Podcasts · The Jimmy Dore Show

Israel & U.S. Have Suffered A "Humiliating Defeat" In Iran War! w/ Chris Hedges

1 Jun 2026 · 59 min

Journalist and author Chris Hedges joins Jimmy to argue that the US and Israel have suffered a "humiliating defeat" in the Iran war, with Iran now the dominant power in the Middle East, exerting a stranglehold on 20% of seaborne oil and natural gas, and that the war has accelerated the terminal decline of the American empire. He notes that Trump launched the war against the advice of his own intelligence chiefs and military advisers, based on a fantasy sold to him by Netanyahu that regime change would be quick and easy—and that the Gulf States were not consulted, their air defenses were stripped to prioritize Israel, and they now realize US bases are "magnets" for attack rather than protection.

Hedges warns that the key issue is the dollar: if China, Russia, and Iran succeed in breaking the dollar's hegemony as the world's reserve currency, the US will be unable to sell Treasury bonds, leading to an instant contraction and the collapse of the empire. He concludes that Trump is little more than a figurehead surrounded by sycophants who are eviscerating the administrative state, and that unlike previous Republican presidents who were reined in by establishment figures, Trump's second-term team is deliberately accelerating the implosion.

Plus segments on Trump's latest threat to bomb a longtime Middle East ally and AI proving more costly for corporations than using human employees.

Also featuring Garland Nixon and Stef Zamorano!

The episode on the publisher’s site ↗ (opens in a new tab)