u/PLUTO_HAS_COME_BACK

In a tense new twist to the Iran crisis, Donald Trump appeared visibly nervous and struggled to find his words after a high-stakes phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 90-minute conversation came as the U.S.–Iran standoff threatened to spiral, with fragile ceasefires and nuclear tensions hanging in the balance. Kremlin officials later revealed that Putin backed an extended ceasefire with Tehran, but also warned Trump of “dire consequences” if Washington or Israel launched fresh strikes on Iran.

In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau debunk the orthodox view that the newly established U.S. dollar swap lines for Gulf states are a charitable bailout for the Middle East, arguing instead that these facilities are a desperate signalling mechanism designed to bail out the American financial system and the petrodollar recycling machine, as the escalating war in Iran threatens to permanently dismantle U.S. economic hegemony.

GUEST:
Ryan McMaken is an economist, author, and Editor-in-Chief at the Mises Institute. Ryan is the author of Breaking Away: The Case for Secession, Radical Decentralization, and Smaller Polities and Commie Cowboys: The Bourgeoisie and the Nation-State in the Western Genre. Catch up on Ryan’s recent articles here: https://mises.org/profile/ryan-mcmaken and connect on X: https://x.com/ryanmcmaken.

US and Israel have been hacked

Russia’s Africa Corps claimed they have repelled one of the largest militant offensives in Mali, allegedly backed by Western and Ukrainian mercenaries, and possibly stopped a coup attempt in its tracks. According to the Russia-linked forces, militants allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM, along with the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front, launched near-simultaneous attacks across key cities in Mali. Targets reportedly included the capital Bamako, as well as Kati, Gao, Kidal, and Sevare, marking one of the most widespread offensives in the country in recent years. Videos released from both sides purportedly show intense combat scenes.

The USA surrounded Iran with military bases, and Tehran destroyed most of them. The New York Times wrote that the facilities "are all but uninhabitable". Ben Norton explains how Tehran is trying to expel the US empire from West Asia (aka the Middle East).

Pakistani Senator and former Minister of Information, Mushahid Hussain Sayed — the Iranian leadership accepted Pakistan's advice to open the Strait of Hormuz expecting the US to lift its blockade, "but unfortunately, Trump did not do that." So, the biggest hurdle to the second round of talks right now is the blockade.

"It is Netanyahu's war"

Netanyahu brought in US President Donald Trump "through blackmailing through the Epstein Files."

"Israel does not want peace"

"Zionism believes in Greater Israel and that it is a notion which we reject."

Unanswered questions are emerging around the deaths of several key researchers, drawing widespread attention.
Officials in the United States are facing calls for transparency as details remain unclear.
Experts and observers are urging a thorough review of the circumstances involved.
In this video, we break down what is known, what remains unanswered, and why this story is gaining traction.