This is a CBSI on the world. I'm John Bachelor with my colleague Anatole

of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Anatole in putting together this positive view of what could be happening on the basis of the defense minister of Italy saying it's time to talk.

There is the negative, we've talked of the Baltic states, but then there's this.

The Red Sea is now also the Persian Gulf for questions raised about the bad acting of Iran and its surrogates.

There is reporting, it's not confirmed, there is reporting now of an oil tanker being

taken captive by black-suited men, no identification, but this is off of Iran. I mentioned this quickly, not to

put it all together, but to say that over these last days it's becoming repeatedly an issue that the axis of resistance includes Iran with drones for

the attack on Ukraine and now Iran linked to the Houthi-HAP. the appears that the war is growing or am I listening too keenly to the Hawk Voices in Washington?

Well, I mean if the Hawk Voices in Washington took this threat seriously, then, you know, for years now, people have been saying, look, if you are really worried about the spread of conflict in the Middle East, seek detente with Iran as Obama tried to do through the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement. If you're worried about the possibility of Iranian

missile drone supplies to Russia, then seek detente with Iran.

If you are mainly worried about a threat from China, then seek some form of detente with Russia, as people have said.

I mean, the point about the Hawks in Washington is it that it is their policies which

have brought all these countries together who are not natural allies at all.

But obviously if America treats all of them simultaneously as enemies, then they will combine against America to some degree.

I mean, they're not, in any way, full allies. Iran is not going to send its army to Ukraine and Russia is not going to send its, you know, armed forces to defend Iran.

But obviously there will be a corporation and the, you know, the results for Russia are obviously of what is happening in the Middle

East. I mean, by the way, obviously the crisis in the Middle East is not due to Russia.

It comes from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on which Russia has actually

been neutral until the latest crisis.

Russia has retained good relations with Israel up to now. But obviously I mean what's happening in the

Middle East is greatly to Russia's advantage. It distracts America, it means that

America because it has to retain sufficient stocks of its own

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