Iran: The Latest Archiv

The UAE has dealt Iran a major blow by cutting off trade ties after accusing Tehran of firing two ballistic missiles towards the Gulf state. The missiles eventually landed outside territorial waters, but Abu Dhabi’s swift response could close down Iran’s key economic escape route.

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Sophia Yan unpacks the latest news from the Middle East war with Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of Technology Threats & Opportunities program at digital human rights group WITNESS. They discuss Iran’s state-backed cyber attacks against the West, how the Internet blackout has affected Iran’s economy and the unsophisticated AI around Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Plus, a new Iranian draft law that would criminalise speaking to foreign media, and news reports that Iran is assessing potential strikes against US military assets in Europe.

Highlights

UAE cuts Iran’s economic lifeline after ‘ballistic missile strikes’

How the Internet blackout has affected Iran’s economy

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 - UAE Imposes Trade Embargo Following Iranian Missile Attack

00:01:11 - Trump Denies Iran Talks as Hormuz Blockade Escalates

00:03:06 - Ground Reality: 90 Million Iranians Face Internal Warfare

00:06:04 - Khamenei Disappears: AI Deepfakes Fuel Regime Crisis

00:08:58 - US-Israel-Iran Conflict Drives Unprecedented AI Information War

00:11:50 - Regime Weapons-Grade Propaganda Targets US Political Divide

00:14:15 - White SIM Cards: How Elite Insiders Profit Off Internet Blackouts

00:22:27 - US DOJ Charges 17 Iranian Hackers Over Mass Cyber Theft

00:24:57 - Tehran Criminalizes Media Contact Under Zionist Law

00:33:50 - Regime Insider Warning: Iran Prepares Strikes on US Bases in Europe

CONTRIBUTORS:

Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of Technology Threats & Opportunities program at WITNESS @mahsaalimardani

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

US-Iran talks have stopped, says Trump

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/08/18/us-iran-talks-have-stopped-says-trump/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: David Dargahi

Video Producer: Max Bower

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran has attacked another vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, just a day after Donald Trump threatened to bomb US ally Oman if it “gets in the way” of comatose US negotiations with Tehran.

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey is joined by chief Washington correspondent Connor Stringer to discuss Trump’s escalating frustration over the lack of a Strait of Hormuz deal and why he is hoping Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent might have a solution to the war as oil prices start to rise again. 

Plus, a secret backchannel between Washington and the IRGC via Iraqi Kurdistan, why Trump hasn’t endorsed Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli election, and Yemen’s government fights back against Iranian proxy group the Houthis. 

Highlights

One casualty after Iran strikes ship in Strait of Hormuz

Trump threatens to bomb Oman for ‘misbehaving’

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Iran strikes ship in Strait of Hormuz

01:58 - Trump threatens to bomb US ally Oman

04:35 - Oil spikes to $90 as US treasury yield surges

06:05 - Secret US backchannel to IRGC exposed

09:55 - US launches economic siege as Iran strategy shifts

11:50 - Iran vows Strait of Hormuz stays blocked

15:15 - Yemen army launches 130+ strikes on Houthis

16:45 - Trump sends Kushner and Blair to disarm Hamas

23:20 - UN Security Council declared "not fit for purpose"

25:20 - Trump's bid to replace UN chief with FIFA boss

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Connor Stringer, chief Washington correspondent @connorstringer

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Trump threatens to bomb Oman over Iran deal

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/17/trump-threatens-to-bomb-oman-over-iran-deal/ 

Trump orders Bessent to cripple Iran’s economy

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/08/12/trump-scott-bessent-end-iran-war/

Ukraine: the Latest: https://linktr.ee/UkraineTheLatest

Axios: Inside Trump's secret backchannel to Iran's Revolutionary Guard

https://www.axios.com/2026/08/16/iran-backchannel-trump-gabbard-barzani-war

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: Joleen Goffin 

Video Producer: Max Bower

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-us-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the US-Iran ceasefire officially expires and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, is Donald Trump considering using nuclear weapons to break the war stalemate? 

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss why US politician Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bizarre nuclear claim may be less crazy than it first appears and how an underground nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain could be the potential target. They also look at the state of the war 60 days on from the ill-fated Memorandum of Understanding peace deal and why Iran is more bullish than ever. 

Meanwhile, US envoy Jared Kushner is in Israel to talk to Benjamin Netanyahu about Trump’s Gaza peace deal after meeting with Hamas’ leader in Egypt. Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin in the West Bank explains why and discusses his dispatch from the West Bank amid a rise in military operations and settler “terrorism”.  

Plus, Iran’s missing pilots, the Houthis strike again in the Red Sea and why the Iran war has prompted Trump to scale back key US-South Korea military drills.

Highlights

US ‘weighing nuclear attack on Iran’, claims Marjorie Taylor Greene 

Why Trump has scaled back key US-South Korea military drills

CHAPTERS:

00:00:04 - Iran War 60-Day Peace Deal Deadline Expires

00:01:19 - Strait of Hormuz Transit Collapses Amid MoU Failure

00:05:42 - White House Contemplates Nuclear Options for Deep Iranian Bunkers

00:10:05 - Special Forces Operation Options Considered for Enriched Uranium

00:13:40 - US Pentagon Shifts Toward Tactical Nuclear Weapons Strategy

00:15:38 - Trump Reduces Freedom Shield Joint Military Drills with South Korea

00:19:22 - Iran Mystery Sukhoi Su-24 Air Strike on US Base in Qatar

00:20:47 - Middle East Escalation: Kurdistan Drone Strikes & Red Sea Attacks

00:24:47 - Jared Kushner & Tony Blair Lead Gaza Decommissioning Peace Talks

00:30:45 - West Bank Dispatch: Settler Siege and IDF Refugee Camp Raids

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

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

Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkin

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

The beaten and bruised ‘political pawns’ caught up in Israel’s election

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/17/beaten-and-bruised-political-pawns-israeli-election/

Israeli settlers in West Bank siege are terrorists, US says

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/14/us-denounces-israeli-settlers-as-terrorists-west-bank-siege/

Israeli army surrounds last Christian town in West Bank

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/12/israeli-army-surrounds-last-christian-town-in-west-bank/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: Joleen Goffin

Video Producer: Max Bower and Elliott Daly 

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US-Israel-Iran war has led to black rain and oil spills in the Strait of Hormuz - is the country facing an environmental crisis because of Donald Trump?

In this weekend bonus edition of Iran: The Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks with Kaveh Madani, the award-winning director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health and also an exiled Iranian politician. They examine the live impact on the ground of the conflict, from power outages to water shortages. 

Plus, Tehran was on the brink of being evacuated due to a major drought last year, so what happened? Kaveh explains how Iran narrowly escaped a major catastrophe and the wild war-related conspiracy theories going around to explain it. 

Highlights

Iran faces Strait of Hormuz oil spills, power outages and black rain

The escalating war damage to the Iranian environment

CONTRIBUTORS:

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

Kaveh Madani, director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health @KavehMadani

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Listen to the previous interview with Kaveh Madani: ‘Worse than war with Israel’: Why Iran’s regime is on edge

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11/10/worse-than-war-with-israel-why-irans-regime-is-on-edge/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower

Video Producer: Peter Shevlin

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson and Chris January

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US has deployed a fresh aircraft carrier to the Middle East, vowing an "indefinite" naval blockade of Iran until the Strait of Hormuz is reopened - but China has other ideas. 

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Sophia Yan speaks with Alicia Kearns MP, shadow minister for national security and former chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. Fresh from a trip into the heart of the Pentagon, she explains how Iran's regime is withstanding the pressure of the war thanks to financial and technological assistance from Beijing. 

Plus, the “active and pernicious” Iranian intelligence service you’ve never heard of, why Donald Trump is guilty of historical revisionism when it comes to Nato, and whether the US is ready for the growing risk of a three-theatre conflict involving China and Taiwan.

HIGHLIGHTS

US deploys fresh warship and vows indefinite Iran blockade 

How China is helping Iran win the war against the US

CHAPTERS

00:00 US vows indefinite blockade in Strait of Hormuz

01:55 GOP disquiet inside Pentagon over Trump’s Iran strategy

03:00 Confronting the Pentagon on Trump's NATO revisionism

05:32 The Three-Theater War: Russia, Strait of Hormuz, and Taiwan

08:36 China becomes Iran’s 'ventilator' against US sanctions

11:00 Xi Jinping’s naval show of force in Taiwan Strait

17:50 MOIS: The lethal Iranian intel agency operating in the UK

21:17 How Britain must dismantle Iranian hitmen & propaganda

29:40 Iranian assassination threats against Trump

37:38 Russian shadow fleet tanker explosion off Oman

CONTRIBUTORS:

Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

Alicia Kearns, MP and shadow minister for national security @aliciakearns

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Alicia Kearns: Labour must shut down Iranian assets operating in Britain

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/01/labour-must-shut-down-iranian-assets-operating-in-britain/

US navy sailor jumps overboard after 250 days at sea

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/13/us-navy-sailors-jump-overboard-after-nine-months-at-sea/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower

Video Producer: Peter Shevlin

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Donald Trump’s Iran war drags on and hostilities continue in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, global energy markets are being reshaped - not by OPEC or the US, but by China. 

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey talks to world economy editor Ambrose Evans-Pritchard about how Beijing has weaponised its internal oil demand to keep oil prices stable and bypass Saudi Arabia, even as US Strategic Petroleum Reserves have plunged to their lowest level since 1983. Why have oil prices remained largely stable and are those figures masking underlying economic turmoil?

Plus: how the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is pushing Iraq to the brink of total economic collapse and the worrying news of a recent Pew Survey measuring attitudes towards the US vs China. 

Highlights

Iran war drains US strategic petroleum reserves to 40-year low

How Beijing has kept oil prices stable and bypassed Saudi Arabia

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, world economy editor 

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Trump’s eternal March of Folly on Iran

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/07/31/trumps-eternal-march-of-folly-on-iran/

Trump targets Iran’s economy as military campaign falters

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/08/12/trump-scott-bessent-end-iran-war/

Iran war threatens to cripple growth, Treasury warns Burnham

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/08/12/iran-war-threatens-to-cripple-growth-treasury-warns-burnham/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Video Producer: Max Bower

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Iran-backed Houthis have carried out their first deadly strikes of the war, killing six mariners in a double-tap ballistic missile attack on a cargo vessel in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, near the Strait of Hormuz, US Navy helicopters have fired Hellfire missiles to disable a ship breaking Donald Trump’s blockade.

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey is joined by veteran British Army officer Tim Collins, famous for his ‘tread lightly’ speech prior to leading British troops into Iraq in 2003 (and dramatised by Kenneth Branagh in the 2008 BBC series 10 Days to War). Just back from a trip to Bahrain, Tim unpacks the difficult position the Gulf is now in and the parallels between the Iraq and Iran regimes. 

Plus, is this America’s Suez Crisis? Tim argues that US dominance is declining as a result of the fast-escalating conflict and offers a piece of advice to Trump for how to end the war.

CREDIT: BBC 

Highlights

US Navy fires Hellfires as Houthi Red Sea strikes kill first mariners

Is the Iran war America’s Suez Crisis moment?

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Tim Collins, former British Army officer @tim_324

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Tim Collins: Britain’s old friend and ally in the Gulf would welcome us back

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/10/britains-old-friend-and-ally-in-the-gulf-would-welcome-us/

Britain opens first naval overseas base in 50 years in sign of ‘global reach’  

​​https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/05/britain-opens-first-naval-overseas-base-50-years-sign-global/

Col. Tim Collins' full speech, Kuwait, 19 March, 2003

https://www.dajobe.org/2003/03/collins/

BBC: 10 Days to War mini series

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009rcp0

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Video Producer: Max Bower

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran’s proxy group the Houthis have launched fresh missile attacks on Yemeni ports in the Red Sea as their conflict with Saudi Arabia heats up. A new war in the Arabian Peninsula is now inevitable, according to former Yemeni diplomat Mahmoud Shehrah.

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Roland Oliphant talks to Chatham House’s Shehrah to unpack the Houthis' intentions and to what extent they are acting on Tehran’s orders. Could they close the Bab al-Mendab strait and what can the West do about it?

Plus, news of an Iranian assassination plot against Donald Trump that forced him to hide in an airplane catering trolley, and why the US president is now demanding war reparations from Iran to resolve their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz. 

Highlights

Iran’s proxy group the Houthis restarting the Yemen war

Iran's Trump assassination plot exposed

CONTRIBUTORS:

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

Mahmoud Shehrah, former Yemeni diplomat and associate fellow Chatham House @shehrah_mahmoud 

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Trump demands ‘reparations’ from Iran

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/08/10/trump-demands-reparations-iran/

Trump sneaked out of Turkey in catering cart over Iranian plot fears

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/08/11/trump-secret-flight-turkey-iran-plot-air-force-one/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower

Video Producer: Peter Shevlin

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran has issued a series of demands to the US in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz - everything from war reparations to withdrawing regional military assets. Many of them echo the previous peace deal, so will Donald Trump accept?

On today's episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan look at who is in a stronger position. Trump’s naval blockade has forced Tehran’s primary oil terminal on Kharg Island to grind to a halt and is pushing food inflation above 200 per cent in some cases. But Iran has just appointed a hardline new security council leader who has vowed to retain full control of Hormuz. 

Plus, why Tehran has released an old video of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Houthi attacks on a Saudi oil refinery puts the new Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan Mecca defence pact to an early test, and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly rejects Donald Trump’s 15-point Gaza peace deal.

Highlights

US blockade squeezes Iran as main oil terminal goes dark

Tehran names price to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Iran names price to reopen Strait of Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/09/iran-names-price-to-reopen-strait-of-hormuz/ 

As one oil chokepoint calms, Houthis threaten another

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/08/war-yemen-threatens-drag-middle-east-deeper-crisis/

Israel rejects Trump’s Gaza plan

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/09/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-donald-trump-gaza-plan-hamas/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower

Video Producer: Peter Shevlin

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump is holding off on any further military action against Iran in the hope of striking a diplomatic breakthrough to end the war - but is he wasting his time?

For this bonus episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Iranian-American entrepreneur and former refugee Payam Zamani. He argues that the Iranian regime cannot be trusted and that the West repeatedly misunderstands the Islamic Republic, which is built on martyrdom, brutality and religious fanaticism. 

Payam knows this from experience. Born into a Baha’i family in 1970s Tehran, he was repeatedly persecuted and eventually fled Iran on foot after being chased out of school by a violent mob. He offers a rare insider look at how the Islamic Republic operates by looking at how it crushes minorities and any dissent. 

Highlights

Why Trump can’t trust Iran: the fatal flaw in any peace deal

IRGC brutality, being a Baha'i and escaping Iran with Payam Zamani 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Payam Zamani, CEO/founder One Planet Group @PayamZamani

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Video Producer: Max Bower

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have signed a historic trilateral defence agreement containing a Nato-style mutual assistance clause. As the Iranian threat - including from its proxies in Yemen and Iraq - grows, is this the future of security in the Middle East?

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Sophia Yan is joined by Miad Maleki, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Pentagon lead sanctions architect. They discuss how much control Tehran still has over its proxies, growing internal dissent in Iran over the Strait of Hormuz deal, and whether Tehran is stringing out the war to avoid further protests. 

Plus, how China enables Iran to bypass Western sanctions. 

Highlights

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan sign Nato-style pact against Iran

How China enables Iran to bypass Western sanctions

CONTRIBUTORS:

Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

Miad Maleki, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies @miadmaleki

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Iran considers banning US and Israeli ships from Strait of Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/07/iran-considers-banning-us-israeli-ships-strait-of-hormuz/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower

Video Producer: Peter Shevlin 

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran and Oman are reported to be on the verge of signing a historic deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz that would put Tehran in control of all inbound traffic. Will Donald Trump approve the deal - and with the US apparently cut out of negotiations, does he have any choice?

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to chief Washington correspondent Connor Stringer about how the deal would work, the tolls - or fees - it could involve for transiting ships, and why no deal can permanently solve the waterway’s instability in the long-run. 

Plus, fresh violence in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, an “argument” between Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over missile stockpiles, and why Tucker Carlson is heading up a splinter MAGA group that is furious about the US-Iran war. Could Tucker run for president in 2028?

Highlights

Iran-Oman Strait of Hormuz deal cuts out Trump 

Plus: could Tucker Carlson run for president in 2028 off the back of Iran war anger?

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Connor Stringer, chief Washington correspondent @connorstringer

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Roland Oliphant: This is proof Iran won the war

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/06/this-is-proof-iran-won-the-war/

Iran says it has agreed Strait of Hormuz shipping route with Oman

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/06/iran-threatens-attack-gulf-energy-facilities-new-us-strikes/

Trump ‘clashes with Hegseth’ over missile shortages

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/06/trump-clashes-hegseth-missile-shortages/

Europe to foot bill under new proposal to reopen Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/08/04/europe-could-foot-bill-in-new-plan-to-reopen-hormuz/

Iran’s plot to split Jordan from the West

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/06/irans-plot-to-split-jordan-from-the-west/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Video Producer: Max Bower

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US military have ‘burnt through’ their critical missile interceptors since the start of the Iran war. Senior commanders warn that stockpiles for THAAD and Patriot systems are "dangerously low." Elsewhere, the conflict in the Red Sea has escalated as Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have escalated their maritime blockade, striking a Saudi oil tanker in the northern Red Sea with ballistic missiles. 

On today’s episode Roland Oliphant speaks to Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin about the geopolitical implications of depleted US missile inventories, the crumbling reality behind the Gaza decommissioning deal, and growing political rifts inside Israel over war aims.

Plus, Roland and Henry analyse the Israeli perspective to the news cycle, differing cultures of leaking information between the US and Israel, and alarming UN reports detailing a surge in state executions across Iran.

Highlights

US Thaad and Patriot missile stockpiles burn dry as Iran conflict escalates

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels hit a Saudi oil tanker with ballistic missiles

CONTRIBUTORS:

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

Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent, @HenryBodkin  

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower

Video Producer: Peter Shevlin

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has threatened a "decapitation" strike to restart the war if negotiations with Iran fail. 

Iran denies talks are underway, but Tehran is certainly talking with one country: Oman. It is closing in on a Strait of Hormuz deal that would grant Iranian control over inbound shipping, potentially allowing it to charge fees on everything from oil to fertiliser. Amid fresh missile strikes on commercial vessels near Oman, how will the US respond?

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks with Danny Citrinowicz, Senior Fellow at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), about whether Iran is strategically dragging out the conflict. They analyse how the Iran and Russia-Ukraine wars are “very close” to merging into a single global front, why US military posture is buckling in the Gulf, and how collapsing ceasefire deals in Lebanon and Gaza expose the limits of Trump’s Middle East strategy.

Highlights

Trump threatens ‘decapitation’ strike if Iran negotiations fail

Why the Iran and Ukraine wars are ‘very close’ to merging 

CONTRIBUTORS:

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

Danny Citrinowicz, senior fellow at Institute for National Security Studies @citrinowicz  

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Trump cut out of new deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/04/iran-and-oman-near-deal-to-reopen-strait-of-hormuz/

Trump’s Hamas disarmament plan unravels

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/03/donald-trump-hamas-disarmament-deal-unravelling/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026

The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower

Video Producer: Peter Shevlin

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.