The New Atlas (previously Land Destroyer) on Odysee

-In this video, I respond to a recently received e-mail attempting to set me up for a smear piece trying to frame my work exposing US interference in Southeast Asia (and Indonesia in particular) as a “coordinated campaign” with “Russian media;”

- The author was Ika Ningtyas, a “fact-check coordinator” at Soros Open Society-funded Tempo in Indonesia. Ika Ningtyas has also worked for or coordinated with US government organizations like Voice of America, NED-funded organizations like Remotivi, as well as US and European government-funded organizations like Aliansi Jurnalis Independen;

- This represents an effort to attack people exposing the danger of US interference abroad and an attempt to protect opposition groups the US is funding and backing in targeted nations;

- The ability of the US to reach into a targeted nation’s political and information space represents a danger equal or greater than the threat of US military aggression - allowing the US to undermine and even overthrow governments without the US military firing a single shot;

- The vast networks the US builds up over years to achieve this eventually reach critical mass and by the time the targeted nation realizes something must be done, it is too late - making it important to expose this problem and address sooner rather than later;


References:

The New Atlas - Continuity of Agenda: US Targets Indonesia - Seeks to Punish Jakarta for Joining BRICS (Sep. 4, 2025):
https://youtu.be/BqgOn94c23M?si=_wujHPWMDhFRwlen
Mongabay - ‘Without us, no scrutiny’: Indonesia’s independent media count cost of US funding cuts (Mar. 2025):
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/without-us-there-is-no-scrutiny-indonesias-independent-media-count-cost-of-us-funding-cuts/
NED - Where NED Works:
https://www.ned.org/regions-2/
Guardian - US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev (2004):
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/nov/26/ukraine.usa
NYT - U.S. Groups Helped Nurture Arab Uprisings (2011):
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/world/15aid.html
RAND Corporation - Extending Russia (2019):
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR3000/RR3063/RAND_RR3063.pdf
TEMPO - Tempo Responds to Prabowo's Claims of Serving Foreign Interests (Jan 2026):
https://en.tempo.co/read/2082833/tempo-responds-to-prabowos-claims-of-serving-foreign-interests
MDIF - Funders:
https://www.mdif.org/about/funders-and-impact-investors/
Open Society Foundations, Soros Economic Development Fund - Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF):
https://www.soroseconomicdevelopmentfund.org/investments/media-development-investment-fund
Kompas.com - Homepage (scroll down to Poynter logo):
https://www.kompas.com/
Poynter - IFCN:
https://www.poynter.org/ifcn/
Poynter - Major Funders:
https://www.poynter.org/major-funders/#1632843888743-52666069-9ec9
Project Multaatuli - Collaborations:
https://projectmultatuli.org/en/about/kolaborasi/

Ika Ningtyas Contributions to US Government & US NED-funded Media

Tribun Makassar - Follow the Webinar on Media Literacy in the Digital Era by VOA (2021):
https://makassar.tribunnews.com/2021/09/27/ikuti-webinar-literasi-media-di-era-digital-oleh-voa-dan-aji-berhadiah-handphone
Remotivi - DDoS, A New Way Of Silencing Critical Media (2022):
https://www.remotivi.or.id/headline/esai/792
VOA - Article 1 (Jan. 2024):
https://www.voaindonesia.com/a/aji-kebebasan-pers-di-indonesia-2023-dalam-kondisi-krisis-/7466183.html
VOA - Article 2 (2023):
https://www.voaindonesia.com/a/indeks-kebebasan-pers-sedunia-2023-peringkat-ri-membaik-tapi-jurnalis-masih-bekerja-di-lingkungan-sulit-/7076452.html
VOA - Article 3 (Feb. 2024):
https://www.voaindonesia.com/a/amnesty-internasional-indonesia-268-pembela-ham-diserang-sepanjang-2023/7467799.html
ANFREL (NED-funded) - ANFREL highlights importance of media in informing the public, monitoring electoral processes to achieve free, fair and democratic elections (2023):
https://anfrel.org/anfrel-highlights-importance-of-media-in-informing-the-public-monitoring-electoral-processes-to-achieve-free-fair-and-democratic-elections/

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/landdestroyer
PromptPay: 0851547235
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y57Ol8oYJHE

Europe has already suffered what is likely irreversible political and economic damage from its political capture by the US and now its growing energy dependence on the US.

Asia risks being likewise weakened by growing energy dependence on the US, making political capture much more likely by the US, then being transformed into a united front - this time against China rather than Russia - and used to wage war on the US’ behalf at the expense of the people, peace, and prosperity of Asia.

References:

RAND Corporation - Extending Russia (2019):
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR3000/RR3063/RAND_RR3063.pdf
Energy Intelligence - Low Prices Threaten US LNG Exports (2019):
https://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/pictures/ColumbiaUniversityCenterGlobalEnergyPolicy-wg190612_4.pdf
ABC News - Trump admin approves new sale of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine (2019):
https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-admin-approves-sale-anti-tank-weapons-ukraine/story?id=65989898
NYT - The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership (2025):
https://archive.ph/p7lM1
BBC - How US Marines are being reshaped for China threat (2023):
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64294915
US Naval Institute - Tighten the Belt and Cut the Roads (2024):
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/january/tighten-belt-and-cut-roads
US Naval War College Review - A Maritime Oil Blockade Against China—Tactically Tempting but Strategically Flawed (2018):
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1735&context=nwc-review
NEO - American/Ukrainians Caught Arming Militants in Myanmar and the US Dirty War on China (Mar. 2026):
https://journal-neo.su/2026/03/20/american-ukrainians-caught-arming-militants-in-myanmar-and-the-us-dirty-war-on-china/
Irrawaddy - Myanmar Junta Abandons Chinese Pipeline Amid Resistance Attacks (May 2025):
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/war-against-the-junta/myanmar-junta-abandons-chinese-pipeline-amid-resistance-attacks.html
Irrawaddy - China-Backed Pipeline Facility Damaged in Myanmar Resistance Attack (Feb. 2022):
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/china-backed-pipeline-facility-damaged-in-myanmar-resistance-attack.html
Politico - 5 charts show China’s oil dilemma after US strikes (Mar. 2, 2026):
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/02/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415
Guardian - From Jakarta to Manila, south-east Asia turns to Russia to plug fuel, fertiliser gaps caused by Iran war (Apr. 29, 2026):
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/29/from-jakarta-to-manila-south-east-asia-turns-to-russia-to-plug-fuel-fertiliser-gaps-caused-by-iran-war
WSJ - U.S. Energy Exports Hit Records as World Adjusts to a Closed Persian Gulf (Apr. 24, 2026):
https://archive.ph/6pofd
US Naval Institute - Tighten the Belt and Cut the Roads (2024):
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/january/tighten-belt-and-cut-roads

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/landdestroyer
PromptPay: 0851547235
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLwPdT30_C8

- the US has escalated its blockade on Iran by striking and disabling 3 Iranian commercial vessels over the course of 3 days using inexpensive and plentiful 20mm cannon fire and standard guided missiles;

- this comes at a time when reports indicate the US has seized several ships, turned back dozens of others, while a nearly equal number have passed through the US blockade;

- the US tightening of its blockade in this manner both demonstrates a capacity to disable ships in large numbers at will, created deterrence against Iranian ships seeking to run the blockade, and avoids rapid escalation and market price fluctuations that might disturb Washington’s controlled demolition of Middle East energy exports and placing Asia further under US energy dependence;

References:

Army Recognition - US Navy launches first F/A-18 strafing attacks against Iranian tankers in Gulf of Oman (May 9, 2026):
https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2026/us-navy-launches-first-f-a-18-strafing-attacks-against-iranian-tankers-in-gulf-of-oman
USNI News - USS Tripoli, 31st MEU Heading to the Middle East (Mar. 13, 2026):
https://news.usni.org/2026/03/13/uss-tripoli-31st-meu-heading-to-the-middle-east
Guardian - US military seizes Iran-flagged ship trying to pass strait of Hormuz blockade (Apr. 20, 2026):
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/19/trump-us-seizes-iran-flagged-cargo-ship
Reuters - Exclusive: US intercepts three Iranian oil tankers in Asian waters, sources say (Apr. 23, 2026):
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-intercepts-three-iranian-oil-tankers-asian-waters-sources-say-2026-04-22/
FT - Iranian tankers bypass US blockade (Apr. 21, 2026):
https://archive.ph/GaTLm#selection-1997.182-1997.249
RAND Corporation - Extending Russia (2019):
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR3000/RR3063/RAND_RR3063.pdf
Brookings Institution - Which Path to Persia (2009):
https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06_iran_strategy.pdf
BBC - How US Marines are being reshaped for China threat (2023):
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64294915
Daily Beast - Iran Trolls Trump With Claim He Is Gaming the Markets (Mar. 30, 2026):
https://www.thedailybeast.com/iran-trolls-trump-with-claim-he-is-gaming-the-markets/

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/landdestroyer
PromptPay: 0851547235
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uigltdeqQMQ

The prospect of US war against Iran and around the globe continuously escalating in the near to intermediate future is inevitable because the wars taking place now are being fought specifically to prepare for a future confrontation with China itself. For this reason, the prospects of the US arriving at any sort of “peace” deal with Russia or Iran is near zero.

References:

NEO - Why the US is at War with Iran and Why the War Might Pause but Won’t End (Apr. 28, 2026):
https://journal-neo.su/2026/04/28/why-the-us-is-at-war-with-iran-and-why-the-war-might-pause-but-wont-end/
NYT - The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership (Dec. 2025):
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/30/world/europe/ukraine-war-us-russia.html
US DoD - Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Feb. 2025):
https://www.war.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4064113/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-ukraine-defense-contact/
FT - Iranian tankers bypass US blockade (Apr. 22, 2026):
https://www.ft.com/content/21dff2c7-1e27-4f74-81d8-31dcdbe9188e?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Politico - 5 charts show China’s oil dilemma after US strikes (Mar. 2, 2026):
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/02/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415
Reuters - How China is plugging energy supply gaps left by US-Iran conflict (Apr. 15, 2026):
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/how-china-is-plugging-energy-supply-gaps-left-by-us-iran-conflict-2026-04-14/#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20crude%20oil,the%20same%20months%20in%202025.
US Senate Committee on Armed Services - Open/Closed: Hearing titleTo receive testimony on the posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program (April 21, 2026):
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/to-receive-testimony-on-the-posture-of-united-states-indo-pacific-command-and-united-states-forces-korea-in-review-of-the-defense-authorization-request-for-fiscal-year-2027-and-the-future-years-defense-program
US Senate Committee on Armed Services - Open/Closed: Hearing titleTo receive testimony on the posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program (April 21, 2026) (on YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/live/tS35HiTYQkQ?si=jbqLio99Bwi8yJRm
Governor Mike Dunleavy - ASEC 2025: An Introduction to Glenfarne (June 7, 2025):
https://youtu.be/i7ns5PH2W7E?si=pI7ZohNuBgHkFugf
US Office of the Historian - Courses of Action in Vietnam (1965):
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v03/d189
US Office of the Historian - The Philippine-American War, 1899–1902:
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/war
US Naval Institute - Tighten the Belt and Cut the Roads (2024):
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/january/tighten-belt-and-cut-roads
Defense Post - Japan Delivers First Domestically Produced Patriot Interceptors to US (2025):
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/11/25/japan-patriot-interceptors-us/
Stars and Stripes - South Korean shipbuilder secures deal to maintain US Navy dry cargo vessel (Dec. 2025):
https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2025-12-16/navy-ship-maintenance-repair-korea-20108164.html
RAND Corporation - Extending Russia (2019):
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR3000/RR3063/RAND_RR3063.pdf
Guardian - The great energy pivot: US oil and Chinese solar are the winners in Trump’s war on Iran (Apr. 26, 2026):
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/26/more-than-oil-prices-iran-war-threatens-to-reshape-global-energy-order
The Edge Malaysia - Vietnam gas major looks to US as Iran war reorders LPG flows (Apr. 28, 2026):
https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/801515

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/landdestroyer
PromptPay: 0851547235
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a5jVp0LkI4

Part 3 of 3

Part 1: https://youtu.be/x9ban3AI5oE?si=cgM2ZCxkeF7M8GZn
Part 2: https://youtu.be/BTlUKqZSo4c?si=MLiS7Ip3bOmBqurF
Part 3: https://youtu.be/tyXGuyJ5F2k?si=Ly05C_8sd9uSNMtY

US foreign policy is driven by US corporate interests but often buried by public political theater and daily headlines designed specifically to distract away from the true nature and purpose of US foreign policy objectives.

However, during US Senate and House hearings, there are relatively unfiltered discussions about these policies made public with a fair degree of confidence most Americans will NOT watch them.

I provide a breakdown of one of these hearings (April 21, 2026) focused on encircling, containing, and confronting China within the Asia-Pacific region - contradicting many of the misconceptions created by Western media using the words of US Senators and their witnesses themselves to do so.

References:

NYT - The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership (Dec. 2025):
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/30/world/europe/ukraine-war-us-russia.html
US DoD - Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Feb. 2025):
https://www.war.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4064113/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-ukraine-defense-contact/
FT - Iranian tankers bypass US blockade (Apr. 22, 2026):
https://www.ft.com/content/21dff2c7-1e27-4f74-81d8-31dcdbe9188e?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Politico - 5 charts show China’s oil dilemma after US strikes (Mar. 2, 2026):
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/02/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415
Reuters - How China is plugging energy supply gaps left by US-Iran conflict (Apr. 15, 2026):
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/how-china-is-plugging-energy-supply-gaps-left-by-us-iran-conflict-2026-04-14/#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20crude%20oil,the%20same%20months%20in%202025.
US Senate Committee on Armed Services - Open/Closed: Hearing titleTo receive testimony on the posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program (April 21, 2026):
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/to-receive-testimony-on-the-posture-of-united-states-indo-pacific-command-and-united-states-forces-korea-in-review-of-the-defense-authorization-request-for-fiscal-year-2027-and-the-future-years-defense-program
US Senate Committee on Armed Services - Open/Closed: Hearing titleTo receive testimony on the posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program (April 21, 2026) (on YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/live/tS35HiTYQkQ?si=jbqLio99Bwi8yJRm
Governor Mike Dunleavy - ASEC 2025: An Introduction to Glenfarne (June 7, 2025):
https://youtu.be/i7ns5PH2W7E?si=pI7ZohNuBgHkFugf
US Office of the Historian - Courses of Action in Vietnam (1965):
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v03/d189
US Office of the Historian - The Philippine-American War, 1899–1902:
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/war
US Naval Institute - Tighten the Belt and Cut the Roads (2024):
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/january/tighten-belt-and-cut-roads
Defense Post - Japan Delivers First Domestically Produced Patriot Interceptors to US (2025):
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/11/25/japan-patriot-interceptors-us/
Stars and Stripes - South Korean shipbuilder secures deal to maintain US Navy dry cargo vessel (Dec. 2025):
https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2025-12-16/navy-ship-maintenance-repair-korea-20108164.html
RAND Corporation - Extending Russia (2019):
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR3000/RR3063/RAND_RR3063.pdf
Guardian - The great energy pivot: US oil and Chinese solar are the winners in Trump’s war on Iran (Apr. 26, 2026):
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/26/more-than-oil-prices-iran-war-threatens-to-reshape-global-energy-order
The Edge Malaysia - Vietnam gas major looks to US as Iran war reorders LPG flows (Apr. 28, 2026):
https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/801515

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/landdestroyer
PromptPay: 0851547235
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyXGuyJ5F2k

- The US is talking about drawing down US troops in Europe - not because a division between the US and Europe - but a division of labor imposed on Europe by the US;

- The US seeks access to Indonesian airspace specifically to begin threatening the Strait of Malacca in the same manner it has already done to the Strait of Hormuz - expanding its global energy blockade on China;

- The ongoing US blockade on Iran is not absolute as claimed by the US government, but also not non-existent as claimed by others. It is imposing costs on Iran and its trading partner China and compounding a growing energy crisis the US itself is eagerly exploiting across Asia;

References:

US DoD - Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Feb. 2025):
https://www.war.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4064113/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-ukraine-defense-contact/
Politico - 5 charts show China’s oil dilemma after US strikes (March 2026):
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/02/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415
The Diplomat - Did Indonesia Just Lock Itself Into an Energy Future It Can’t Afford? (Feb 2026):
https://thediplomat.com/2026/02/did-indonesia-just-lock-itself-into-an-energy-future-it-cant-afford/
NEO - Why the US is at War with Iran and Why the War Might Pause but Won’t End (Apr. 28, 2026):
https://journal-neo.su/2026/04/28/why-the-us-is-at-war-with-iran-and-why-the-war-might-pause-but-wont-end/
NEO - The US War for Energy Dominance Seeks Dominance Over Europe and Asia (May 3, 2026):
https://journal-neo.su/2026/05/03/the-us-war-for-energy-dominance-seeks-dominance-over-europe-and-asia/

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/landdestroyer
PromptPay: 0851547235
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcqO6XMzU2M

Part 2 of 3

Part 1: https://youtu.be/x9ban3AI5oE?si=cgM2ZCxkeF7M8GZn
Part 2: https://youtu.be/BTlUKqZSo4c?si=MLiS7Ip3bOmBqurF
Part 3: https://youtu.be/tyXGuyJ5F2k?si=Ly05C_8sd9uSNMtY

US foreign policy is driven by US corporate interests but often buried by public political theater and daily headlines designed specifically to distract away from the true nature and purpose of US foreign policy objectives.

However, during US Senate and House hearings, there are relatively unfiltered discussions about these policies made public with a fair degree of confidence most Americans will NOT watch them.

I provide a breakdown of one of these hearings (April 21, 2026) focused on encircling, containing, and confronting China within the Asia-Pacific region - contradicting many of the misconceptions created by Western media using the words of US Senators and their witnesses themselves to do so.

References:

NYT - The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership (Dec. 2025):
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/30/world/europe/ukraine-war-us-russia.html
US DoD - Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Feb. 2025):
https://www.war.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4064113/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-ukraine-defense-contact/
FT - Iranian tankers bypass US blockade (Apr. 22, 2026):
https://www.ft.com/content/21dff2c7-1e27-4f74-81d8-31dcdbe9188e?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Politico - 5 charts show China’s oil dilemma after US strikes (Mar. 2, 2026):
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/02/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415
Reuters - How China is plugging energy supply gaps left by US-Iran conflict (Apr. 15, 2026):
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/how-china-is-plugging-energy-supply-gaps-left-by-us-iran-conflict-2026-04-14/#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20crude%20oil,the%20same%20months%20in%202025.
US Senate Committee on Armed Services - Open/Closed: Hearing titleTo receive testimony on the posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program (April 21, 2026):
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/to-receive-testimony-on-the-posture-of-united-states-indo-pacific-command-and-united-states-forces-korea-in-review-of-the-defense-authorization-request-for-fiscal-year-2027-and-the-future-years-defense-program
US Senate Committee on Armed Services - Open/Closed: Hearing titleTo receive testimony on the posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program (April 21, 2026) (on YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/live/tS35HiTYQkQ?si=jbqLio99Bwi8yJRm
Governor Mike Dunleavy - ASEC 2025: An Introduction to Glenfarne (June 7, 2025):
https://youtu.be/i7ns5PH2W7E?si=pI7ZohNuBgHkFugf
US Office of the Historian - Courses of Action in Vietnam (1965):
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v03/d189
US Office of the Historian - The Philippine-American War, 1899–1902:
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/war
US Naval Institute - Tighten the Belt and Cut the Roads (2024):
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/january/tighten-belt-and-cut-roads
Defense Post - Japan Delivers First Domestically Produced Patriot Interceptors to US (2025):
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/11/25/japan-patriot-interceptors-us/
Stars and Stripes - South Korean shipbuilder secures deal to maintain US Navy dry cargo vessel (Dec. 2025):
https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2025-12-16/navy-ship-maintenance-repair-korea-20108164.html
RAND Corporation - Extending Russia (2019):
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR3000/RR3063/RAND_RR3063.pdf
Guardian - The great energy pivot: US oil and Chinese solar are the winners in Trump’s war on Iran (Apr. 26, 2026):
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/26/more-than-oil-prices-iran-war-threatens-to-reshape-global-energy-order
The Edge Malaysia - Vietnam gas major looks to US as Iran war reorders LPG flows (Apr. 28, 2026):
https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/801515

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTlUKqZSo4c

- The US "Dark Eagle" hypersonic missile is still under development, has been produced in only small numbers, is expected to be manufactured at a rate of only 2 missiles a month with each missile costing 41 million USD, and is said to have a range of up to 3,000km;

- While the missile was specifically designed to breach Chinese A2AD capabilities within China's own borders, its use against Iran could help sustain conflict in the region and provide the US insight into its weapon capabilities;

- The use of this US weapon system so early in development would give Iran, Russia, and China insight into US capabilities and likely the ability to produce defenses before the US even fully deploys the system;

- The reckless escalation of the US suggests it is racing forward with attempting to reassert primacy worldwide, not "retreating," "accommodating," or "adjusting" to the emerging multipolar world;

References:

X post: https://x.com/BrianJBerletic/status/2050015414168780811
Bloomberg - US Seeks to Deploy Hypersonic Missile for the First Time Against Iran (Apr. 29, 2026):
https://archive.ph/3kxTx#selection-1627.90-1627.114
US Congress - The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW): Dark Eagle:
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11991
NEO - US Missiles Made For, Aimed at China (Dec. 2023):
https://journal-neo.su/2023/12/02/us-missiles-made-for-aimed-at-china/
WSJ - U.S. Energy Exports Hit Records as World Adjusts to a Closed Persian Gulf (Apr. 24, 2026):
https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/us-energy-exports-persian-gulf-closure-588c257e
The Edge Malaysia - Vietnam gas major looks to US as Iran war reorders LPG flows (Apr. 28, 2026):
https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/801515

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/landdestroyer
PromptPay: 0851547235
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI3boRExLnE

US foreign policy is driven by US corporate interests but often buried by public political theater and daily headlines designed specifically to distract away from the true nature and purpose of US foreign policy objectives.

However, during US Senate and House hearings, there are relatively unfiltered discussions about these policies made public with a fair degree of confidence most Americans will NOT watch them.

I provide a breakdown of one of these hearings (April 21, 2026) focused on encircling, containing, and confronting China within the Asia-Pacific region - contradicting many of the misconceptions created by Western media using the words of US Senators and their witnesses themselves to do so.

References:

NYT - The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership (Dec. 2025):
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/30/world/europe/ukraine-war-us-russia.html
US DoD - Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Feb. 2025):
https://www.war.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4064113/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-ukraine-defense-contact/
FT - Iranian tankers bypass US blockade (Apr. 22, 2026):
https://www.ft.com/content/21dff2c7-1e27-4f74-81d8-31dcdbe9188e?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Politico - 5 charts show China’s oil dilemma after US strikes (Mar. 2, 2026):
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/02/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415
Reuters - How China is plugging energy supply gaps left by US-Iran conflict (Apr. 15, 2026):
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/how-china-is-plugging-energy-supply-gaps-left-by-us-iran-conflict-2026-04-14/#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20crude%20oil,the%20same%20months%20in%202025.
US Senate Committee on Armed Services - Open/Closed: Hearing titleTo receive testimony on the posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program (April 21, 2026):
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/to-receive-testimony-on-the-posture-of-united-states-indo-pacific-command-and-united-states-forces-korea-in-review-of-the-defense-authorization-request-for-fiscal-year-2027-and-the-future-years-defense-program
US Senate Committee on Armed Services - Open/Closed: Hearing titleTo receive testimony on the posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program (April 21, 2026) (on YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/live/tS35HiTYQkQ?si=jbqLio99Bwi8yJRm
Governor Mike Dunleavy - ASEC 2025: An Introduction to Glenfarne (June 7, 2025):
https://youtu.be/i7ns5PH2W7E?si=pI7ZohNuBgHkFugf
US Office of the Historian - Courses of Action in Vietnam (1965):
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v03/d189
US Office of the Historian - The Philippine-American War, 1899–1902:
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/war
US Naval Institute - Tighten the Belt and Cut the Roads (2024):
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/january/tighten-belt-and-cut-roads
Defense Post - Japan Delivers First Domestically Produced Patriot Interceptors to US (2025):
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/11/25/japan-patriot-interceptors-us/
Stars and Stripes - South Korean shipbuilder secures deal to maintain US Navy dry cargo vessel (Dec. 2025):
https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2025-12-16/navy-ship-maintenance-repair-korea-20108164.html
RAND Corporation - Extending Russia (2019):
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR3000/RR3063/RAND_RR3063.pdf
Guardian - The great energy pivot: US oil and Chinese solar are the winners in Trump’s war on Iran (Apr. 26, 2026):
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/26/more-than-oil-prices-iran-war-threatens-to-reshape-global-energy-order
The Edge Malaysia - Vietnam gas major looks to US as Iran war reorders LPG flows (Apr. 28, 2026):
https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/801515

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/landdestroyer
PromptPay: 0851547235
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9ban3AI5oE

- The US blockade on Iran - while falling short of completely cutting Iran off economically - has managed to reduce the amount of energy exports to China;

- This is part of a larger trend of reduced regional energy production and thus exports to China from across the entire Middle East;

- The US war on Iran is just one of several the US is waging directly or by proxy around the globe aimed at China's energy import partners in an attempt to isolate and undermine China's continued rapid rise;

- China has prepared for decades to endure this blockade including through the creation of a 100 day strategic oil reserve and the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative;

- Only time will tell whether or not China and its allies confront the growing US blockade directly or work to simply survive it and emerge stronger regardless despite America's destructive and destabilizing acts of aggression;

References:

Reuters - How China is plugging energy supply gaps left by US-Iran conflict (Apr. 14, 2026):
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/how-china-is-plugging-energy-supply-gaps-left-by-us-iran-conflict-2026-04-14/
FT - Iranian tankers bypass US blockade (Apr. 21, 2026):
https://archive.ph/GHiLk#selection-1943.167-1943.249
Reuters - Exclusive: US intercepts three Iranian oil tankers in Asian waters, sources say (Apr. 23, 2026):
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-intercepts-three-iranian-oil-tankers-asian-waters-sources-say-2026-04-22/

Where to Find My Work:

Website: https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/brianlovethailand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic
Rumble (YouTube alternative): https://rumble.com/c/c-1459863

How to Support my Work (and thank you!):

Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheNewAtlas
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/landdestroyer
PromptPay: 0851547235
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmw3MkFQvyQ