Is that what we're talking about here, James?

Well, I think, in a sense, both, because that's already been part of the discourse, is that the Houthis are part of the Iranian war effort, they're part of the axis of resistance.

and therefore it's part of the conflict.

I think this is more directed towards European acts of terrorism.

It's also very problematic because of the way this group, Ashab al-Yamin, operates because they don't actually have a core organization or a very strong organization.

What they do is essentially contact people through apps, which are encrypted and sort of...

They farm out their attacks to criminals, and this is what appears to have happened in the UK.

Not unsuspected, I wouldn't, or unexpected, I wouldn't think, but how significant was what happened there? Because the Houthis have been involved for a while, but this, as you say, was a major, major incident.

Like it seems like the rhetoric doesn't have the same impact anymore because like you say, it doesn't seem to change anything.

Yeah, that's right.

I think everybody's getting kind of numb to it.

But there was things going on behind the scenes in New York.

The Iranians and the Americans did meet.

There was an exchange where the Iranians provided a list of demands that they were making.

Nothing actually seems to be different.

i mean it still strikes me as um you know the the fact that the united states has proven incapable of moving past this finding a resolution and now as we say we've got the iranian delegation in in new york sort of not dictating demands but seemingly emboldened very confident very steadfast in their position it really is uh not what i think it certainly not what the trump administration expected

Like, it seems like the rhetoric doesn't have the same impact anymore because, like you say, it doesn't seem to change anything.

Yeah, that's right.

And I think everybody's getting kind of numb to it.

But there was things going on behind the scenes in New York.

The Iranians and the Americans did meet.

There was an exchange where the Iranians provided a list of demands that they were making.

Nothing actually seems to be different.

It really is not what I think, certainly not what the Trump administration expected.

So how does that fit into this?

Well, there's a couple of things going on with Saudi Arabia and Iran right now.

Part of it is the larger conflict with the U.S. and the Strait of Hormuz.

The second part of it is the situation in Yemen.

And there's a conflict, a civil war in Yemen that's been going on for more than 10 years, and it's got its own sort of dynamics between the Houthis and the Saudis.

And the Houthis, the Iran-backed group in Yemen, I've been fighting with the Saudis more frequently in the past few weeks.

And so that conflict is heating up, and it's got its own dynamics.

What do you think the status of that really is?

So how does that fit into this?

Well, there's a couple of things going on with Saudi Arabia and Iran right now.

Part of it is the larger conflict with the U.S. and the Strait of Hormuz.

The second part of it is the situation in Yemen.

And there's a conflict, a civil war in Yemen that's been going on for more than 10 years, and it's got its own sort of dynamics between the Houthis and the Saudis.

And the Houthis, the Iran-backed group in Yemen, I've been fighting with the Saudis more frequently in the past few weeks.

And so that conflict is heating up, and it's got its own dynamics.

What do you think the status of that really is?

I mean, are we stuck on a perpetual roller coaster? Is this just more of the same lather, rinse, repeat from what we've seen over the course of the first 150 days of this?

In some ways, yes.

I think there's a number of issues which, if we try and look into the future, we're probably going to see the same dynamic again and again, where the U.S. and Iran have some sort of ceasefire, some negotiations, and then eventually one side or the other tries to use military force as a form of leverage.

Right now, we're still stuck on the Strait of Hormuz, which is what undermined the MOU a couple of weeks ago.

And I think the U.S. has realized that the U.S. military force right now, it's reached its limits of efficacy.

They're running out of targets.

It's clearly not having an impact on the Iranians.

So where does the truth lie on that?

I mean, are we stuck on a perpetual roller coaster? Is this just more of the same lather, rinse, repeat from what we've seen over the course of the first 150 days of this?

In some ways, yes.

I think there's a number of issues which, if we try and look into the future, we're probably going to see the same dynamic again and again, where the U.S. and Iran have some sort of ceasefire, some negotiations, and then eventually one side or the other tries to use military force as a form of leverage.

Right now, we're still stuck on the Strait of Hormuz, which is what undermined the MOU a couple of weeks ago.

And I think the U.S. has realized that the use of military force right now, it's reached its limits of efficacy.

They're running out of targets.

It's clearly not having an impact on the Iranians.

So where does the truth lie on that?

where do you think this goes like do you really think this is just a pattern and and do we get back to a ceasefire then at some point here and when might that be james

well in a sense this is the ceasefire it's not really a ceasefire think of it right um but this is the process that's in place with the mou so i expect actually we're going to see this again and again taking place on multiple occasions, where they get to a point where one side or the other is doing something the other side doesn't like.

So they'll use military force to try and signal that they're not going to tolerate these things.

The timing is interesting.

I think there's a connection, at least to a degree, with the funeral inside of Iran.

Iran has been very – shown a lot of confidence and been trying to use the funeral events as a way of projecting power and showing their control of the Persian Gulf.

And I think the U.S., to a degree at least, is responding, saying, you know, we're not going to be intimidated by you, and trying to deflate some of their confidence.

This is part of the process, and it continues to limp along.

And where do you think this goes like do you really think this is just a pattern and and do we get back to a ceasefire then at some point here and when might that be james

well in a sense this is the ceasefire there it's not really a ceasefire think of it right um but this is the process that's in place with the mou so i expect actually we're going to see this again and again taking place on multiple occasions where they get to a point where one side or the other is doing something the other side doesn't like.

So they'll use military force to try and signal that they're not going to tolerate these things.

The timing is interesting.

I think there's a connection, at least to a degree, with the funeral inside of Iran.

Iran has been very – shown a lot of confidence and been trying to use the funeral events as a way of projecting power and showing their control of the Persian Gulf.

And I think the U.S., to a degree at least, is responding, saying, you know, we're not going to be intimidated by you, and trying to deflate some of their confidence there.

This is part of the process, and it continues to limp along.

Clearly, this isn't as cut and dried as he makes it out to be.

Oh, no, not at all.

This is just bluster, really.

The position the Americans are in is a very complicated one.

The military campaign, although the Americans are right, they've done a great deal of damage to various types of infrastructure in Iran and a lot of its military capabilities.

They really haven't stopped Iran or been able to knock Iran out of the war or put them in a position where they no longer control the Strait of Hormuz.

So this is – we haven't really moved on past where we were when the ceasefire was originally signed.

So what do you think the reality is in terms of where this conflict stands? Is Iran really on the ropes as he makes it out and desperate to make a deal, as he claims?

Clearly, this isn't as cut and dried as he makes it out to be.

Oh, no, not at all.

This is just bluster, really.

The position the Americans are in is a very complicated one.

The military campaign, although the Americans are right, they've done a great deal of damage to various types of infrastructure in Iran and a lot of its military capabilities.

They really haven't stopped Iran or been able to knock Iran out of the war or put them in a position where they no longer control the Strait of Hormuz.

So this is – we haven't really moved on past where we were when the ceasefire was originally signed.

What do you think the reality is in terms of where this conflict stands? Is Iran really on the ropes as he makes it out and desperate to make a deal, as he claims?