Prof. Jiang Xueqin Predicts US Empire Collapse in 2026, Cites Iran War Risk and Military Overstretch
Daily Politics Desk Opinion
Analysis of US Foreign Policy and Overstretch
According to an analysis by Professor Jiang Xueqin featured on the YouTube channel Danny Haiphong, the current trajectory of US foreign policy under the Trump administration is accelerating a pattern of "imperial overstretch" that risks geopolitical blowback. The discussion critiques a strategy outlined in the US National Security Strategy, which is interpreted as abandoning multilateralism in favour of hard power, asserting control over the Western Hemisphere, and focusing on the economic strangulation of China by controlling critical mineral supplies.
Flashpoints: Iran and Venezuela
A central risk is the potential for a US-Iran conflict, framed not as an isolated event but as a catalyst that could disrupt global energy supplies and draw in other powers. The analysis argues that simultaneous pressure on multiple fronts—including Venezuela, where operations are described as aimed at securing alternative oil supplies—has left the US military overextended. Naval assets are reportedly stretched thin between the Pacific, Caribbean, and Middle East, creating operational vulnerabilities and exhaustion.
Systemic Strains and Historical Parallels
The argument extends to systemic strains on American power. The weaponisation of the US dollar through sanctions and the seizure of foreign assets is seen as eroding global trust, prompting moves toward de-dollarisation. Domestically, the analysis posits that elite fragmentation and internal conflict mirror historical patterns of imperial decline. Drawing a direct analogy to the fall of the Athenian empire, Professor Jiang Xueqin's predictive historical framework suggests that overreach, alliance breakdown, and domestic division could precipitate a significant decline in American global hegemony within 2026.
