Iran: The Latest Archiv

The US-Iran ceasefire is in crisis following a violent weekend of escalation. From the IRGC damaging a ship in the Strait of Hormuz so badly that the crew had to abandon it, to President Donald Trump declaring he "bombed the hell out of them" after striking dozens of targets, the war appears to be back on in all but name. Now, Trump has reimposed the US naval blockade and announced a toll.

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant break down a frantic weekend of military action, including the US deploying one-way attack sea drones for the first time and the collapse of Omani negotiations to reopen the Hormuz waterway. 

Plus, the damage done by Iran repeatedly launching missile and drone strikes against US airbases across the Gulf and Jordan is growing. King’s College London security expert Dr. Andreas Krieg unpacks how China and Russia are actively backing Iran's underground missile infrastructure to bleed Western interceptor stocks and distract the US from the Indo-Pacific.

Highlights

Trump reimposes Strait of Hormuz blockade and attacks Iran with sea drones

Iran attacks on American bases across Middle East ‘leave US in the dark’

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

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

Andreas Krieg, King’s College London and Institute of Middle Eastern Studies @andreas_krieg

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Telegraph View: The Iranian regime continues to sow chaos

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2026/07/13/the-iranian-regime-continues-to-sow-chaos/

Iran bombs US supply lines in fight for Strait of Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/12/iran-aims-to-cripple-us-navy-supply-in-major-air-strikes/

Starmer proscribes Iran’s IRGC

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/13/keir-starmer-proscribes-irans-islamic-revolutionary-guards/

ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

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

ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts 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.

Four months after he was assassinated by Israeli and US airstrikes on the first day of the Iran war, former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei has been buried in an elaborate funeral.

But who was he behind all the mythology and pomp? How did he shape modern Iran into the impoverished, rogue nation it is today? And what does his life tell us about what his son Mojtaba Khamenei will be like as Iran’s new leader?

Venetia Rainey speaks to Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian History and director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, about Khamenei’s legacy and backstory. Ali lays out how this fake ayatollah was corrupted by absolute power, how he allied with the IRGC to steal the state's wealth, and why his "princeling" son Mojtaba is even weaker. 

Highlights

‘Bitter, weak and corrupted’: how Ali Khamenei ruined Iran

Ali Ansari on his backstory and what his son Mojtaba will be like

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Ali Ansari, professor University of St Andrews @aa51_ansari

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

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.

The burst of strikes between Iran and the US has died down but the Strait of Hormuz has seized up, with shipping coming to an almost complete standstill on the southern non-Iranian route. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss how this is exactly what Tehran wants. 

Meanwhile, Israel has revealed that Donald Trump is the subject of a “new and specific” assassination plot by Iran, and Ali Khamenei has finally been buried - with his son Mojtaba Khamenei still nowhere to be seen. 

Plus, what does this week’s Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey tell us about the future of the alliance and the trans-Atlantic security relationship? Rachel Ellehuus, director-general of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), gives her analysis of Trump’s Greenland comments, how Ukraine was the real winner, and why America's aggressive global force posture review is a "protection racket". 

Highlights

Iran’s Trump ‘assassination plot’ revealed as Strait of Hormuz closes up

RUSI chief Rachel Ellehuus on Trump, the Nato summit and Greenland

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign analyst @rolandoliphant

Rachel Ellehuus, RUSI director-general @rach_ellehuus

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

What I saw behind the scenes at Nato’s tumultuous summit

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/09/behind-the-scenes-nato-turkey-summit/

Trump ‘forced to use old Air Force One over security fears’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/09/trump-forced-to-use-old-air-force-one-over-security-fears/

Millions block streets for Khamenei burial

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/09/iran-us-war-latest-news-strikes-strait-of-hormuz-nato/

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

The US-Iran war has escalated significantly amid a second consecutive night of heavy American strikes on Iran and a furious response from Tehran.

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan look at why for the first time since the ceasefire in April, President Donald Trump ordered cruise missiles to attack a critical railway bridge used to trade with Russia and China.

After Tehran responded with kamikaze drones and ballistic missiles targeting US military assets across Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan, they ask what next for the peace talks. 

Plus, why the 2026 Nato summit's quiet winner is Turkey. Sophia dives into the country’s exploding defence sector, its simmering rivalry with Israel, and how it has gone from black sheep to core member of Nato. And everything we know about the personalised handgun Erdogan gave world leaders as a farewell gift.

Highlights

Iran attacks more US bases across the Middle East

Comes after Trump struck a key Russia-China railway link in Iran

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:

How Turkey is powering Europe’s rearmament

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/09/how-turkey-became-new-pillar-european-defence/

Erdogan gives every Nato leader a gun as farewell gift

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/08/erdogan-nato-summit-fun-keir-starmer-donald-trump/

Monday’s episode: Where is Iran’s new supreme leader?

https://linktr.ee/iranthelatest

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.

Donald Trump has dramatically declared that the US-Iran ceasefire is officially "over", calling Tehran an "evil cancer" during a fiery outburst alongside Nato chief Mark Rutte in Ankara, Turkey. He also attacked fellow Nato members including Spain and reiterated his demand to take over Greenland from Denmark. Roland Oliphant and Joe Barnes report live from the Nato summit on a second day of drama. 

The sudden escalation in the war follows a wave of Iranian attacks on oil tankers taking the Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz, including one from Qatar for the first time since the war began. The US responded with its own strikes on coastal targets and cancelled an oil sanctions waiver, prompting Iran to send drones and missiles at Bahrain and Kuwait. 

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey breaks down the latest military and diplomatic news from the Middle East with Dr. Dania Thafer, director of the Gulf International Forum, and asks whether it’s time for military action to break Tehran’s grip on Hormuz. 

Highlights

Trump ends US-Iran ceasefire and axes oil licence

US bombs 80 Iran targets after Tehran’s Strait of Hormuz oil tanker blitz

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

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

Dania Thafer, director Gulf International Forum @Dr_DaniaThafer

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

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

Trump: Ceasefire with Iranian scum is over

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/08/trump-ceasefire-with-iranian-scum-is-over/

We are ready to defend Greenland, Denmark’s PM tells Trump

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/08/we-are-ready-to-defend-greenland-denmark-pm-tells-trump/

David Blair: Iran’s regime is now stronger than before Trump’s war

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/08/iran-stronger-because-of-trump/

US carries out fresh strikes on Iran in response to Hormuz attacks

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/07/trump-ban-iran-from-selling-oil-hormuz-attacks/

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.

Donald Trump arrived at the 2026 Nato summit in Turkey and instantly started taking potshots at his Nato allies, blasting them for not helping the US in the Iran war. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant reports from Ankara on a day of dramatic meetings, fighter jet pledges and fiery speeches. 

Meanwhile, Iran has struck another oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz it accused of taking the banned Omani route. Tehran also threatened to call off peace talks following Trump's blistering warning that he would flatten Iranian energy infrastructure in "a small part of an afternoon". 

Plus, recently resigned British Armed Forces Minister Al Carns joins the show to deliver a blunt assessment of Western vulnerabilities and why Nato is fundamentally unprepared for the terrifying reality of mass drone warfare on its eastern flank. They also discuss the threat of Iran, Trump’s anger with his Nato allies over the war, Ukraine and defence spending in the UK. 

Highlights

Trump blasts Nato over Iran war as Tehran strikes ship in Hormuz

Resigned UK armed forces minister Al Carns on Trump, Nato and Iran

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

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

Dom Nicholls, associate defence editor and Ukraine: the Latest @DomNicholls

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

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.

Dead, disfigured by the war or hidden for safety - why isn’t Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei at his own father’s funeral?

It’s the million-dollar question as Tehran hosts the third day of a massive public event ahead of Ali Khamenei’s burial. On today’s Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Iranian-American historian and writer Arash Azizi about the possible theories, why the funeral was heavy on revenge and martyrdom, and what the event tells us about the post-war Iranian regime’s attitude towards the US. 

Plus, as Nato leaders prepare for the alliance’s most significant summit, President Donald Trump looms large over proceedings. Roland Oliphant looks at what’s at stake in this week’s meetings, while Sophia Yan explains how Turkey is using the event to crack down on dissent.

Highlights

‘Kill Trump’: Iran holds revenge funeral

Where is Iran’s new supreme leader?

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

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

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

Arash Azizi, author and historian Yale University @arash_tehran 

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Iranians call for revenge as mourners gather for Khamenei’s funeral

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/04/iranians-revenge-mourners-for-khamenei-funeral/

Khamenei’s funeral masks a battle for Iran’s soul

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/04/khameneis-funeral-masks-a-battle-for-iran-soul/

Mojtaba Khamenei misses father’s funeral

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/05/mojtaba-khamenei-misses-fathers-funeral/

Ahmadinejad back from the dead at Khamenei’s funeral

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/06/ahmadinejad-back-from-the-dead-khameneis-funeral/

Erdogan crushes dissent before rolling out Nato red carpet

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/07/recep-erdogan-turkey-ankara-dissent-nato-summit-ankara/

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.

The US celebrates its 250th anniversary of Independence Day on July 4th. As the nation hits this major milestone, what is the actual state of the superpower under President Donald Trump?

In this special episode, co-host and senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan takes a bird's-eye view of her home country and explores how it is viewed abroad. Drawing on nearly two decades of reporting from the frontlines of US foreign policy - from the rise of authoritarian China to the fires of the Middle East - she joins Roland Oliphant to examine its superpower status and whether the American Dream is still a reality or just a mirage.

Plus, reports that the US stepped in to block an Israeli plot to assassinate Iran’s top peace negotiators and IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi makes a rare public appearance as the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei begins today.

Highlights

Sophia Yan on America at 250: The collapse of a superpower?

US stops Israel ‘plot’ to kill Iran's top negotiators

CONTRIBUTORS:

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

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

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Inside the crumbling court of King Donald

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/03/inside-the-crumbling-court-of-king-donald/

Producer: Max Bower

Video Producer: James England

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

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-Iran war has paused, but it has lit a fire under an ideological civil war inside the American right. As Donald Trump prepares to mark America’s 250th birthday on July 4th, today’s episode of Iran: The Latest hosts a high-stakes foreign policy grudge match. 

First, John Bolton, former National Security Advisor, delivers a scathing critique of Trump's premature exit from the conflict. Bolton argues that Washington "stopped too soon” and that Israel is a key ally that the US must continue to protect militarily from Tehran. 

Then, Curt Mills, Executive Director of The American Conservative, fires back from the MAGA right. Mills claims Trump’s base feels a deep sense of betrayal over a war that directly violated core campaign promises and argues the conflict was fought entirely at the behest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Plus, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen since the start of the war. Will he finally show his face this weekend at the funeral of his father, the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei? 

Highlights

John Bolton: ‘The war stopped too soon’

Curt Mills: ‘This war was at the behest of Israel’

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

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

John Bolton, former National Security Adviser @AmbJohnBolton

Curt Mills, executive director The American Conservative magazine @CurtMills

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

Producer: Elliot Lampitt

Video Producer: Max Bower

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Ed Gould

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 US-Iran peace talks flounder in Qatar, stranded ship captains are taking matters into their own hands to escape the Strait of Hormuz warzone. 

On today’s episode, Roland Oliphant talks to former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe about how "free for all" is unfolding in the Gulf, with commercial vessels losing patience and risking Iranian fire to get out. They look at the credibility of Iranian claims of a grounded cargo ship, how the US Navy is bearing up, and why Iran may not have laid any mines so far - but could do soon. 

Plus, a deep dive into the furious political fallout over the UK's new Defence Investment Plan. Commander Sharpe delivers a scathing assessment of the decisions shaping a "hybrid navy," explaining why it is absolute madness to mothball the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers in favor of uncrewed drones.

CONTRIBUTORS:

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

Tom Sharpe, former Royal Navy commander and columnist @TomSharpe134

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

One thing we cannot do is return to business as usual in the Strait of Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/25/strait-hormuz-gulf-oil-fertiliser-ships-royal-navy-us/

A navy without destroyers can work, but not like this

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/01/a-navy-without-destroyers-can-work-but-not-with-this-budget/

Producer: Rachel Porter

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/

Highlights

‘Free for all’ in Strait of Hormuz warzone as captains run the gauntlet

US-Iran peace talks grind to a halt in Qatar

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

As the US and Iran meet in Qatar, the UK has unveiled £15 billion in defence spending - but is it all a giant “fudge” to avoid humiliation by Donald Trump at next week’s Nato summit? 

Announcing the Defence Investment Plan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer boasted it meant the UK is spending 4.2% of GDP on wider security. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey talks to Ukraine: the Latest host and defence associate editor Dom Nicholls about why the numbers don’t add up. 

Plus, they unpack the UK’s high-stakes gamble on exquisite uncrewed autonomous aircraft and vessels and why the UK is ignoring the vital lesson from wars in Ukraine and Iran: expensive tech cannot replace raw mass.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Dom Nicholls, Ukraine: the Latest host and defence associate editor @DomNicholls 

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Gulf plans to cut the US out of Iran deal

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/30/gulf-states-plan-to-cut-the-us-out-of-iran-deal/

Iran says frozen $6bn will soon be returned as part of peace deal

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/29/iran-frozen-assets-us-sanctions-peace-deal/

Producer: Max Bower and Rachel Porter

Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

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/

Highlights

Starmer ‘fudges’ defence spending to avoid Trump clash at Nato. Will it work?

The plan that proves the UK hasn’t learned the mass drone lesson from Iran and Ukraine

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

Tit-for-tat violence between Iran and the US erupted over the weekend as missiles and drones flew in both directions across the Strait of Hormuz. On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, we break down a dangerous weekend of military escalation that has left the fragile 60-day interim peace agreement hanging by a thread.

Host Venetia Rainey is joined by Bahraini political analyst Ahmed Khuzaie to dissect Iran’s widening campaign of violence and give the Gulf view on who should be allowed to control the vital Hormuz waterway. He explains why there is no trust in Tehran sticking to its side of any deal and how some Gulf states would like to see Donald Trump return to war - but a more decisive and better planned one. 

Plus, Israel and Lebanon have signed a peace deal too. But as fighting continues with Iranian proxy Hezbollah, is it even worth the paper it’s written on?

Highlights

US hammers Iran after Strait of Hormuz shipping attacks

Why some Gulf states would like to see Donald Trump return to war

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Ahmed Khuzaie, Bahraini analyst @AhmedAlkhuzaie

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Trump’s flimsy Iran deal comes back to haunt him

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/29/trumps-flimsy-iran-deal-comes-back-haunt-him/

Iran and US agree to halt attacks

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/28/iran-missile-strikes-new-hormuz-demand-bahrain-kuwait-trump/

Israel agrees to partial Lebanon withdrawal

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/26/israel-agrees-to-partial-lebanon-withdrawal/

Producer: Max Bower 

Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

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 direct strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz has shattered US hopes of bypassing the IRGC with a covert new route. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey exposes how this tactical escalation threatens to derail the fragile 60-day peace roadmap.

Plus, is Trump’s Iran deal better or worse than Obama’s? Former US lead negotiator Robert Malley joins the podcast to deliver his blunt assessment, including why it’s not as financially generous as some claim, how close Iran now is to going nuclear, and what to do with all that enriched uranium. 

Highlights

Iran strikes ship in Strait of Hormuz

Trump vs. Obama: Who got the better Iran deal?

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Robert Malley, former JCPOA US negotiator and program director International Crisis Group @Rob_Malley

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Iran attacks cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/25/iran-attacks-cargo-ship-strait-of-hormuz/

Israel suspected of cyber attack on Iranian banks

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/23/israel-behind-cyber-attack-on-iranian-banks/

The US-Iran war may have ended, but 6,000 miles away the death toll is rising

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/madagascar-fuel-food-shortages-iran-war-death-toll/

Producer: Max Bower and Lucy Dichmont

Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

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President Donald Trump needs more than $65bn in urgent funding for the Pentagon as a result of the Iran war, a stark reminder of the cost to America’s military. Amid a munitions crunch, the defense industrial base is being told to go faster - and the US’ adversaries are taking note.

In today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey sits down with Dana Stroul, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East and now director of research at the Washington Institute. 

She delivers a blunt assessment of the conflict's fallout, why lopsided sanctions relief has handed Tehran an economic windfall, and how the war has severely strained America’s Gulf alliances. Plus, they discuss new reports that an advanced Iranian "jellyfish" drone formation successfully brought down a US F-15 fighter jet back in April.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Dana Stroul, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Middle East and research director Washington Institute @dstroul

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Iran was using ‘jellyfish’ swarm of drones, reports downed F-15 pilot

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/06/23/f-15-pilot-shot-down-over-iran-saw-jellyfish-swarm-of-drone/

Dana Stroul: How the Iran War Will Transform America’s Military Role

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/middle-east-power-paradox-dana-stroul

Producer: Max Bower and Rachel Porter

Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

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/

Highlights

US facing weapons shortage - can Trump fix it?

Did Iran down a US fighter jet with a secret new drone weapon?

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