This is John Bachelor, conversation with Caleb Weiss of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy.

He's in Africa, reporting for the Bridgeway Foundation about Somalia, a state that the U.S. has long history with dating back to the late 20th century, the

George H.W. administration, Mogadishu, Blackhawk Down.

Now Somalia is ripped apart by factions, some of which are jihadist.

Al-Shabaab, the surrogate for al-Qaeda in the neighborhood of East Africa,

versus a new element ISIS especially contesting

for villages and territory against al-Qaeda's al-Shabaab. There is the central government at Mogadishu. The African

Union has been present but is departing. What other players in Somalia as the country is pulled

apart? There's Ethiopia looking for a deal in some fashion

with Somaliland, but most important I learned from Caleb is the Iranian influence. You will recall most recently the

US Navy interdicted a supply ship in some fashion a supply ship headed to Yemen from off the coast of Somalia.

Two Navy SEALs lost their lives in this interdiction.

And Caleb identifies Somalia as a nexus for Iran's smuggling

to Yemen. Here's Caleb Weiss explaining Iran in Somalia, back one more time to Mogadishu Blackhawk down with many twists.

I don't want to be too conspiratorial but my first instinct would be Iran.

Iran already has there's evidence that the IRGC that's their

Revolutionary Guard Corps has smuggling ties to various smugglers in Somalia as well as ties to other nefarious actors in Somalia that I mean we related to weapon shipments and other support to Yemen.

So I would think that if Somalia collapses even further,

you would see increased Iranian activity in Somalia to get more weapons or more support or whatever to their proxies in Yemen.

More of this later. Thank you.