The End of Empire? Prof. Jiang Predicts the Collapse of the Petro-Dollar and America’s Middle East Exit

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. Jiang, whose "Predictive History" framework correctly forecasted Donald Trump’s 2024 victory and the subsequent outbreak of war with Iran, now predicts that the conflict will end with a managed American withdrawal within the next 12 to 24 months.

According to Jiang, the animating logic of Washington’s campaign is the preservation of the petro-dollar system. "Since 1973, all oil has been traded in US dollars, allowing America to run massive deficits. Without the petro-dollar, the American economy collapses," Jiang explained.

However, he argues that the structural realities of modern warfare favor Tehran. While the US dominates the air, it cannot win a ground war against a nation of 90 million people that has spent 25 years preparing for an invasion. Furthermore, the "cost exchange" is unsustainable: Iran’s $50,000 drones are being countered by American interceptor missiles costing upwards of $10 million each.

Jiang’s most startling prediction is the emergence of a new Middle Eastern bipolarity. As the US retreats, he expects the region to be reorganized around two dominant powers: Iran and Israel.

• Iran: Controlling the Strait of Hormuz and the eastern Middle East, backed by China and Russia.

• Israel: Controlling the western Middle East and critical trade corridors, serving as the "new muscle" for the global financial elite.

"They will not be friends," Jiang noted, "but they will eventually find a way to coexist as two strong regional powers that focus on the weak rather than fighting each other endlessly."

For Zimbabwean readers, the most immediate concern remains the Strait of Hormuz. With Iran effectively controlling this choke point which handles 20% of the world's oil Jiang warns that oil could reach $200 a barrel. Such a spike would trigger a global recession, significantly impacting fuel-reliant economies like Zimbabwe’s.

While Jiang is 100% confident that nuclear weapons will not be used, he warns that the death of the petro-dollar is already in motion. "America made its fatal mistake," Jiang concluded. "History does not forgive those who ignore its lessons."

Prof. Jiang Xueqin war predictions 2026