This interview was recorded Monday afternoon August 10, 2026.

As of this week, it’s pretty clear that the U.S. has lost any leverage (real or preceived) over Iran, and is now struggling to retain a military foothold in the Middle East. Trump seems to have no answer, as his strategic blunder is compounded by Iran’s new proactive stance in working to evict the U.S. from the Persian Gulf. Iran is moving to consolidate its gains, as the war that was supposed to bring the Iranian government to its knees backfires badly on the U.S. and Israeli war machine on multiple fronts—including Saudi’s self-inflicted debacle with Yemen and Iraq. What will Trump do next?

I talked with host Danny Haiphong about these and other key developments in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Watch:

UPDATE: According to a new report in. Axios, Trump is preparing a massive attack on Iran, as the Pentagon is said to be mobilizing forces in several regional countries for a potential “blitz” attack on Iran, alongside Israel. According to Trump, this will be on a scale larger than strikes already witnessed previously, saying that, “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it.” If and when this attack materializes this week remains to be seen, but the war rhetoric has definitely been ramped-up again.