The New Dark Age

Wednesday, 19 August 2026 — Chronicles of Haiphong

Geopolitical analyst and independent journalist Pepe Escobar discusses the new phase of war ignited by the expiration of the MoU. Has Iran really struck the UAE, and what’s behind the extreme confidence expressed by both sides of the conflict amid renewed escalation? We answer these questions and so much more.

Thursday, 20 August 2026 — Transition Protocol

Trump’s White House tried to buy off Iran’s Revolutionary Guard with a multi-billion-dollar offer modeled on the Venezuela playbook — and got refused twice, first by IRGC commander Vahidi, who called it treason, and then by Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir, who told Trump directly that Islamabad would not help destabilize Tehran’s leadership. In this episode, Zulfiqar Ali, Pepe Escobar, and Larry Johnson break down the failed bribery attempt, China’s directive to Pakistan to prioritize its Iran relationship, and why the collapse of the US–Iran memorandum of understanding is now pushing Washington toward open discussion of a nuclear strike on Iran.

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Saturday, 15 August 2026 — Transition Protocol

Iran has reportedly given Washington a matter of days — not weeks — to change course on the Strait of Hormuz, according to Pakistani and Iranian mediation sources detailed in this Transition Protocol special. In this breaking-news episode, Zulfiqar Ali and Pepe Escobar break down MBS’s second phone call blocking a revamped US strike on Iran, the UAE’s stunning gold-and-cash outreach to Tehran, Pakistan and China’s central role as mediators, and Iran’s readiness — including a reported 2,000-boat swarm fleet — to defend the Strait of Hormuz if diplomacy fails.

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

Transition Protocol / Power Shift delivers unfiltered, source-driven breakdowns of the biggest shifts in global power — de-dollarization, BRICS, great-power rivalry, and the wars reshaping the multipolar world order. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss the next emergency episode.

Thursday, 13 August 2026 — Chronicles of Haiphong

Former UN Weapons Inspector & US Marine Intel Officer Scott Ritter discusses the shocking developments in an alleged Iranian attempt on Trump’s life plus new details emerging on the crisis aboard the USS Lincoln as 5,000 US Sailors face the brink of catastrophe