Show notes
The “no meeting scheduled” headline sounds small until you trace what it’s sitting on top of: a disputed MOU, a live-fire exchange around the Strait of Hormuz, and a U.S. posture that may be more exit than escalation. Larry Johnson joins me to walk through why Iran says it never asked for direct talks, how transit protocols are being enforced on the water, and why public claims of leverage do not match the operational reality on the ground.Then we follow the consequences where they actually land: your cost of living. If Gulf shipping gets constrained, the shock is bigger than oil. We talk sulfur and urea shortages that squeeze fertilizer production, what that means for food supply and prices into the next season, and why helium matters for semiconductors and consumer electronics. This is geopolitics as supply chain math, and the math is ugly.We also revisit the JCPOA and the nuclear incentives created when agreements collapse under pressure, plus the growing role of China and Russia in shaping Iran’s options. From alternative payment systems like CIPS to rail corridors that rewire trade routes, a post-dollar world is not a slogan, it’s infrastructure. We close with the escalating danger in Europe and Ukraine, where miscalculation could drag NATO into decisions it is not politically ready to make.If this helped you connect military headlines to economic reality, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. What’s the single biggest risk you think people are underestimating right now?Chapter Markers0:00 Cold Open And What’s Brewing1:50 Did Iran Actually Ask For Talks3:20 Strait Rules And The Drone Strike6:55 Withdrawal Orders And Base Damage11:30 Iraq Raids And Lebanon Pressure Points14:45 Why A Gulf War Is Unworkable21:26 Fertilizer Helium And The Price Shock25:27 JCPOA Lessons And Nuclear Incentives31:10 Protecting Your Finances From Inflation34:04 Iran China Rail And A New Payment System40:32 Europe Ukraine And Article V Risk45:39 War Games And Cooked Outcomes49:19 Syria As A Proxy Idea And FarewellSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy