Houthi Update with Pepe, While Scott and I Debate Trump’s Threat to Bomb Iran

Several items I want to flag for your attention. I have posted below my latest Counter Currents video, which is an interview of Pepe Escobar, who discusses in detail his recent expedition to Yemen. While the US routinely defines Yemen as a terrorist state, it is nothing of the sort. The Houthis are a clan of Shi’a Muslims — note, they are Zaidis.

The Zaidis version of Shi’a Islam predates the formation of the Twelvers, which is what is practiced in Iran. Zaidis follow Zaid ibn Ali (grandson of Husayn ibn Ali) as the 5th Imam, differing from Twelvers and Ismailis on the succession line. They are primarily located in Yemen, where they have been active since the seventh century. They reject the concept of divinely hidden Imams and emphasize scholarly and activist leadership.

The Shi’a are not traditionally, nor in practice, in sync with the Sunni Wahabi/Salafist groups, which are responsible for most of the terrorism recorded in US State Department reports over the last 25 years. The Houthis Zaidis are fighting to defend the people of Palestine. Pepe does his usual masterful job of reporting on what he saw and learned while in Yemen:

Shifting gears a bit, Scott Ritter and I chatted with Nima today and spent most of the time debating the likelihood of the US attacking Iran. I have a different perspective than Scott, but we showed how to have a reasoned debate while maintaining respect for one another. Nima also jumped into the discussion and added some valuable insights about Iran:

Lastly, I want to alert you to a ridiculous article written by George W. Bush’s former speech writer, Marc Thiessen. To call Mr. Thiessen an ignorant hack, is an insult to the hacks that infest Washington, DC.

His op-ed in the Washington Post is titled, Putin is stalling and Trump is angry. It’s time for ‘maximum pressure.’ The accusation that Putin is stalling, which I addressed in my recent article, Trump’s Negotiators Fail to Understand Russia and Europe Crashes and Burns, is a lie. Putin is not stalling. He is waiting for the US to deliver on its part of the agreement regarding the Black Sea and exports of grains and fertilizer… namely, lift the sanctions and reconnect the Russian bank that handles payments for these exports to SWIFT. And then there is the issue of Zelensky’s decree, which makes it illegal for ANY Ukrainian to negotiate with the Russians.

I will only subject you to three paragraphs from Thiessen’s incredibly obtuse and ignorant prose:

Trump is right. Putin is dragging his feet and does not seem to realize that he is in no position to make demands. Russia is incredibly weak, both economically and militarily, which means that in these negotiations, Trump holds all the cards.

In 2022, Putin planned for a war that would last weeks but now finds himself in a protracted conflict that is bleeding Russia’s human, military and financial capital dry. That gives Trump enormous leverage. If Putin refuses his demands for peace, Trump can unleash an Iran-style maximum pressure campaign on Moscow that would devastate Russia.

Take the situation on the battlefield. In 2024, Russian forces took a grand total of 1,609 square miles of territory, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). That is an area equivalent to about 15 percent of Haiti. Most of the territory captured was composed of fields and small settlements, none holding any strategic significance.

Au contraire, Mr. Thiessen. Mr. Putin holds all the cards. Trump does not even hold a trump card. Unlike the US economy, which grew by 2.8% in 2024, Russia’s economy is clicking along at a rate of 4.1%, notwithstanding being hit with a tsunami of Western sanctions over the past three years.

The reason I’m drawing attention to the work of this cretin, is that Thiessen’s views reflect the beliefs of the Washington establishment. This wrongheaded thinking explains why Trump and his national security team are unable to hear and comprehend what the Russians are saying to them behind closed doors. When you enter negotiations armed with a mountain of false assumptions regarding Russia’s economic and military strength, then the odds that you can secure a meaningful peace deal are slim to none.

If Trump is foolish enough to ramp up military and intelligence support for Ukraine, especially in the wake of the NY Times article by Adam Entous — where a host of US officials confirmed they have planned and helped execute attacks on Russian territory and Russian personnel — and, at the same time, attack Iran, his Presidency will end in utter failure. Trump needs a serious adult capable of sitting him down and explaining reality to him, i.e., the US has limited supplies of HIMARS, ATACMS, Patriot missiles and battle tanks. He will not secure peace by threatening military action. Unfortunately, I don’t think President Trump is in the mood to listen.