Candid Talk Within the Oil Industry on Venezuela and Iran, and the Potential Geopolitics of a Larger Regional War

https://thegrayzone.substack.com/p/iran-war-described-as-biggest-opportunity

This article is based on a January 2026 summit held in Washington DC - just weeks after Maduro's kidnapping and before the latest Iran War.

A Neanderthal Commenting on Cavemen

It's been more than a month since the Signal Group Chat scandal broke. This Politico piece from the end of March is dated but still relevant. Waltz has now been shifted over to UN Ambassador and Hegseth has invited further scandal. Some believe his days are numbered.

Spinning Yemen and Syria

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/27/nx-s1-5341420/syrias-transitional-leader-is-a-former-jihadist-can-he-help-stabilize-the-region

This interview was informative to a point. It was also striking in that it attempted to spin the HTS takeover of Syria. The US Establishment is so ecstatic that Assad is gone, they are willing to spin the situation in order to assuage public fears. While Robert Worth suggested Israel is less than pleased - as demonstrated by their seizure of territory beyond the Golan Heights, and the numerous strikes to cripple that nation's military capability, I still felt like the whole question of Jolani/al-Sharaa was viewed through an Israeli lens.

Red Sea Shipping, Yemen, and Israel

https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/ports-logistics/attacks-on-red-sea-shipping-bankrupt-israeli-port

https://themedialine.org/top-stories/eilat-still-shipless-houthis-strangle-port-city/

This is a story that has received little attention and it's noteworthy because it actually represents one area in which Israel has suffered economic harm from its wars - this even as Assad's rule over Syria collapses, Hezbollah is broken, Gaza is in ruins, and Iran is cowering, and more than fifty thousand have died. Yemen is the one exception, the holdout that continues to defy Israel and its American ally.

Ethiopia's Foray into Somaliland

Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed has generated a great deal of frustration within Washington. He waged war on Tigray and the ethno-political faction long supported by Washington. He has by some estimations moved Ethiopia closer to China. And as of 1 January 2024, Addis Ababa has now moved into the sphere of BRICS.

A Harbinger of US Decline

https://consortiumnews.com/2023/04/11/saudis-arent-afraid-of-us-anymore/

These are noteworthy developments to say the least. Riyadh still maintains close ties with Washington and yet it's clear as the linked author indicates – the Saudis are no longer afraid of America or of earning its displeasure.

A Ukraine Miscellany (VIII): Sober and Sound Thinking Regarding Russia and Ukraine

https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/05/27/an-appeal-to-russia-haters/

This article raises several excellent points. The Ukraine War is being utilized by various interests as a means of distraction. The media could make quite a bit of hay out of an analogy with the Yemen War but has instead chosen to ignore it. And while the Ukraine War is highly destructive, the Yemen War has been far worse.

Dispensationalists and Evangelicals Dripping in Blood

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/saudi-arabia-hosts-evangelical-christians-israel-supporters-181102005038899.html

American Evangelicals love Faustian bargains. The trade-off with the world has been at the core of the movement since its post-WWII inception. Bit by bit the movement has dismantled the theology and ethics of the New Testament in order to seek power and influence.

The US Government and Militant Salafism: An Alliance of Convenience

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2018/0806/US-backed-coalition-cut-deals-with-al-Qaida-in-Yemen

https://astutenews.com/2018/07/27/isis-in-afghanistan-central-asia-faces-risk-of-spillover/

Even the mainstream press is acknowledging the fact that the US is in a functional alliance with Al Qaeda. To qualify, I am not suggesting that there's some kind of coordinated effort or that US agents are giving direct orders to AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) commanders. For years there have been some who have argued for this kind of direct relationship but I don't believe there's much evidence to support it.

French Arms, Riyadh and the Yemen War

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/france-faces-legal-risks-saudi-arabia-uae-arms-sales-180320160840888.html

France is behaving irresponsibly and helping to foment war.

Of course the same could be said for the British and Americans who have also engaged in rather lucrative arms sales agreements with Riyadh.

The (Tel-Aviv – Riyadh – Washington) Triple Alliance and the Dangerous Game

http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/middleeast/2017/11/saudi-arabia-game-thobes-171105162806956.html

This is another story which seems to change by the day and the hour. This link while interesting is already outdated. Hariri is back in Lebanon and has rescinded his resignation and Saleh who broke with the Houthi's is now dead.

False Narratives Regarding the War in Yemen

The War in Yemen has taken some radical turns in recent days. The death of Saleh represents a possible watershed in the larger war. The war is but a facet within a larger geopolitical puzzle which encompasses not only the Middle East but the entirety of the globe.

The Cold War was simple by comparison.

Rouhani and Trump

I caught a few minutes of Trump's Saudi Arabia speech this morning and I thought it unfortunate. By lambasting Iran he (consciously or not) places Rouhani in a difficult situation.

The Gospel and the Proxy War in Yemen

http://evangelicalfocus.com/blogs/2223/Yemen_Faith_is_flourishing_in_the_midst_of_war

I found this article to be both moving and inspiring as I considered the plight of the suffering Church in Yemen. The fact that out of the suffering and bloodshed of the US-backed Saudi campaign (which has all but destroyed their society), a Church is being built, testifies to the grace and glory of God.

Mainstream Media, the Yemen Conflict and Social Consensus

This article provides an excellent summation (with numerous examples) of how the Mainstream media protects the Establishment. The Right-Left divide is largely fictitious. The differences are located within the pro-Wall Street, pro-Pentagon, pro-Imperial consensus. This is true from FOX to MSNBC and everything else in-between.

Also exposed is the rank hypocrisy on the part of US media and US officials regarding civilian casualties, weaponisation of conflicts etc...

The Saudi Gambit

http://oilpro.com/post/24372/battle-saudi-iran-oil-proxy-war-heats-up-bin-salman-consolidation

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/blog/2016/5/11/saudi-oil-keeps-flowing-while-debt-reaches-record-levels

Earlier this year PBS' Frontline put out a documentary on Saudi Arabia. Frontline is a good show when it comes to covering domestic controversies. I have found it to be seriously lacking and rather slanted when it comes to covering anything international. I usually feel like I'm watching a propaganda video issued by the State Department.

Syria and the Strategy of Tension

For some time it has been suggested that the United States is involved in some kind of semi- or informal relationship with al Nusra in Syria. This seems to many to be an assertion that is prima facie absurd. How could the United States even consider allying with a branch of al Qaeda? Doesn't that fly in the face of everything the War on Terror is all about? You might think so, but you would be mistaken.

CBS and the Media's Coverage of the Syrian War

CBS likes to run their little advert promoting themselves and talking about values such as honesty and integrity. Truly it's a video more appropriate for the likes of a comedy channel or some kind of Fallon skit. CBS whether represented by Scott Pelley, Charlie Rose or Nora O'Donnell is little more than a mouthpiece for the Establishment.

The Crux of the Refugee Crisis

I mentioned this in a previous post but it's worth repeating. While there's no doubt the refugee crisis has in part been spurred on by the rise of Islamic Radicalism, one must step back and see the forest through the trees. The real cause is the total undoing of the Middle Eastern world.

Yemen Documentary

For those interested, check out the latest Frontline episode on Yemen. The director was also interviewed on Tuesday's (7 April) Democracy Now.


The situation in Yemen is a confusing mess but she does a decent job outlining what's happening. A lot more could be said, but it's PBS and they're only going to go so far in criticizing the American role in all of this.


If you're looking to get a basic understanding of the situation without having to do a bunch of reading, watching this documentary will go a long way.