Change Agents with Andy Stumpf The Real Fallout of Venezuela’s Collapse & The Oil War: Peter Zeihan Reveals China, Iran, and Russia’s Next Moves
Jan 14, 2026
In this conversation, Peter Zeihan, a geopolitical analyst and author, dives into pressing global issues. He dissects the civil unrest in Iran and the implications of Israeli strikes on its nuclear ambitions. The talk expands to the risks surrounding a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan and Germany's evolving military role in Ukraine. Zeihan also reveals the challenges of revitalizing Venezuela's oil production and outlines U.S. strategic interests in Latin America and Greenland, emphasizing the intricate dynamics of global geopolitics.
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Economic Collapse Fuels Iranian Unrest
- Iran's unrest is driven primarily by economic collapse, especially hyperinflation and lost oil revenues.
- The regime retains ~1 million men under arms, so internal repression remains the regime's main survival tool.
Strikes Ripped Open Iran's Strategic Options
- Israel's strikes and targeted assassinations hurt Iran's external influence more than its nuclear program.
- Iran now realizes it lacks reliable external sponsors and faces repression and isolation as primary responses.
China-Taiwan War Is Strategically Self-Destructive
- A Chinese invasion of Taiwan remains unlikely because the U.S. could strangle China's trade, energy, and food flows.
- But internal information control in Beijing raises risk of miscalculation or accidents.