things in perspective for you. So now the other aspects that you need to understand is the Strait of Hormuz. This is going to play a major role, especially from the side of Iran, should things go different directions. And I give the credit, by the way, to World Atlas for these pictures because Iran is in a position to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. To those who say it can't, uh, I, I think things have changed. You will be able to, uh, stand by the statements, let's say, 20 years ago, not today. I mean, if the Houthis were able to drive out a US aircraft carrier What do you think the Iranians are capable of doing? Yeah, they might have not responded to Israel the way you might have been expecting, whatever, but it doesn't work that way. You have to be, uh, when it comes down to those kind of decisions, you have to be strategic. You can't give in to emotions, and we all know humans, we tend to, when we get emotional, we react. You know, you can't do that. You can't do that when it comes down to this dimension. Suffice it to understand, at least from an economic perspective, how this is now going to change the dynamics. Because look where it was going, look at the access to Europe and so forth. Not anymore. It's going to go directly there, which means Europe is going to be holding the end of the stick. Europe is done for, by the way, guys.

To my—

I had a family visit here during Christmas, and we were talking, or sometimes we'll have a cup of coffee by the fire, sit down in the house and just chat. And I'll ask some really poignant questions. I know they are not into geopolitics, but they can understand the difference between last year and this year as far as where things are. And it became clear to me I will be going to Europe at some point soon. And this has nothing to do with the trip that I plan for Asia. Those are two separate things. And, but to me, Europe is— this is why they, Europe, agreed to have a talk with Iran, even though we know what Donald Trump might be doing and his hawkish team that's coming. Secretary, uh, Department of State already pushing the narrative for a war in Asia against North Korea. Yeah, that's how crazy they are. They are already pushing for more tensions regarding the Taiwan Strait. You know, they, they, this hawkish in, in Department of State are gonna be using the likes of South Korea the likes of Philippines. This is why, guys, I am now turning my attention to a degree to the Philippines because of what's going on inside. And I am hoping to have a chance to talk to some, uh, in the government if they are willing to come over on the platform here. And I'll have some key questions and listen to what they have to say because Filipino people deserve better. And the massive corruption that exists in Philippines. Not that we don't have it here, we do. Not that Europe doesn't, they do. So, but it's just to highlight to you where things are moving when you put it in perspective, when it comes down to the geopolitical chess game. That's my point for you to understand. So when, uh, uh, uh, Russia will be thinking in terms of now This deal with Iran will grant it access now to the Indian Ocean. It's a big deal. China was thinking the same back then, and they were able to achieve that. How do you think they achieved that one, you may ask? Look no further than— let me put up a, a map for you here, and, and I'll point it for you. Oh, sorry, not this one. It's right here. Look at just the right here in, in Eritrea and south of Djibouti and the access to the Red Sea and south all the way to the Arabian Sea and the, uh, Indian Ocean. This is a China we're thinking ahead of that. So now Russia is doing the same with Iran. That's what I'm think— that's what I'm talking about, guys, strategic aspects of it. Now let me share with you some excerpts from what I wrote in, uh, in— I, I'll be honest, I don't remember which book I wrote that in, uh, but if I am to guess, it will have to be the Russian book. But I'm gonna put a picture here for both books that I wrote about each country. So, so this is what I argued back then, uh, is that equally important, Russia now finds itself at a crossroads so to speak, when it comes to its economic venture with Iran. Since the US decided to withdraw unilaterally from the Iran nuclear deal reached with major powers plus Germany, known as P5+1, Russia will have to decide whether to challenge US sanctions by continuing to trade with Iran or support the US sanctions on a limited basis. I believe Russia will want to demonstrate its global role by ensuring that Russia's interests are considered as tensions rise between Iran and the US. If the United States end up warring with Iran, meaning going into war, I am convinced that Russia and China will support Iran behind the scenes. The US is on dangerous path, to say the least, as a war with Iran will take on wider dimensions involving countries that seek to defend their strategic and economic interest. The other alternative, uh, uh, as I argued, uh, the other alternative is that, uh, sorry, the other alternative announced by Trump back then is regime change in Iran. It demonstrates not only the president's ignorance about historical event And I am gonna be— I'm gonna stop right here before I continue to ask you one thing. I am referring in the book, and I put it in paragraphs, 1953. What I was— what was I referring to without, uh, uh, saying it? Can you guys tell me what was my reference to when I mentioned 1953 vis-à-vis Iran? I'm just gonna wait for your answer. Oh, oh, Zang, you got it. Which coup are we talking about? They're specific. You got it. Which one? Uh, uh, H— HO Channel. Mossad overthrow. Jesus Aguilar, CIA coup. It wasn't just the CIA, it was another entity also involved, which is MI6. You got it, Michael. Michael Crystal, you got it. So, and that's what I put, particularly in 1953, the CIA and MI6 orchestrated a coup in support of the Shah, but also the effect regime change will have on the region's political landscape. A policy of regime change in Iran is advocated by the hawkish US, none other than former National Security Advisor John Bolton. But this advocacy will fail now because the regional dynamics have changed from those of the 1950s when Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown in favor of the Shah. As we know, the 1979— I continue— Islamic Revolution in Iran later changed the course of history. There is no telling what the political map of the Middle East may look like after the war, after, uh, uh, in the aftermath of a war between Iran and the United States. A war with Iran will certainly disrupt the global oil market, as Iran will most likely— like I mentioned earlier, let me put up this picture here for you to see— yeah, will most likely shut down the Strait of Hormuz, through which 17.8 million barrels of oil cross daily. Russia, a major oil producer, may benefit from such a war as demand for Russia oil and natural gas will increase. So that is what I wanted to share with you, just to put things in perspective for you to understand, uh, what this Strategic Comprehensive Agreement, uh, means. Comprehensive Strategic Agreement, not the other way around. So excuse me, just to put it in perspective, because you need to understand where the dynamics are headed. As now that Trump now is in office, you're going to be seeing the, the, the hearings in, uh, in Senate about the denominations and so forth. I am very concerned of the of the three positions— Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Advisor. They already— Waltz, who, who is the one, uh, uh, positioned for the National Security, a hawk already pushing against China, pushing against now this TikTok stuff and all that. Uh, I'm also concerned about the Secretary of Defense, the guy that is, uh, trying to, uh, be appointed, who is not qualified. Just because he served in the military doesn't make him qualified. Then I am concerned about the idiot, uh, hawkish, uh, Rubio, who is like wants to war, wants two wars, one with Iran, actually three, one with Iran, one with China, and one with North Korea. How crazy a lunatic for those politicians to be thinking in these terms, still thinking in the Cold War mindset. And even the guy is, the guy is younger than me. He's, he's, he's like still a kid by standard of, of, uh, of, uh, of statesman, uh, history, you know, the elder, the older generation and so forth. He's still too young to even grasp the depth of the Cold War and understanding those kind of— so just to be pushing in this narrative just doesn't make any sense. And this is where, uh, why I decided to do this for you guys, to lay out the, uh, the, the, the the, the landscape for you to understand the dynamics where they are headed. So this way you will be informed. So, and of course, a good reason for me to start to think— that's why I made the decision last night regarding my trip to Asia. So speaking of that, I will be detailing till I look at the survey that I put. Make sure, guys, to vote on that question that I put in the, uh, in the community post, because, uh, uh, till I see where that's going, I, I'm— I am, I am in a process of starting to put, uh, uh, uh, numbers to the papers and the plans and so forth. I don't disclose when I'm going. You all know this by now, it's not a secret. It just— I don't disclose it, but I am planning on going to Asia for my second trip Should you decide to support that, without your support, there will be no trip. I'll say it straightforward. I don't want a government or an entity to fund the trip because this is where I stand. Now, if, if an entity or whomever wants to support or fund the trip because that's all they want, then I'm okay with that, and I will share with the community. If an entity end up support supporting the trip or funding the trip, I will disclose this to you. Simple as that. Because in our community, transparency is, is important to me. You all know, uh, so this is why, please, and I'm asking you again, please go and vote on the question that I put in the community. That will give me an idea what to do, and I have to decide on this before the end of this month because of the time frame. I have some other obligations between now and the end of the year, and I have to manage accordingly. So if I do not know, or if the funding is not for it, then I have to cancel the trip. I am going again to Asia for specific reason. This is not tourism. If I want to go on tourism, I'll pay for it myself. This is what I'm doing for Europe, you know. I don't expect you guys to fund my personal trip because it's not right. It is not right. And knowing where conditions are financially, where the world is going, especially here in the US, you know, I, I, I am, I am aware of all this. That's why I ask the question. Take a look at the questions, answer it should you decide to answer it, and, and based on that, those answers, I will be able to tell whether I'll go forward with the trip not. But without support from you, there is no, no other way. Speaking of that, I will create, uh, either create another link, uh, for the funding or use the old one I used for, uh, for Asia, Asia 1, and I'll just rename it Asia 2, but keep the finance, the, the funding for it separate so you know what we have got for whatever Uh, uh, I'll keep you posted on where we are once I do the math and put the numbers and all that. Remember, I am not going to one particular location, uh, and that's what I'm going to different ones for a reason. Okay, uh, in due time you, you probably will know, uh, but there is a— all I need you to understand for now is there is a reason for why I need to go, and I need to go has to do with deciphering truth from falsehood. That's the same argument I made about TikTok. What is the government saying on TikTok? Privacy and national security and so forth, which we all know, you and I know it's a lie. No, should you support— want to support the channel, this has nothing to do with the trip. Here is the link, uh, and also I highly, highly recommend you guys go take a look at the books and, and get a copy of, of the— I know one person got the Russia book, uh, for you. If you want to decide, just go ahead and take a look at this. All right, let me see if there is any— oh, Francis Tango, thank you so much for your super sticker. Dr. O, I say the 3 within 100 days unemployed. Thank you so much, Francis. Truly appreciate you, man. Uh, Musa, you know, so kind of you. First time I see you, your name here. So from Paris, interesting. So thank you so much, Musa. Truly appreciate you. And, uh, let's start, uh, Alan, Alan, thank you so much as always. Our supporter from Canada, they are supporters from Canada. Phil, Amanda, uh, Taiwan still, that there are many in Canada. So I do have followers in Canada, and again, I am very familiar with Canada. So I, I appreciate you guys. Thank you so much for your support. Uh, before I forget, I will be making arrangements for some other interviews, uh, and again, I will keep up with the Philippines, what's going— there is a major issue that's now just came out about the massive corruption inside the budget of 2025. So I am going to be reaching out to someone and see if they are available to come over to provide you insights about this development. So once again, thank you guys for being here, and I look forward to seeing you next time. As always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, bye-bye.