January 5, 2026, 12:02 am
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Well, it already looks like 2026 is going to be an eventful year, but I don’t think that’s reason enough not to turn our eyes back to 2025.
A year ago, I looked at the way 2024 had played out and picked a strategic winner and loser of the year and so today, we’re going to repeat that exercise with a view to 2025.
Keep in mind this is meant to be a bit more of a relaxed video (despite the subject matter) but we will be back to more normal content next week.
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/c/PerunAU
Reading and Sourcing (Partial due to late release):
World Bank – Syria Macro-Fiscal Assessment 2025
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099844407042516353/pdf/IDU-6adac64c-c9b1-472e-8183-ae600f64fa78.pdf
UN ODC – Featured Report on Post December 2024 period
https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Research%20Publications/UNODC_NAUSS_ENGLISH.pdf
IAEA on Iranian enrichment activities
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/iaea-chief-says-iran-isnt-actively-enriching-uranium-but-movement-detected-near-stockpile
Iran refuses nuclear site inspections
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/24/middleeast/iran-refuses-iaea-inspection-of-nuclear-sites-intl-latam
Reporting on water shortages in Iran
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/12/as-the-dams-feeding-tehran-run-dry-iran-struggles-with-a-dire-water-crisis
https://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2025/11/iran-water-crisis-warning-climate?lang=en
Saudi Arabia designated Major Non Nato Ally
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/19/saudi-arabia-designated-major-non-nato-ally-of-us-gets-f-35-warplanes-deal
Reporting on Iran protests
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-02/iran-economic-crisis-sparks-large-protests-against-regime/106192000v
https://www.euronews.com/2026/01/01/at-least-three-killed-as-protests-against-irans-worsening-economy-spread-beyond-cities
Image source for Maduro / Iran
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202501134548
Reporting on Gotvand Dam
https://iranwire.com/en/features/65407/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43621-025-01168-y#:~:text=The%20map%20shows%20an%20increase,and%20environmental%20policy%20in%20Khuzestan.
Amiri et al., 2023 – Salinity Management in the World’s Most Saline Dam Reservoir: The Gotvand Reservoir, Iran
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374864593_Salinity_Management_in_the_World’s_Most_Saline_Dam_Reservoir_The_Gotvand_Reservoir_Iran
Carnegie Institute on Russia-Syria relations
https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2025/08/russia-syria-new-approach?lang=en
https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2025/10/russia-new-syrian-government?lang=en
Reporting on Syrian-Russian negotiations
https://www.reuters.com/world/putin-syrias-sharaa-discuss-fate-russian-military-bases-wednesday-kremlin-says-2025-10-15/
Reporting on Captagon crackdown
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/22/syrias-government-curbing-once-booming-captagon-industry-un-report
Iran sugar production data
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/22/syrias-government-curbing-once-booming-captagon-industry-un-report
Syria – Aftermath of Latakia attacks
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/syria-imposes-temporary-curfew-in-latakia-after-deadly-attacks/3785435
Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I note that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete examination of the topic and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other any other views and/or decisions.
Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character.
Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered illustrative, not definitive and their veracity should not be relied on.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:01:22 — What Am I Talking About?
00:03:32 — What Are We Grading?
00:04:43 — Painful Stories: Sudan
00:06:03 — Looser 2025 – Iran
00:06:26 — Iran – Military
00:15:20 — Iran – Diplomacy
00:19:16 — Iran – Economics
00:39:01 — Winner 2025 – Syria
00:55:40 — Channel Update
Content Creator – Perun
