the empire has got its paws on a tar baby and i doubt that there's a way out; 

 

As Washington scrambles to reframe a disastrous war as “diplomacy,” a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran has opened the door to negotiations that may already be collapsing under their own contradictions. In this episode of The Chris Hedges Report, Hedges speaks with former British diplomat Alastair Crooke, who lays out a stark reality: these talks are not about peace—they are about power, leverage, and the unraveling of a global order the U.S. no longer controls.

What emerges is not a story of de-escalation, but of a shifting world—one where Iran is no longer contained, the petrodollar is under threat, and Washington is confronting the limits of its military and economic dominance.

In a recent episode of The Chris Hedges Report, Hedges speaks with former British diplomat Alastair Crooke, who offers a sobering assessment of the situation: what we are witnessing is not a breakthrough in diplomacy, but a shift in global power that Washington may no longer be able to control.

The ceasefire itself is misleading. It is not a true end to hostilities, but something closer to what Crooke describes as a temporary truce—a moment to test whether political movement is even possible. Even as talks begin, Israel continues its attacks in Lebanon, operating outside the framework of negotiations. Iran, in response, has drawn a firm line: there will be no partial peace. Either all fronts fall silent, or none do.

This is not diplomacy built on trust. It is a standoff shaped by competing realities and incompatible goals.

At the center of those contradictions is a fundamental misunderstanding. For Western policymakers, the war has often been framed as an effort to weaken or contain Iran. But Crooke argues that Iran’s objective is far more ambitious. It is not simply trying to survive—it is trying to break out of a system that has constrained it for decades............more..........