HARARE — In a lecture that has sent shockwaves through geopolitical circles, Prof. Jiang Xueqin has doubled down on his controversial 2024 predictions, outlining a terminal decline for American influence in the Middle East. Speaking to a global audience this week, Jiang argued that the current US–Iran war is not merely a regional conflict, but the "Sicilian Expedition" of the American empire—a fatal overextension from which there is no recovery.