The John Batchelor Show
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor Show.
4. Middle East Realignment: Iranian Devaluation, Turkish Expansion, MALCOLM HOENLEIN & THADDEUS MCCOTTER 083126
17 minutes Posted Aug 31, 2026 at 10:53 pm.
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CAPTION: 1906 OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Malcolm Hoenlein covers shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics across the Middle East. Inside Iran, severe inflation, food shortages, and medicine price hikes are suffocating the middle class, prompting harsher internal crackdowns by the regime. Meanwhile, Omani channel shipping flows have partially improved following US-led mine sweeping efforts. In Syria, Turkey is pursuing a quiet military takeover, a move contested by Israel. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is utilizing pipelines to bypass shipping threats, and Finland has joined other nations in defunding the corrupt Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. Finally, Greece and Israel have solidified a historic $3.5 billion multi-level defense agreement. (4)