Vijay Prashad, Zulfiqar Ali: BREAKING- IRAN May Just QUIT the Nuclear Treaty NOW; Will Iran Attack US Bases in Iraq Next? WARNING
by Transition Talks [7-10-2026] Vijay Prashad(bio).
(RAD: This discussion also shows how important it is to consider insights of experts who have an indepth understanding of the cultures & history for specific regions of the world. This is especially true when negotiating with stake holders in another culture that is different than our own. There are a lot of critical observations about the Persian Gulf region that, if ignored, can lead to disasterous results for the US. Listen & learn. — RAD)
Iran is reportedly holding back a hidden submarine fleet stored in underwater rock caverns — and the Supreme Leader's office is now seriously considering withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In this Transition Protocol exclusive, geopolitical analyst Vijay Prashad joins host Zulfiqar Ali to break down the true state of the Iran-US ceasefire, why Pakistan's military chief is quietly brokering renewed talks, and why the guest calls this America's 'strategic defeat' in the Middle East.
From the Strait of Hormuz to NATO's Turkey summit, this conversation covers the Iran oil shock, Gulf Arab states' private admission that Iran cannot be crushed militarily, and the historic parallel to U.S. failures in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Vijay Prashad is a leading international affairs analyst and founding contributor to Transition Protocol, known for on-the-ground reporting across the Global South. This analysis is presented as informed commentary based on developing and source-based claims; viewer discretion on unverified details is advised. Transition Protocol is a source-driven geopolitical analysis channel — subscribe and join our Substack security briefing for weekly insider analysis.
00:00 The Retaliation That Hasn't Happened Yet (Cold Open)
01:18 How Serious Were the US Strikes? Bridges, Mashhad & “Grave War Crimes”
04:08 Why Iraq's US Bases Could Be Next — the Hands-Off Retaliation Theory
06:29 900 US Bases = 900 Tripwires
07:44 Reciprocal vs. Retaliation: Why Iran Hasn't Really Hit Back — and Israel Is Untouched
10:09 Geography + Intelligence: Why Hormuz Can't Be Taken From Iran
12:34 The Hidden Arsenal: Small Boats, Cave Submarines & the Escalation Ladder
14:17 SOURCES: Iran Weighs Leaving the NPT — and the US Wants Back to the Table
15:34 Prashad: Why Leaving the NPT Would Be a Mistake (and the North Korea Lesson)
19:23 The Gulf Realignment: A New West Asian Security Architecture Without the US
27:00 Trump at the NATO Summit: Did He Blow Up the MOU on Purpose?
30:59 SOURCES: Pakistan's Back-Channel — Talks Back by Wednesday–Thursday?
40:19 “Iran Has Defeated the US Strategically” — the Decisive-Moment Verdict
43:00 One Drone vs. World Oil: the Single-Hull Tanker Problem
45:22 From Iraq & Afghanistan to China: Why Washington Keeps Repeating the Playbook