The Duran Quick Take: Episode 252.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss rising tensions in the Mediterranean, as Turkey pushes forward with its illegal oil and gas drilling, despite EU sanctions.

Turkish President Erdogan stated that Turkey is prepared to reinvade Cyprus if needed.

The Duran Quick Take: Episode 251.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the latest Oliver Stone, on the record, interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin where they discussed the widely held belief that the English secret service was actually behind the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

The Duran Quick Take: Episode 251.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the latest Oliver Stone, on the record, interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin where they discussed the widely held belief that the English secret service was actually behind the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

PLEASE SEE, the first part of our Iran analysis which covers Iran's offer (later rejected) to the US to negotiate a new nuclear deal with the Trump White House.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I1qrIcYWz0

Within a matter of hours Iran offered the US a nuclear deal compromise, and then seized the UK tanker Stena Impero.

*****

The Duran Quick Take: Episode 250.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the stunning seizure of the UK Stena Impero tanker by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on Friday, in a key shipping route in the Gulf.

UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, has urged Iran to reverse its "illegal" seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf. Hunt said this "raises very serious questions" about the security of British and international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

A second British-owned Liberian-flagged tanker, the MV Mesdar, was also boarded by armed guards on the same day but was later released.

The Stena Impero seizure comes after the UK Royal Marines seized Iranian tanker Grace 1 off Gibraltar earlier this month, citing evidence it was carrying oil to Syria, in what was dubbed a breach of EU sanctions.  Iran described the incident as "piracy", but Jeremy Hunt said the Grace 1 was detained legally in Gibraltarian waters "totally within the law".

PLEASE SEE, the first part of our Iran analysis which covers Iran's offer (later rejected) to the US to negotiate a new nuclear deal with the Trump White House.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I1qrIcYWz0

Within a matter of hours Iran offered the US a nuclear deal compromise, and then seized the UK tanker Stena Impero.

*****

The Duran Quick Take: Episode 250.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the stunning seizure of the UK Stena Impero tanker by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on Friday, in a key shipping route in the Gulf.

UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, has urged Iran to reverse its "illegal" seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf. Hunt said this "raises very serious questions" about the security of British and international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

A second British-owned Liberian-flagged tanker, the MV Mesdar, was also boarded by armed guards on the same day but was later released.

The Stena Impero seizure comes after the UK Royal Marines seized Iranian tanker Grace 1 off Gibraltar earlier this month, citing evidence it was carrying oil to Syria, in what was dubbed a breach of EU sanctions.  Iran described the incident as "piracy", but Jeremy Hunt said the Grace 1 was detained legally in Gibraltarian waters "totally within the law".

PLEASE NOTE: This video was recorded moments before Iran seized the Stena Impero, sending shockwaves across the UK, EU and US. The surprise move, and subdued reaction thereafter, may reinforce much of the analysis in this video...BUT the tanker seizure may also turn much of what we thought was a possible opportunity for US-Iranian relations unto its head.

Please see our follow up video (link below) for greater context on the situation unfolding with Iran, the UK, Israel, and the US:

https://youtu.be/AnupcAquRus

*****

The Duran Quick Take: Episode 249.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss Iran's unexpected and 'substantial' nuclear offer in return for United States lifting sanctions.

The plan extended to the Trump White House by Iran's Foreign Minister, would allow enhanced, permanent nuclear inspections. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif  stated that the plan is "not about photo ops. We want substance".

PLEASE NOTE: This video was recorded moments before Iran seized the Stena Impero, sending shockwaves across the UK, EU and US. The surprise move, and subdued reaction thereafter, may reinforce much of the analysis in this video...BUT the tanker seizure may also turn much of what we thought was a possible opportunity for US-Iranian relations unto its head.

Please see our follow up video (link below) for greater context on the situation unfolding with Iran, the UK, Israel, and the US:

https://youtu.be/AnupcAquRus

*****

The Duran Quick Take: Episode 249.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss Iran's unexpected and 'substantial' nuclear offer in return for United States lifting sanctions.

The plan extended to the Trump White House by Iran's Foreign Minister, would allow enhanced, permanent nuclear inspections. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif  stated that the plan is "not about photo ops. We want substance".

The Duran Quick Take: Episode 248.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss CNN’s latest attempt to discredit and smear Julian Assange with assertions that Assange set up a command center in the Ecuador embassy where he coordinated WikiLeaks to work in concert with Russia so as to meddle in U.S. elections in 2016.

CNN reports as stated fact without providing any underlying evidence that while at the Ecuadorian embassy Julian Assange “smeared faeces on the walls out of anger.”

CNN makes no mention of Guccifer 2.0 data transfers, deliberately shifting away from Mueller's 'transfer of hacked documents' claim, and refocusing attention towards 'mysterious people entering' the heavily surveilled Ecuador embassy, as the method with which Wikileaks obtained leaked emails and documents.

The Duran Quick Take: Episode 248.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss CNN’s latest attempt to discredit and smear Julian Assange with assertions that Assange set up a command center in the Ecuador embassy where he coordinated WikiLeaks to work in concert with Russia so as to meddle in U.S. elections in 2016.

CNN reports as stated fact without providing any underlying evidence that while at the Ecuadorian embassy Julian Assange “smeared faeces on the walls out of anger.”

CNN makes no mention of Guccifer 2.0 data transfers, deliberately shifting away from Mueller's 'transfer of hacked documents' claim, and refocusing attention towards 'mysterious people entering' the heavily surveilled Ecuador embassy, as the method with which Wikileaks obtained leaked emails and documents.

The Duran Quick Take: Episode 247.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the surprising response, beyond threatening rhetoric, out of the European Union over Turkey's violations of Cypriot territorial waters related to offshore drilling operations.

The EU has agreed to bring financial and political sanctions against Turkey after repeat warnings over the past weeks.

European Union officials on Monday agreed political and financial sanctions against Turkey after Ankara went ahead with drilling operations off Cyprus despite repeated warnings, European diplomats said. — AFP

EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters following a meeting of foreign ministers that "the conclusions on Turkey have been adopted and they will be made public in the coming hours."