The John Batchelor Show

Bill Roggio highlights that the ceasefire is a return to the status quo from February. He argues that the military was restrained from finishing the job and doubts the Iranian people's willingness to overthrow the regime. Meanwhile, Hezbollah remains active in southern Lebanon. (2)
1903

Bill Roggio discusses a rumored memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. Roggio expresses skepticism, noting that while the Strait of Hormuz may reopen, the deal fails to address Iran's nuclear program or its support for regional proxies like Hezbollah. (1)
1903 PERSIA

Preview for Later Today: Veteran David Daoud discusses the IDF's campaign against Hezbollah, noting that occupying large portions of Lebanon is beyond Israel's current manpower. The military strategy focuses on tactical operations near the Litani River to degrade capabilities.
1899 BEIRUT

Preview for Later Today: Analyst John Hardie examines a call between Presidents Trump and Putin, highlighting the role of private envoys. He explains how Putin attempts to manipulate U.S. perceptions by claiming battlefield dominance to force Ukrainian concessions.
BLACK SEA FLEET

Preview for Later Today: Fraser Howie discusses the tragic decline of the U.S. global alliance network. He observes that allies in Asia and Europe now view America as unreliable, prompting a shift toward self-reliance and independent security strategies.
1903 BRUSSELS

Reflecting on the year 1860, Germanicus characterizes the American Civil War as an authoritarian suppression of the South by rigid abolitionists who sought to replace southern institutions with a utopian vision. He draws a direct parallel between those nineteenth-century radicals and modern "woke progressives," claiming both share an authoritarian mindset that views their opponents as "evil" rather than merely disagreeable. Germanicus warns that this drive to "transform" the nation through force and the refusal to seek true reconciliation mirrors the unresolved tensions of the Spanish Civil War. He concludes that by using the past to ensure control of the future rather than learning its lessons, the nation risks entering a cycle of "endless strife" and permanent internal conflict. (3)
2808 BOSTON

Gaius and Germanicus critique the 2026 US-Iran peace negotiations, which Gaius describes as a "work of fiction" and "anti-theater" lacking any heroic or certain resolution. Germanicus asserts that the current leadership is a symptom of a broader systemic collapse within the American imperial institution, which he claims has relied on a "tissue of lies" since the beginning of the global war on terror. He argues that modern "emperors" have forgotten that the United Statesremains a republic where wars require the validity and engagement of the people to be sustainable. Without a "mythic passage of becoming" or a shared existential experience, the speakers warn that the pursuit of disconnected, feckless adventures will eventually lead to the self-destruction of the state. (2)
1701

In the setting of Londinium, 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus contrast the Roman "triumph"—a sacred ritual bonding the citizenry to the sacrifice of war—with the failing 2026 American way of war. Germanicus argues that for a republic to remain healthy, war must function as "theater" that allows the people to embrace the experience and sacrifice of their soldiers vicariously. He notes that while World War II and even the initial stages of the Iraq War utilized media and film to create this vital national connection, current conflicts have become opaque "vanity projects." This lack of transparency has severed the sacred bond between the leadership and the people, leaving an isolated "imperial court" to pursue its own interests disconnected from the republic. (1)
1965 VIETNAM