Investigative journalist and author Matthew Vadum appeared on NewsX World in India on August 25, 2026 (August 26 in India) to discuss the death of country music legend Dolly Parton, who passed away at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer. The anchor was Ruby Barlow.
Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 25 surrounded by loved ones. Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the news in a video she had asked him years earlier to deliver when the time came.
Vadum compared Parton to Elvis Presley, underscoring her lasting cultural impact and unique place in American entertainment.
President Donald Trump ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff nationwide until sunset on September 1 in her honor, calling her “one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER.”
Watch the full NewsX World segment here (Dolly Parton commentary starts around 22:10):
Before that in the video clip, Vadum discussed other issues, including Iran and Oman’s talks on a joint temporary navigational corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, mine clearance, and related management arrangements. The other guest was political commentator Erik Lehmkuhle.
Vadum described the Iran-Oman framework—covering a temporary shipping lane, joint mine clearance, technical talks on a permanent route, traffic management, and navigation security services—as primarily a propaganda and leverage move by Tehran.
“I suspect that Iran is doing this because it wants to deprive the United States of an issue to use against it in negotiations,” he said. “Iran gets to look like it’s doing something about restoring free navigation to the Strait of Hormuz while it’s not really clear that it actually will be contributing anything.”
He noted both sides want reassurances on sovereignty, even though much of the strait is treated as international waters. “Basically, these talks are being orchestrated by Iran to take some of the heat off and to deprive the United States… of an issue to use against them. They’re trying to appear to be proactive in resolving the matter… and I suspect this is just a propaganda move to win international favor and so that they can try to turn some countries against the United States. Not sure that it’s going to work, but I think that’s what’s behind it.”
On whether shipping would return to normal under such an arrangement, Vadum expressed skepticism: “I’m not sure that the shipping companies and more importantly the shipping insurance companies, whether they would trust any deal negotiated by Iran. Iran is not a trustworthy regime.” Some Gulf states might view a temporary reopening favorably as a way to lower temperatures, he said, but broader buy-in is unlikely.
“I really have a hard time taking the joint Iran-Oman proposal on navigating the Strait of Hormuz seriously. And my guess is that it’s not going to get very far because… the other major Gulf countries have to be involved… Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and… Abu Dhabi and Bahrain… Iran is just hoping to lean on Oman… treating Oman as their little cousin, and they’re kind of pushing Oman around here. And I just don’t see it going anywhere.”
The segment also touched on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s video from a raided UNRWA facility in East Jerusalem. Vadum noted longstanding Israeli and U.S. distrust of the agency over alleged terrorism ties and observed that Israel has moved to clear it from its territory consistent with prior Knesset-approved legislation.