Iran, China & Russia v. Trump /Glenn Diesen & Lt Col Daniel Davis
Daniel Davis / Deep Dive – April 15, 2026
Glenn Diesen | April 22, 2026
Prof. John Mearsheimer argues that the failure to make peace with Iran can dramatically widen the war in the Middle East, while the rift with Europe and other allies widen. John J. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982.
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Al Mayadeen | April 22, 2026
A senior US Army official responsible for nuclear and chemical safety has been placed on administrative leave following the release of an undercover video exposing sensitive national security discussions.
Andrew Hugg, identified in reports as a “Chief of Chemical Nuclear Surety,” is accused of discussing details related to US military operations and nuclear policy during a recorded conversation in a public setting.
The footage, released by O’Keefe Media Group, reportedly shows Hugg speaking with an undercover journalist inside a restaurant.
Allegations of revealing sensitive military information
According to the video, Hugg made several controversial statements regarding US military capabilities and actions.
He claimed that the United States still possesses nerve agents, describing them as “Pandora’s box,” and referred to the reported death of a US Army chemist due to exposure.
“So, nerve agent is a chemical weapon that, if you spray it on people, it’ll make a certain enzyme, which is called cholinesterase.. So, with this chemical [Sarin], this nerve agent kills that enzyme. Your lungs won’t work, your heart won’t work, nothing will work”, he said, revealing that it is stored in Maryland.
This revelation comes despite the US joining the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1993, which prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons, which means the state’s possession of such weapons is illegal.
In addition, Hugg was recorded discussing how nuclear launch decisions are made, while asserting that Washington does not currently intend to use nuclear weapons on Iran.
Remarks on targeting Iranian leadership, civilian deaths
The footage also includes statements suggesting potential US targeting of Iranian leadership. Hugg reportedly said that Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei could be targeted if he “doesn’t change his ways,” raising further concerns about the nature of the discussion and its implications.
Such remarks point to the normalization of rhetoric surrounding targeted assassinations within US military discourse.
He also acknowledged that US bombings on Iran had resulted in the killing of children, describing them as “collateral damage”, adding that “they [children] always die in war”.
Pentagon response and ongoing investigation
Following the release of the footage, Hugg was reportedly escorted out of a government facility.
Army spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith said in a statement, “We have placed Mr. Hugg on administrative leave while we conduct a thorough investigation into this matter.”
Reports also indicate that Hugg removed his LinkedIn profile shortly after the video surfaced.
The incident has raised broader questions about how sensitive information is handled within the US military, particularly in informal settings.
Glenn Diesen | April 21, 2026
Douglas Macgregor is a retired Colonel, combat veteran and former senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Col. Macgregor argues that the US peace negotiations are as fraudulent as the previous negotiations, and the US is preparing for total war with Iran.
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Inside China Business | April 20, 2026
The Iran War and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have taken Qatari energy supplies completely off the market. Russian natural gas fields were shut out of Europe beginning in 2022, and energy giants there invested massively into new pipelines to Asia. China was a ready buyer for Russian oil and natural gas, and also invested heavily into huge strategic stockpiles of crude and natural gas storage. Now Russian energy production flowing East, and China is already well-supplied. Liquefied Natural Gas of Russian origin is offered at 40% discount to spot, to induce long-term supply relationships. As a result, Asian economies are shifting their supply chains from the Persian Gulf to Russia-China. Meanwhile, EU countries are unable to get LNG at all.
Resources and links:
Bloomberg, Russia Offers Sanctioned LNG to Energy-Hungry Asia at a Discount https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl…
S&P Global, Russia crude oil pipeline capabilities to mainland China—The ESPO crude oil pipeline https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/re…
Power of Siberia 2 reshapes China’s energy security calculus https://eastasiaforum.org/2025/10/31/…
Reuters, Russia’s Gazprom supplied 38 bcm of gas to China via Power of Siberia pipeline in 2025 https://www.reuters.com/business/ener…
Russia’s Oil Windfall From Middle East War Keeps Growing https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl…
Reuters Exclusive: Iran attacks wipe out 17% of Qatar’s LNG capacity for up to five years, QatarEnergy CEO says https://www.reuters.com/business/ener…
Daniel Davis / Deep Dive – April 19, 2026
Arab Center Washington DC | April 10, 2026
Professor John Mearsheimer discusses the #IranWar, the #Gaza genocide, and the US policy toward the Middle East.
His remarks were the keynote address for Arab Center’s Eleventh Annual Conference.
John J. Mearsheimer is an American political scientist and international relations scholar who serves as the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and is the author of How States Think: The Rationality of Foreign Policy, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities, and The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, among other works.
Glenn Diesen | April 17, 2026
Lt. Col. Daniel Davis is a 4x combat veteran, the recipient of the Ridenhour Prize for Truth-Telling, and is the host of the Daniel Davis Deep Dive YouTube channel. Lt. Col. Davis discusses Iran’s announcement that it is reopening the Strait of Hormuz, yet the US decides to maintain the blockade on Iranian ports. While diplomatic developments are positive, the statements from the US and Iran do not correspond with each other.
Daniel Davis Deep Dive: https://www.youtube.com/@DanielDavisDeepDive/videos
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Glenn Diesen | April 16, 2026
Seyed Mohammad Marandi explains the Iranian perspective on why the negotiations with the US failed, what to expect from the US naval blockade, and the likely war that will continue. Marandi is a professor at Tehran University and a former advisor to Iran’s Nuclear Negotiation Team.
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Daniel Davis / Deep Dive – April 15, 2026
Candace Owens – April 10, 2026
My response to Trump’s latest unhinged rant on Truth Social name dropping me.
Dialogue Works | April 13, 2026
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Glenn Diesen | April 12, 2026
Seyed Mohammad Marandi is in Islamabad, where the negotiations between Iran and the US collapsed. Marandi explains why the negotiations failed and that there will likely be a return to war. In the US media, there are already threats to kill the Iranian leadership and delegation. Marandi is a professor at Tehran University and a former advisor to Iran’s Nuclear Negotiation Team. (
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Daniel Davis / Deep Dive – April 11, 2026
Glenn Diesen | April 11, 2026
Max Blumenthal discusses why the consensus over the US-Israel partnership is unravelling as the intrusive influence of Israel is widely seen to undermine US interests. The disastrous Iran War has intensified the MAGA Civil War. Blumenthal is the editor-in-chief of The Grayzone, an award-winning journalist and the author of several books, including best-selling Republican Gomorrah, Goliath, The Fifty One Day War, and The Management of Savagery. He has produced print articles for an array of publications, many video reports, and several documentaries, including Killing Gaza.
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