‘A forever mission': US colonel on Trump's Strait of Hormuz quagmire

Could US Marines seize Kharg Island and reopen the Strait of
Hormuz?


President Donald Trump has U-turned on his threat to bomb Iranian
energy infrastructure after announcing a five-day moratorium and
peace talks underway. But the Strait of Hormuz problem
remains. 


Iraq veteran, Ohio State University military historian and former
US Colonel Peter Mansoor joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant
to discuss the hard power options open to Trump, from taking an
island in the waterway to invading the mainland coastline. 


He also talks about the option of conducting special raids to
seize enriched uranium to hobble Iran’s nuclear programme and
explains why the war risks becoming a quagmire for the West akin
to what he saw first-hand in Iraq.    


Plus, The Telegraph’s acting defence editor Tom Cotterill
explains what we know about the hugely significant Iranian ICBM
attack on Britain’s Diego Garcia base and how worried the UK and
Europe should be of repeat incidents. 


CONTRIBUTORS:


Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey


Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst
@RolandOliphant


Tom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillX


Peter Mansoor, chair military history Ohio State University 


CONTENT REFERENCED:


Telegraph View: Britain must do what it can to open the Strait of
Hormuz


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-must-do-what-it-can-to-open-the-strait-of-hormuz/


Britain ‘defenceless against Iranian missiles’


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-defenceless-against-iranian-missiles/


Producer: Peter Shevlin


Executive Producer: Louisa Wells


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