Judging Freedom - LIVE FROM CHINA!~ Pepe Escobar : Can Iran Defeat US/Israel?

Episode Date: October 2, 2025

LIVE FROM CHINA!~ Pepe Escobar : Can Iran Defeat US/Israel?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Today is Thursday, October 2, 2025. Pepe Escobar, joins us now. It's already Friday in China. Pepe, it's a pleasure, my dear friend. Thank you for staying up late. You look like you're in a wonderful location with a great and busy street scene on early Friday morning. Midnight. Wow.

Wow. And how far from Beijing are you? Wow. It's over 5,000 kilometers, and we are at over 5,000 kilometers from Shanghai. We are in Kashgar, which is the last major tier 4 city, meaning 4 million people in Xinjiang before you get to the China-Pakistan border, which is roughly 10 hours away from here. We were very close to the border yesterday.

We were in Pamir lands yesterday, which is very close, very close to the China-Pakistan border. And the context for you, Judge, in one minute and to our audience, because this is probably the first time you're going to see Kashgar live on your show. We have been shooting a documentary across Xinjiang. We started in Urumt, the capital of Sijan. We did the major oasis in the North and Silk Road. We crossed the Taklamakan Desert from the north to the south. We continued on the Southern Silk Road.

We are in Kashgar, and from Kashgar, we went very, very close to the China-Pakistan border. This will be part of an independent documentary. It's a Chinese production. Our support team, Chinese is absolutely extraordinary. And my cameraman, Stan, he's Russian. He lives in Shanghai. And he organized this setup, especially for your show today. Well, you are 10,000 miles from New York City.

and this reception we have of you, both the audio and the visual image is spectacular, just spectacular, Pepe. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks to Stan. I know you're a night owl, but thank you very much for staying up so late for us.

We just came from a Uyghur wedding, judge. Literally. We were at a wedding. Wow. I want to talk to you at some length on the Israeli and American preparation for attacking Iran and Iran's likely response. But before we do, I must ask you about the Steve Whitkoff, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump, Gaza plan for the permanent subjugation of the Palestinian people and why they would think Hamas would accept it,

and why, of all people, they would accept a colonial governor by the name of Tony Blair? Absolutely. This is a neo-colonialism on steroids, 5.0, 10.0, managed by war criminal Tony Blair, which waited years for his political resurrection, and he believes that is now. This will not be accepted by the absolute majority of the global south, the global majority, the global majority, except for the vassals. And even some of the vessels, Arab nations, are vacillating because they know their public opinion will be beyond in revolt if this ever comes to pass.

This could be just an intimidation tactic, I'm sorry, by the Trump-Niair-Hugh administration. and we're going to see, for instance, how Iran is going to react to that. Iran, that is a privileged target of the Zionist Axis since the latest attack and the next attack, which could happen within the next few weeks or maximum before the end of the year. Yes. Before we get to Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, will they say go take a hike or are they so dependent on the United States

that they'll accept this nonsense? They cannot accept it in terms of managing their internal public opinion. This will be suicidal for all of them. In fact, they are trying to hedge their bets and they are trying to say, okay, it's an interesting proposition, just like the Russian said. In fact, Lavrov, in a very Lavrovian, ultra-sophisticated way, not saying the most important part, but admitting to the obvious, well, it's an interesting initiative, we are considering, et cetera. We haven't seen any definitive movement towards implementing this situation, but obviously, and here in China, very, very important. here Chinese analysts so far have been I wouldn't even say puzzled they are almost like they are speechless for the moment

China as we know was instrumental in bringing all the Palestinian factions 17 of them if I am not mistaken please correct me if I'm wrong together in Beijing and immediately after China sponsored the reconciliation of all all Palestinian factions, Israel attacked and killed Ismail Hanyeh, for instance. So the Chinese were directly implicated in finding unity among the Palestinians. And they obviously know that this new colonial plan is the absolute opposite. It's permanent, eternal subjugation of what would be a Palestinian resistance from now on by that massive Israeli blitzkrieg. So for the moment, the Chinese foreign ministry have been, they're quiet.

They haven't said anything really specific. The Russians, more or less, they're saying, well, this might be too dodgy, in the Lavrovian terminology, of course. Here's that Lavrovian terminology straight out of the horse's mouth, so to speak and i don't mean that in a disrespectful way as you know i'm very respectful of him and fond of my friendship with him um foreign minister lavrov uh two days ago now this is about tomahawks being aimed at moscow this is very very serious chris cut number three oh americans do not supply tomahawks to everyone who asks i believe only spain and the netherlands

have tomahogues in europe so they don't supply to anyone else and if they believe that Ukraine is a responsible country that can responsibly employ such weapons it would be a surprising fact for me yes Keith Kellogg and J.D. Vance spoke about these and J.D. Vance in principle he has a pro-Ukrainian stance even though President Trump is always saying that he's a mediator that Russia and Ukraine must resolve their differences with each other. But Keith Kellogg recently recommended the Ukrainian regime to accept the reality, to accept de facto that they have what territory they have.

And he told them not to worry about this, for example, because the Baltic countries were part of the Soviet Union. We did not recognize them, and then the Baltic countries were free. The same will happen to you, said Keith. Kellick. It's different from the stance taken by President Trump. So there are a lot of voices, there are a lot of speakers who are advancing the Ukrainian agenda. But the Kremlin has already said it clearly that even if Tomahawks are supplied to Ukraine, it will not change the military situation.

The situation, of course, is one of tremendous Russian dominance. That out of the mouth of the most sophisticated diplomat on the planet. Absolutely. But you can see the discomfort in the way Lavrov is phrasing. This is at the Valdi Club. I didn't go to the Valdi this year because my priority was to travel in Xinjiang in Western China

to see the development of the far west of China, which is something absolutely. It's practically inexplicable to the West. And what I've seen here, of course, I ditched following the West and even the war in Ukraine for two weeks. And when I came back to it yesterday, and I saw what Hegsaid has been saying and that famous meeting of Trump with the generals and all that. From the Chinese point of view, Judge, and from this region that is growing at 7% GDP a year, year, way above, way above Chinese development. And you see a moderately prosperous society as initiated by President Xi Jinping, on the move doing domestic tourism. Right behind me is

the old city of Kashgar, 2,000 years old. It's over midnight and it's bustling with domestic tourists from all over China. They come here in their state of the art. SUVs. They have charging stations all over the place. Their latest smartphones, disposable income, and they look at the West now with

what is this? What are they doing? They are part of by this progressive, suicidal move of Western civilization. And more and more moderately prosperous Chinese that we're seeing here from

all regions of China. They are already whispering to each other. Look, look, this is really the past. We are already in the post-Western world, and we are leading. They are self-confident enough to see that, to admit that to one another. And they look at us. They are very, very few foreigners here. In two weeks, we met like less than 10.

Wow. You mentioned Secretary Hegzeth. Did the Russians and the Chinese military and. diplomatic and political leadership, take note of the absurd speeches that Secretary Hegg Seth and President Trump gave, and they gave it where they assembled every single American general and admiral on the planet in one room? They did, Judge. From what I've seen since yesterday, I took a look at our friends from Guancha in Shanghai, and they are puzzled. And they are. And they are.

Of course, they are not openly mocking the absurdity of it all, the Kafkaesque absurdity of it all, but they are puzzled. And they immediately identify as a collapse of intellectual capabilities and strategic thinking of the so-called elites of the U.S. and NATO as even more accelerated than a few days ago. it's fascinating to see on the ground here all across Xinjiang how the rest of China is proud of what has been achieved by Xinjiang in this past few years. For instance, a very important number. Less than one Chinese has ever been to Xinjiang.

They're starting to come now. For instance, last year we had, according to an official number, that I tried to confirm this today, and they told me, yes, this is the official number. 300 million Chinese tourists came to Xinjiang in 2024. Wow. This means, like, practically the population of the European Union. In one year, they're coming here to see Xinjiang for the first time.

And they see, wow, this is part of China. This is developing fast. And you go to a city like Urunchi, you have the same services as China. Shanghai, Beijing, or Guangzhou. It's extraordinary. So in terms of this geo-economic development and the interaction with the neighbors, for instance, we were in parts of the new Silk Road,

the China, Pakistan Economic Court, or the Belt and Road, you name it. You see trade back and forth in front of you. When you drive from Urunchi, you see a sea of solar panels, solar stations, wind turbine, farms, electrification all over. And when you compare to even certain parts of the United States,

wow, this is eons ahead. It's so impressive that it takes your breath away, in fact. And then when you start to compare politically with what's on CGTN or on Sinhua or in Guantan, which is more independent, They are perplexed at the decadence of the U.S. and Europe at the same time. Have the Russians and Chinese take a note of the U.S. warships off the coast of Venezuela? Yes, they do, and there are already discussions. Some of them on the sidelines of the Valdai.

I had some very good friends attended the Valdai this year. And, of course, here in China as well, between Beijing and Shanghai, that the U.S. might be bluffing or they might be trying a one-two strike against Iran and Venezuela simultaneously. I think it's more like the first option. This could be a gigantic bluff. Iran is ready, Judge. Make no mistake. And if I have a chance to go to Iran by the end of October, I can answer this question for you, live. from Tehran.

Well, we will definitely love to have you on live from Tehran. But when, not if, when the Israelis and the Americans strike, is Iran prepared? Yes. And they have been preparing themselves since the last strike in June. So this is a little over three, almost between three and four months later. they have not even, they have advertised, I would say, quietly that their best new weapons were not even tested in the response to Israel. So they have a lot of aces up their sleeves. And they are very sure of themselves if there is an attack, the IRGC, the so-called decapitated IRGC, not really because the new.

generation, they are as strong as the former ones. Iran doesn't depend on individual leaders. It's a process. And at the same time, they know that if the Israelis try something with help of Americans slightly more radical, they are also prepared for the fact that Israel might even go for the Samsung option. And then, of course, their Iranian response is going going to be even more devastating than if we're only talking about conventional weapons. And, of course, Pesachkin is a very complicated affair, Judge, because he, people in the IRGC, in the leadership of the IACN is the president of Iran. Exactly, the president of Iran. And people very close to Ayatollah Kamenei.

They know that Pesachan is tried to appease the Americans by any possible means. means. And they know that it's not working. And at the same time, they cannot simply cut off his wings. After all, he is the elected president. But he does not reflect the sinking among the circle around Ayatollah Kamenei and the leaders of the IRGC. What is that what is that thinking with respect to Israel and the U.S.? That the response has to be extremely devastating. This means no votes barred. And this means their new hypersonic missiles, which they haven't launched in the previous response, which was, by the way, interrupted after 12 or 13 days, because the Israelis phoned Donald Trump, and said, stop this thing, because we are being decimated. Will Beijing or Moscow be involved to help Tehran?

overtly not considering their let's say back channels and underground channels no question about that and this is something that was admitted to some of us when we were in iran before the attack the israeli attack in june we were then in may and this is something that our connections in tehran moscow and even in beging are saying yes there is briggs scees style help in the background, not specified by anybody, residency level or Ministry of Defense level. But everybody around here in Eurasia knows that, yes, the help is there. We still don't know how to quantify it and how it's going to happen. Because this is an attack on bricks, which is something that at the SEO meeting in Tianjin,

in the beginning of last months, in fact, of September. Those of us who were there, we could see that the way the SEO is coalescing is they have to get their act together, BRICS style, and even more forceful than BRICS, because they know that the current war by the Trump administration or Trump-Ni-Hoo or Zionist acts, whichever way you want to call it,

is a war against BRICS and war against BRICS integration, which means a war against leaders of the global south. Wow. Does Iran pose the slightest national security threat to the United States of America? Zero. Less than zero, Judge. And everybody knows that. And everybody in the U.S. with a brain above room temperature knows that very, very well.

But once again, it's the Zionist accent. Their power is immense and uncontrollable. And now we have a desk coat totally out of control in West Asia. If you were to ask the leadership in Beijing and in Moscow, candidly and not in front of cameras and off the record, who controls whom? Does Trump control Netanyahu or does Netanyahu control Trump? How would they likely answer that question?

they will probably use a sort of Ouroboros metaphor the snake biting its own tail wow all right translate please full circle full circle

you know and the Zionist axes is full circle they are recharging each other on both sides from the Atlantic through the Atlanticist Axis to the Descoat leadership in West Asia. And, of course, with this very important derivations of the Zionist access in the international trading system, in the international financial system, now in big tech, with smaller episodes that fit into the general pattern.

and what happens to TikTok in the U.S.? It's a Zionist coup. It is now. It is now. It is not because they were desperate that the younger American generations, they understand what's going on in Palestine very, very well, even if they are not followers of foreign policy.

They know exactly what's going on. Pepe, a great conversation, my dear friend. Thank you for staying up late or getting up early, as the case may be. But deeply appreciate it. Safe travels to you. We keep going. We still will be in China until this weekend. It's the end of our trip, and this documentary probably will be out by December,

and it's going to be an absolute killer. Well, we can't wait to see it. We wish you well, and we'll look forward to seeing you from wherever on the planet you are next week. Thank you, Pepe. My pleasure, Judge. Thank you so much. Greetings from Kashgar. Thank you.

All the best. What a trip. What a great character. He is. Coming up at 1 o'clock this afternoon, Scott Horton, at 2 o'clock this afternoon, Matt Ho. Clean up today at 3 o'clock, Professor John Mearsheimer. Judge Napolitano for judging freedom. Thank you.