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Iran: The Latest is The Telegraph’s defence, security and foreign affairs news podcast providing deep-dive analysis on the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
Veteran foreign correspondents Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey bring you the latest updates from The Telegraph’s award-winning journalists, plus exclusive interviews with world-class experts in military strategy, international relations, and Middle East policy.
From attacks on the Gulf to Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen to the threat of nuclear escalation, stay informed with the best of The Telegraph’s Middle East coverage in one place. As the geopolitical landscape shifts, subscribe for essential updates on the security shifts defining our global future.
Every Wednesday on Battle Lines: Global Health Security they’re joined by Arthur Scott-Geddes to look at the intersection between health and security, from bioweapons to warzone diseases to frontline medicine. You can watch these episodes here.
Battle Lines, a defence podcast with a wider scope and created by David Knowles, previously lived on this feed.
Don’t forget to follow and leave a review to stay updated on the latest in global conflict and foreign affairs.
Battle Lines: Global Health Security is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-12 16:37:02
Trump says US-Iran ceasefire ‘on life support’: can Xi Jinping revive it? (media.mp3)
The US-Iran ceasefire is on ‘life support,’ says Donald Trump. Iran may enrich Uranium to weapons grade if the war resumes, says its government.
All this sets the stage for Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing this week, where he will ask Xi Jinping for help bringing the war to a satisfactory end.
Might the two most powerful men on the planet might find a way to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and end the war? But does China have the leverage to force Iran to act, and would Xi Jinping be willing to use it to help out Donald Trump?
Highlights
- Can China stop the Iran conflict from spiralling further?
- What will a successful US-China Summit look like for Trump?
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Allegra Mendelson, Asia Correspondent
Dr Alessandro Arduino, RUSI Associate Fellow, International Security
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Antonia Langford, Putin expands world’s largest drone factory
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/11/putin-expands-worlds-largest-drone-factory/
Benedict Smith, Trump: ceasefire with Iran is on life support
Robert White, UAE ‘carried out secret attacks on Iran’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/12/uae-secret-attacks-on-iran/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-11 16:37:47
Netanyahu says war not over as US and Iran veto rival peace proposals (media.mp3)
As Donald Trump rejects Iran’s rejection of his peace terms, diplomatic efforts to end the war are back where they started. David Blair explains how this leaves Donald Trump with little choice to restart the war - but with little appetite to do so.
And with time running out before the US president heads to China for a high-stake summit with Xi Jinping. Memphis Barker explains how Xi Jinping could help Donald Trump to end the war, why he is unlikely to be terribly helpful, and why some fear the US might sell out Taiwan in exchange for Chinese help.
Highlights
- Netanyahu preparing to reengage militarily
- Can Xi Jinping help Donald Trump find an off-ramp from the Iran war?
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator, @davidblairdt
Memphis Barker, senior foreign correspondent, @memphisbarker
CONTENT REFERENCED:
‘Double-dealing’ Pakistan plots windfall from Iran peacemaker role
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/03/pakistan-takes-centre-stage-in-iran-negotiations/
Trump now has three options. They are all bad
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/06/trump-three-options-all-bad/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-08 18:09:46
‘Love tap’ or ‘reckless adventure’? US and Iran trade fire and blame (media.mp3)
The US and Iran have traded fire - and blame - in the Strait of Hormuz, is the war about to restart?
The ceasefire is looking shakier than ever after America bombed Iranian coastal cities overnight. It said it was a response to Tehran attacking three US destroyers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, Iran has attacked the UAE with drones and missiles. President Donald Trump says the US strikes were just a “love tap”, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi calls it a “reckless military adventure”.
Venetia Rainey is joined by Washington bureau chief Arthur MacMillan to discuss the view from the US following a week of U-turns and uncertainty. He explains why he does not have high expectations of a peace deal being struck before Trump goes to China, what the American public make of the war, and why the US may well pull more troops out of Europe.
Plus, Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin takes listeners inside a Hezbollah tunnel in a dispatch from southern Lebanon, where he reports on Israel’s plan to create a northern buffer zone in the style of Gaza.
Highlights
- ‘Love tap’ or ‘reckless adventure’? US and Iran trade fire and blame
- Plus: a dispatch from inside a Hezbollah tunnel in Lebanon
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Arthur MacMillan, Washington bureau chief @arthurmacmillan
Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkin
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Connor Stringer: How Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ fell apart in one day
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/05/06/us-iran-trump-military-diplomacy-project-freedom/
Henry Bodkin: Inside the tunnels that show Hezbollah doesn’t want peace with Israel
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-08 18:09:46
‘Love tap’ or ‘reckless adventure’? US and Iran trade fire and blame (media.mp3)
The US and Iran have traded fire - and blame - in the Strait of Hormuz, is the war about to restart?
The ceasefire is looking shakier than ever after America bombed Iranian coastal cities overnight. It said it was a response to Tehran attacking three US destroyers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, Iran has attacked the UAE with drones and missiles. President Donald Trump says the US strikes were just a “love tap”, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi calls it a “reckless military adventure”.
Venetia Rainey is joined by Washington bureau chief Arthur MacMillan to discuss the view from the US following a week of U-turns and uncertainty. He explains why he does not have high expectations of a peace deal being struck before Trump goes to China, what the American public make of the war, and why the US may well pull more troops out of Europe.
Plus, Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin takes listeners inside a Hezbollah tunnel in a dispatch from southern Lebanon, where he reports on Israel’s plan to create a northern buffer zone in the style of Gaza.
Highlights
- ‘Love tap’ or ‘reckless adventure’? US and Iran trade fire and blame
- Plus: a dispatch from inside a Hezbollah tunnel in Lebanon
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Arthur MacMillan, Washington bureau chief @arthurmacmillan
Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkin
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Connor Stringer: How Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ fell apart in one day
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/05/06/us-iran-trump-military-diplomacy-project-freedom/
Henry Bodkin: Inside the tunnels that show Hezbollah doesn’t want peace with Israel
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-07 16:08:40
‘Trump could reopen Hormuz if he dared, I’ve done it’: a rear admiral speaks out (media.mp3)
The focus of the US-Iran war rests once again on the Strait of Hormuz, is there any way to get it open again?
Since Donald Trump cancelled Project Freedom, Iran’s chokehold on the vital waterway is as tight as ever. But James Parkin has some ideas. The former Royal Navy rear admiral was in charge of the task force that broke the last attempted IRGC shut down in 2019, and tells Roland Oliphant that the US could do it again - if it really wanted to.
He also explains what it is like fighting the fanatical but talented sailors of the IRGC navy, and why he thinks their claims to have mined the Strait are probably lies.
Plus, The Telegraph’s foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii gives the view from Iran amid growing expectations of an imminent peace deal today, and Venetia Rainey looks at why Israel has suddenly bombed Beirut despite a ceasefire. They also discuss the latest news of extensive damage to American bases in the Gulf and the long-term implications.
Highlights
- ‘Trump could reopen Hormuz if he dared, I’ve done it’
- Retired Royal Navy rear admiral James Parkin speaks out
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Akhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoii
James Parkin, retired Royal Navy rear admiral
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Connor Stringer: How Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ fell apart in one day
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/05/06/us-iran-trump-military-diplomacy-project-freedom/
Henry Bodkin: US and Iran ‘close’ to deal to end war
Akhtar Makoii: Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei have more in common than they realise
Washington Post: Iran has hit far more U.S. military assets than reported, satellite images show
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/05/06/iran-us-bases-satellite-images/
NBC: Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-07 16:08:40
‘Trump could reopen Hormuz if he dared, I’ve done it’: a rear admiral speaks out (media.mp3)
The focus of the US-Iran war rests once again on the Strait of Hormuz, is there any way to get it open again?
Since Donald Trump cancelled Project Freedom, Iran’s chokehold on the vital waterway is as tight as ever. But James Parkin has some ideas. The former Royal Navy rear admiral was in charge of the task force that broke the last attempted IRGC shut down in 2019, and tells Roland Oliphant that the US could do it again - if it really wanted to.
He also explains what it is like fighting the fanatical but talented sailors of the IRGC navy, and why he thinks their claims to have mined the Strait are probably lies.
Plus, The Telegraph’s foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii gives the view from Iran amid growing expectations of an imminent peace deal today, and Venetia Rainey looks at why Israel has suddenly bombed Beirut despite a ceasefire. They also discuss the latest news of extensive damage to American bases in the Gulf and the long-term implications.
Highlights
- ‘Trump could reopen Hormuz if he dared, I’ve done it’
- Retired Royal Navy rear admiral James Parkin speaks out
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Akhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoii
James Parkin, retired Royal Navy rear admiral
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Connor Stringer: How Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ fell apart in one day
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/05/06/us-iran-trump-military-diplomacy-project-freedom/
Henry Bodkin: US and Iran ‘close’ to deal to end war
Akhtar Makoii: Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei have more in common than they realise
Washington Post: Iran has hit far more U.S. military assets than reported, satellite images show
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/05/06/iran-us-bases-satellite-images/
NBC: Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-06 16:35:58
The end of Operation Epic Fury & why Trump is pulling troops from Germany (media.mp3)
Is America’s Operation Epic Fury really over?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US’s military campaign against the Iranian regime has finished, and there are growing reports of a US-Iran peace deal in the offing. Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant break down the top three news stories you need to know today, from why Donald Trump has ended Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz to the importance of talks between Iran and China.
Plus, did a spat over the Iran war prompt Trump to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany last week? Berlin correspondent James Rothwell explains the significance of America’s significant troop presence in the country and why America’s pull-out is fuelling speculation that Nato is well and truly over.
Highlights
- The end of Operation Epic Fury amid growing talks of a peace deal
- Why Trump has pulled troops from Germany following Iran war spat
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
James Rothwell, Berlin correspondent @JamesERothwell
CONTENT REFERENCED:
David Blair: Trump now has three options. They are all bad
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/06/trump-three-options-all-bad/
Akhtar Makoii: Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei have more in common than they realise
Donald Tusk: Nato is disintegrating
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/02/donald-tusk-nato-is-disintegrating/
Why the US cannot fight another war after Iran without China’s help
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/30/us-cannot-fight-another-war-after-iran-without-china-help/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-05 16:34:48
‘One step away from war’: Trump launches Project Freedom to open the Strait of Hormuz (media.mp3)
Is the US-Iran war about to restart amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz?
Donald Trump has launched Project Freedom - a US Navy mission to break the Iranian blockade imposed since the beginning of the war. However, while the White House has framed the escort of neutral vessels as a “humanitarian gesture”, Tehran sees it as an escalation. Iran has fired missiles and drones at ships and an oil port in the UAE, and today says it is “just getting started”.
Roland Oliphant and chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair discuss the latest updates and why both sides are now likely locked in a downward spiral, putting us “one step” away from renewed all-out fighting.
Plus, former US Navy submariner Bryan Clark, director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute, explains why America must put more force into the Strait of Hormuz if it wants to win against a patient enemy like Iran. He also talks through Iran’s remaining naval capabilities, from midget subs to fast boats.
Highlights
- Why Trump’s Project Freedom will fail without more force
- An ex-US Navy submariner on what it will take to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt
Bryan Clark, senior fellow Hudson Institute @clarkdefense
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump has finally realised he must seize the Strait of Hormuz
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/04/trump-finally-realised-seize-the-strait-of-hormuz/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-04 06:00:00
Oil, revolution and ayatollahs: how Iran went from great power to rogue state (media.mp3)
Within living memory, Tehran ruled an oil-rich great power brimming with intellectuals inspired by British democracy. So how did it become an impoverished rogue state at war with the West?
In this special Bank Holiday edition, Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian history at the University of St Andrews, takes Roland Oliphant through Iran's tumultuous modern era: from the 1906 Constitutional Revolution and the 1953 coup, to the 1979 ousting of the shah and the 2026 US assassination of Ali Khamenei.
From the blunders of the unlikely "midwife" of the modern Iranian state - Great Britain - to the catastrophic decisions of successive Supreme Leaders after the founding of the Islamic Republic, he charts the course that shaped the country Donald Trump is fighting today.
How do the myths overshadow the facts of the CIA's 1953 coup and the Iran-Iraq war? Why is the regime so obsessed with enriching uranium and fighting Israel and America? And is the UK guilty of betraying Iranian dreams of democracy?
Plus, how the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company brought association football to Tehran.
Highlights
- Oil, revolution and ayatollahs: how Iran went from great power to rogue state
- Professor Ali Ansari explains 20th-century Iranian history
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Ali Ansari, professor University of St Andrews @aa51_ansari
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Part 1: ‘Iran thinks it’s still a great power’: Why the regime won’t surrender
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/03/why-the-iranian-regime-wont-surrender-ali-ansari/
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-05-01 17:09:13
US 'could deploy hypersonic missiles' & how Russia is using Iran to fight the West (media.mp3)
Donald Trump faces a critical decision as the Iran war drifts into a stalemate: double down on military force or hope the US blockade will break the deadlock.
Amid a deadline today for Trump to get Congress’ approval for further military operations under the War Powers Act, new reports suggest the Pentagon has requested the deployment of America’s Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles to the Middle East. Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss the latest updates from the region.
Plus, what is Russia’s role in the Iran war? Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’s Iran program, explains how Moscow has supported Tehran and is using it as a “pawn” in the broader fight against the West. He also analyses the significance of the viral Iranian Lego propaganda videos and Mojtaba Khamanei’s latest statement.
Highlights
- US 'could deploy hypersonic missiles' to Middle East
- How Russia is supporting Iran to fight the West
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Behnam Ben Taleblu, Foundation for Defense of Democracies @therealBehnamBT
CONTENT REFERENCED:
US asks to move Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles towards Iran
1,000 targets a day in Iran: How AI is accelerating war
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/01/1000-targets-day-how-ai-accelerating-america-iran-war/
Maven: the AI system helping the US bomb Iran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdHYDGHN5rQ
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-30 16:59:11
Iranian terror in London & why the US needs China to rearm (media.mp3)
The UK is in shock after an Iran-linked Islamist group claimed yet another attack on Jews in London.
In the wake of the Golders Green stabbing attack, national security editor Rozina Sabur looks at what we know about the shadowy online group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) and its links to the Iranian regime.
Plus, as Donald Trump weighs whether to take further military action against Iran or in the Strait of Hormuz, Samuel Olsen, chief analyst at risk and intelligence firm Sibylline, explains that the conflict has further indebted the US to China. Why? Beijing’s near-total dominance of the supply chain of rare earths and critical minerals, which every bit of modern military kit requires. Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping is likely to centre on this issue - as well as Taiwan.
Elsewhere, Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan analyse what we learned from Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s first under-oath testimony on the war and why the ceasefire seems to be holding everywhere apart from Iraq.
Highlights
- Why the US cannot rearm post-Iran war without China
- Rozina Sabur on the Iran-linked group claiming to be behind the Golders Green attack
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Samuel Olsen, chief analyst Sibylline @samolsenx
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Project Vault: Trump’s battle to break China’s critical mineral stranglehold
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/09/project-vault-trumps-battle-to-break-chinas-mineral-strangl/
China just proved it can cripple the US military in days. Now Trump is furious
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/20/china-just-proved-it-can-cripple-the-us-military-in-days-no/
The Iranian sleeper cell bringing terror to Europe
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/23/iranian-sleeper-cell-islamic-movement-companions-synagogue/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-29 17:16:17
I went to the Strait of Hormuz. This is why Trump can’t defeat Iran’s mosquito fleet (media.mp3)
From the Strait of Hormuz to Lebanon, the Iran war has seen the West’s foes adopt asymmetric warfare with growing efficacy.
Fresh off the boat from the Omani side of the Strait, Adrian Blomfield joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant. He explains how being out on the busy, misty and historic waterway helped him to understand why it is almost impossible for the US to counter Iran’s so-called “mosquito” fleet of fast boats.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin discusses the growing threat posed by Hezbollah as it adopts Ukrainian drone tactics to fight Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. He talks through a particularly worrying video showing the terror group flying a fibre-optic first-person view (FPV) drone at a medivac helicopter.
Plus, Venetia and Roland run through the latest updates from today, including Donald Trump’s new threat to Iran and bad signs from the Iranian economy.
Highlights:
- Adrian Blomfield on his trip to the Strait of Hormuz
- Henry Bodkin on the growing threat posed by Hezbollah as it adopts Ukrainian drone tactics
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Adrian Blomfield, senior foreign correspondent @adrianblomfield
Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkin
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Hezbollah attacks Israeli military helicopter with fibre optic drones
Adrian Blomfield: Here in the Strait, Iran’s mosquito fleet renders Trump blockade futile
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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.
From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-28 17:49:46
‘A bunch of losers with no power’: Why Iran’s hardliners won’t win (media.mp3)
Iran’s regime is facing an existential crisis prompted by the US-Israeli war.
Despite taking a military battering and the economy being in ruins, Tehran refuses to surrender. Historian Arash Azizi takes Roland Oliphant and Sophia Yan inside the clash between the regime establishment and the ultra-hardliners who fear their vision of the Islamic Republic will not survive peace.
He explains why the country’s powerful, IRGC-linked chief negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf is increasingly being attacked in Iranian media and the dilemma facing the Islamic Republic as it looks to make a deal without surrendering the anti-American dogmatism that revolutionaries hold so dear.
Plus, as Donald Trump rejects Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz before settling the nuclear question, senior foreign correspondent Adrian Blomfeld reports from out on the Strait itself.
Sophia and Roland also discuss the latest news from the region, including the UAE pulling out of OPEC.
Highlights
- Arash Azizi on why Iran’s hardliners are a “bunch of losers with no power”
- How the Iranian regime is facing a choice between reform and destruction
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host @rolandoliphant
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophiacyan
Arash Azizi, author and historian Yale University @arash_tehran
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Adrian Blomfield: Here in the Strait, Iran’s mosquito fleet renders Trump blockade futile
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/28/strait-of-hormuz-irans-mosquito-fleet-winning-blockade/
Robert White, Iona Cleave: Trump ‘unlikely to accept’ Iran’s Hormuz deal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/28/iran-war-live-trump-peace-talks-hormuz-strikes-lebanon/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-27 17:42:18
The true cost of America’s hidden missile crisis & why US-Iran talks are deadlocked (media.mp3)
The US has severely depleted key munitions in the Iran war - and it’s already having global consequences.
From delayed deliveries to allies such as Japan, South Korea and Ukraine, to a knockon impact on any future wars - such as a potential conflict with China over Taiwan - new analysis of America’s strategic stockpiles do not make for comfortable reading. Venetia Rainey talks to Mark Cancian and Chris Park from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) about what’s running low, why and what impact it will have.
Plus, will Donald Trump strike a deal with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz instead of prioritising a nuclear agreement?
That’s what Tehran is reportedly proposing today, but as veteran US diplomat David Satterfield explains, that comes with its own problems. With Iran playing the long-game in an asymmetric war, the former ambassador says Trump does not have many good options available.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
David Satterfield, former US diplomat and director of Baker Institute for Public Policy
Mark Cancian, senior fellow CSIS @MarkCancian
Chris Park, research associate CSIS @chrhspark
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Last Rounds? Status of Key Munitions at the Iran War Ceasefire
https://www.csis.org/analysis/last-rounds-status-key-munitions-iran-war-ceasefire
Producer: Elliot Lampitt
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-24 16:41:00
‘Trump is wrong - Iran’s regime is not split over this war’ (media.mp3)
The US-Iran ceasefire has limped into its third week, but can stuttering peace talks deliver a deal before war resumes?
Roland Oliphant is joined by Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, to discuss the latest news and updates, including what Mojtaba Khamanei’s reported injuries tell us about the balance of power in Tehran.
She also explains why the normally factional Iranian regime is united in its need to end the war, and how Donald Trump’s attempt to drive a wedge between “moderates” and “hardliners” is likely to fail.
Plus, international economics editor Hans van Leeuwen explains why the world has been watching the wrong oil price - and how the global impact of the war could be worse than we thought.
Highlights
- Why time is not on Trump’s side in the Iran war
- Mojtaba Khamenei’s injuries and what they say about the Iranian regime
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Hans van Leeuwen, International economics editor @hansvan333
Sanam Vakil, MENA programme director Chatham House @SanamVakil
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Hans van Leeuwen: The world is watching the wrong oil price
Producer: Elliot Lampitt
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells
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► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-23 17:20:33
How Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz - from sea-mines to suicide boats (media.mp3)
What will it take to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iran’s sea mines and fast boats?
With Tehran now charging extortionate tolls, attacking commercial ships who do not get permission to transit and reportedly laying around 20 sea mines, the vital waterway has become a living nightmare. President Donald Trump today told the US Navy to fire on any boats laying mines, but with Pentagon estimates that it will take six months to mine-sweep the Strait, is that enough?
To discuss the problem, Venetia Rainey is joined by Emma Salisbury, an Associate Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. Emma explains how American minesweeping capabilities became so heavily degraded, why Iran’s non-conventional navy remains so effective and hard to destroy, and the maritime signs that Trump may be considering a return to all-out war.
Plus, senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan talks through the latest news and updates from the region, including the status of the US-Iran ceasefire, reports that America is running out of munitions, and the Lebanon-Israel peace talks to disarm Hezbollah.
Highlights:
- Why it would take the US six months to minesweep the Strait of Hormuz - in peacetime
- Sophia Yan on how the Iran war became a game of chicken
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Emma Salisbury, associate fellow Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre @salisbot
CONTENT REFERENCED:
The Mine Gap: America Forgot How to Sweep the Sea
Iranian shadow fleet tankers break through US blockade
Trump has eight days to make up his mind on Iran
Last Rounds? Status of Key Munitions at the Iran War Ceasefire
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells
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► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-23 17:20:33
Sea mines and fast boats: how Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz (media.mp3)
What will it take to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iran’s sea mines and fast boats?
With Tehran now charging extortionate tolls, attacking commercial ships who do not get permission to transit and reportedly laying around 20 sea mines, the vital waterway has become a living nightmare. President Donald Trump today told the US Navy to fire on any boats laying mines, but with Pentagon estimates that it will take six months to mine-sweep the Strait, is that enough?
To discuss the problem, Venetia Rainey is joined by Emma Salisbury, an Associate Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. Emma explains how American minesweeping capabilities became so heavily degraded, why Iran’s non-conventional navy remains so effective and hard to destroy, and the maritime signs that Trump may be considering a return to all-out war.
Plus, senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan talks through the latest news and updates from the region, including the status of the US-Iran ceasefire, reports that America is running out of munitions, and the Lebanon-Israel peace talks to disarm Hezbollah.
Highlights:
- Why it would take the US six months to minesweep the Strait of Hormuz - in peacetime
- Sophia Yan on how the Iran war became a game of chicken
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Emma Salisbury, associate fellow Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre @salisbot
CONTENT REFERENCED:
The Mine Gap: America Forgot How to Sweep the Sea
Iranian shadow fleet tankers break through US blockade
Trump has eight days to make up his mind on Iran
Last Rounds? Status of Key Munitions at the Iran War Ceasefire
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-22 16:34:55
Trump’s Iran ceasefire flounders as ‘utter chaos’ engulfs Strait of Hormuz (media.mp3)
Instead of peace talks today, the US-Iran ceasefire is on the brink of collapsing and the Strait of Hormuz is heating up.
Despite the two-week deadline expiring today, JD Vance never boarded a plane to Pakistan for negotiations and neither did anyone from Iran. Instead, Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire indefinitely and the IRGC has today attacked several more international ships.
Is the war about to restart? Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant are joined by chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair and foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii to discuss the latest news, decode the signals from each side and explain what might happen next.
Plus, Roland chats to Richard Mead, editor-in-chief of the maritime industry bible Lloyd's List, about the wider implications of the Strait of Hormuz being in “utter chaos”, how ships are increasingly going dark to avoid detection, and China’s role in everything.
Highlights
- David Blair and Akhtar Makoii discuss whether the Iran war will restart
- Why the Strait of Hormuz being in “utter chaos” matters for everyone
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt
Akhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoii
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Connor Stringer: ‘It’s all a giant clusterf---’: Inside Trump’s floundering Iran peace process
Akhtar Makoii: Iran’s real negotiator is staring Trump down from the shadows
David Blair: Trump’s flip-flopping will only embolden Iran to harden its demands
Hormuz chaos shows Iran is too fractured to speak with one voice
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-21 16:54:15
‘Any US-Iran nuclear deal is an illusion without proper checks’ (media.mp3)
Can the US and Iran strike a last-minute nuclear deal to end the war?
With the two-week ceasefire deadline expiring on Wednesday, peace talks are tentatively set to go ahead in Pakistan between US Vice President JD Vance and an Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Ghalibaf. Donald Trump has threatened to resume bombing if negotiations fail, but a major stumbling block remains: Iran’s nuclear programme.
Washington wants Tehran to end all advanced uranium enrichment and give up its 450kg of “nuclear dust” that is currently buried under rubble. Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, tells foreign editor Louis Emanuel that without proper verification on the ground, any agreement will be an “illusion”.
Meanwhile, senior foreign correspondent Memphis Barker explains how the "ghost" of the previous Iran nuclear agreement - Barack Obama's 2015 JCPOA - looms large over everything. Can Trump strike a better deal now than the one he tore up in 2018?
Plus, Roland Oliphant runs through the latest updates and news from across the region, including what is going on in the Strait of Hormuz and some clarity on when the ceasefire actually ends.
Highlights:
- Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, on why a nuclear deal with Iran is tricky but doable
- Why the ghost of Obama’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal looms over peace talks
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Memphis Barker, senior foreign correspondent @memphisbarker
Louis Emanuel, foreign editor @louisjemanuel
Rafael Grossi, director general IAEA @rafaelmgrossi
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Exclusive interview: World faces new nuclear arms race
Why Obama’s Iran nuclear deal looms large over Trump’s negotiations
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-20 16:58:16
US seizure of Iran vessel near Strait of Hormuz leaves ceasefire in peril (media.mp3)
Will the weekend showdown in the Strait of Hormuz collapse the US-Iran ceasefire?
After Iran opened and then closed the Strait, attacked an Indian tanker and turned around ships, Donald Trump ordered the seizure of a sanctioned Iranian vessel that was attempting to pass through the US blockade. What followed was a new first for the war: shots fired at the Iranian container ship’s engine and the whole vessel taken into custody.
Retired Royal Navy commodore Steve Prest looks at how such seizures normally happen, the tricky question of what will happen to the vessel now and the long-term prospects of the Strait of Hormuz being reopened for global trade.
Plus, with the deadline for ceasefire talks in Pakistan fast approaching, Venetia Rainey looks at the signs today that talks may go ahead on Tuesday despite Iranian denials. She also explains the latest updates from Lebanon, where Hezbollah killed two Israeli soldiers over the weekend.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Steve Prest, ex-Royal Navy commodore @fightingsailor
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Akhtar Makoii: Hormuz chaos shows Iran is too fractured to speak with one voice
‘Vacate your engine room’: US Navy warns Iran ship before firing
You’re firing, let me turn back: Panicked sailor pleads with Iranian attackers
Israeli soldier smashes Jesus statue in face with sledgehammer
Times of Israel: 26 years later, IDF restores its south Lebanon security zone — with key changes
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-20 16:58:16
US seizure of Iran vessel near Strait of Hormuz leaves ceasefire in peril (media.mp3)
Will the weekend showdown in the Strait of Hormuz collapse the US-Iran ceasefire?
After Iran opened and then closed the Strait, attacked an Indian tanker and turned around ships, Donald Trump ordered the seizure of a sanctioned Iranian vessel that was attempting to pass through the US blockade. What followed was a new first for the war: shots fired at the Iranian container ship’s engine and the whole vessel taken into custody.
Retired Royal Navy commodore Steve Prest looks at how such seizures normally happen, the tricky question of what will happen to the vessel now and the long-term prospects of the Strait of Hormuz being reopened for global trade.
Plus, with the deadline for ceasefire talks in Pakistan fast approaching, Venetia Rainey looks at the signs today that talks may go ahead on Tuesday despite Iranian denials. She also explains the latest updates from Lebanon, where Hezbollah killed two Israeli soldiers over the weekend.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Steve Prest, ex-Royal Navy commodore @fightingsailor
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Akhtar Makoii: Hormuz chaos shows Iran is too fractured to speak with one voice
‘Vacate your engine room’: US Navy warns Iran ship before firing
You’re firing, let me turn back: Panicked sailor pleads with Iranian attackers
Israeli soldier smashes Jesus statue in face with sledgehammer
Times of Israel: 26 years later, IDF restores its south Lebanon security zone — with key changes
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-17 16:56:38
Iran ‘surrendering’ enriched uranium & why Israel-Lebanon ceasefire won't hold (media.mp3)
Is Iran giving up its enriched uranium?
US President Donald Trump says Tehran has agreed to hand over all of its “nuclear dust” - a potentially huge concession in the war. Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss why this would be so significant and what might have been offered to Iran in return. They also discuss what this means for US-Iran peace talks and the latest updates from the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it was “completely open”.
Plus, as the separate Israel-Lebanon ceasefire comes into force today, The Telegraph’s Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin and AP’s Beirut correspondent Kareem Chehayeb look at the prospect of it lasting. Kareem explains why disarming Hezbollah is desirable for many Lebanese but difficult, while Henry analyses why Israelis are feeling dejected and pessimistic about all fronts of the war.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkin
Kareem Chehayeb, AP Beirut correspondent @chehayebk
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Lebanon can’t expel one Iranian. So how will it disarm Hezbollah?
Lebanon peace deal in full – and how it could unravel
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-16 18:01:19
Ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon & how Trump’s ‘toxic’ Iran war broke the European Right (media.mp3)
On today’s episode, Donald Trump wrangles the leaders of Israel and Lebanon into their first direct talks in decades. Ending the fighting in Lebanon would bring the White House’s “grand bargain” peace deal with Iran itself a step closer. But on the ground, Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah rages unabated.
While the ceasefire In Iran itself is holding, the war is remaking the political map of Europe.
James Crisp, the Telegraph’s Europe editor, explains how the conflict has turned Donald Trump from populist inspiration to an electoral kiss of death for the European right, and asks whether Iran’s attempts to manipulate Western voters with Lego propaganda videos is paying off.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
James Crisp, Europe editor,
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Starmer and Macron to cut Trump out of Hormuz patrols
Meloni-Trump love-in falls apart as a political affair comes to an end
How Trump’s ‘toxic’ Iran war broke the European Right
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-16 18:01:19
Ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon & how Trump’s ‘toxic’ Iran war broke the European Right (media.mp3)
On today’s episode, Donald Trump wrangles the leaders of Israel and Lebanon into their first direct talks in decades. Ending the fighting in Lebanon would bring the White House’s “grand bargain” peace deal with Iran itself a step closer. But on the ground, Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah rages unabated.
While the ceasefire In Iran itself is holding, the war is remaking the political map of Europe.
James Crisp, the Telegraph’s Europe editor, explains how the conflict has turned Donald Trump from populist inspiration to an electoral kiss of death for the European right, and asks whether Iran’s attempts to manipulate Western voters with Lego propaganda videos is paying off.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
James Crisp, Europe editor,
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Starmer and Macron to cut Trump out of Hormuz patrols
Meloni-Trump love-in falls apart as a political affair comes to an end
How Trump’s ‘toxic’ Iran war broke the European Right
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-15 16:50:57
Trump vs Netanyahu: will Israel continue fighting if America pulls out? (media.mp3)
With a tenuous ceasefire hanging in the balance, Vice President of the United States JD Vance has come out offering a ‘grand bargain’ with Iran, signalling a possible reset of ties with the Islamic Republic. Is this a shift in position? Or is it postponing the inevitable reckoning? The Telegraph's Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator David Blair gives us his take on the chances of diplomacy breaking the deadlock.
Plus, Venetia Rainey talks to former Mossad analyst Sima Shine and asks what role Israel played in launching the war in the first place, and whether Netanyahu would prefer the ceasefire to fail?
CONTRIBUTORS:
Sophie O'Sullivan, cover-host
David Blair, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator @davidblairdt
Venetia Rainey, co-host
Sima Shine, a senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-14 16:52:35
US and China on maritime 'collision course' as first ships try to pass Trump's blockade (media.mp3)
America's naval blockade of Iran is meant to choke Tehran into lifting its own restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, but will it work and can it be enforced? Former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe joins Roland Oliphant to explain the operational challenges.
The first day of the maritime siege has drawn vocal condemnation from Beijing, in the latest sign of growing Chinese involvement in the crisis. Chinese officials were key to persuading Iran to accept the ceasefire. There are claims that Chinese weapons are on their way to re-stock Iranian air defences. Telegraph Asia Correspondent Allegra Mendelson explains China's role in Iran, what it wants from the war, and what would happen if an American warship dared to board a Chinese freighter.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Tom Sharpe, former Royal Navy Commander and Telegraph columnist @TomSharpe134
Allegra Mendelson, Asia correspondent @amendelson_
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Connor Stringer and Allegra Menedelson: How China helped seal Trump’s 11th hour Iran truce
Tom Sharpe: Trump’s blockade on a blockade is possible That doesn’t mean its a good idea
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-14 16:52:35
US and China on maritime 'collision course' as first ships try to pass Trump's blockade (media.mp3)
America's naval blockade of Iran is meant to choke Tehran into lifting its own restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, but will it work and can it be enforced? Former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe joins Roland Oliphant to explain the operational challenges.
The first day of the maritime siege has drawn vocal condemnation from Beijing, in the latest sign of growing Chinese involvement in the crisis. Chinese officials were key to persuading Iran to accept the ceasefire. There are claims that Chinese weapons are on their way to re-stock Iranian air defences. Telegraph Asia Correspondent Allegra Mendelson explains China's role in Iran, what it wants from the war, and what would happen if an American warship dared to board a Chinese freighter.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Tom Sharpe, former Royal Navy Commander and Telegraph columnist @TomSharpe134
Allegra Mendelson, Asia correspondent @amendelson_
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Connor Stringer and Allegra Menedelson: How China helped seal Trump’s 11th hour Iran truce
Tom Sharpe: Trump’s blockade on a blockade is possible That doesn’t mean its a good idea
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-13 17:06:11
Can Trump’s blockade break Iran’s grip on Strait of Hormuz? (media.mp3)
Could Donald Trump’s naval blockade break Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz?
As the shaky ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran continues to hold despite failed peace talks over the weekend, Washington is trying a new tack to end the war: barring Iran’s use of its ports. With the US Navy enforcing a blockade of the Strait as of today, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant are joined by senior foreign correspondent Adrian Blomfield in Oman to discuss whether it could work.
Adrian also looks at the reasons behind the failure of US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan over the weekend and why there are still hopes that something positive will come of it.
Plus, Venetia and Roland discuss the latest news updates from the region, including talks between Lebanon and Israel and Trump’s spat with the Pope.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Adrian Blomfield, senior foreign correspondent @adrianblomfield
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Connor Stringer: 21 hours, a dozen calls to Trump and no deal – how the peace talks fell apart
Adrian Blomfield: The strategic deadlock now facing Trump and Iran
Battle Lines: How MAGA Catholics won the White House
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: 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/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-13 17:06:11
Can Trump’s blockade break Iran’s grip on Strait of Hormuz? (media.mp3)
Could Donald Trump’s naval blockade break Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz?
As the shaky ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran continues to hold despite failed peace talks over the weekend, Washington is trying a new tack to end the war: barring Iran’s use of its ports. With the US Navy enforcing a blockade of the Strait as of today, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant are joined by senior foreign correspondent Adrian Blomfield in Oman to discuss whether it could work.
Adrian also looks at the reasons behind the failure of US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan over the weekend and why there are still hopes that something positive will come of it.
Plus, Venetia and Roland discuss the latest news updates from the region, including talks between Lebanon and Israel and Trump’s spat with the Pope.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Adrian Blomfield, senior foreign correspondent @adrianblomfield
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Connor Stringer: 21 hours, a dozen calls to Trump and no deal – how the peace talks fell apart
Adrian Blomfield: The strategic deadlock now facing Trump and Iran
Battle Lines: How MAGA Catholics won the White House
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-10 16:04:18
Is the Iran war over or is the US just reloading? (media.mp3)
Can the US and Iran broker a peace deal while Israel and Hezbollah continue fighting?
All eyes are on Pakistan this weekend as US Vice President JD Vance flies to Islamabad to meet with Tehran’s negotiating team, led by Parliament speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf. But with disagreement over whether the ceasefire applies to Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz still closed, it’s not clear what progress will be made.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is pressuring Nato to come up with a solution to the Strait - and fast. Venetia Rainey talks through the latest updates and news from across the region today.
Plus, could this ceasefire be a tactical pause to allow US forces to regroup? If you want to know America’s real intentions in the coming weeks, just watch the cargo and refuelling planes, says ex-British Army officer Robert Campbell.
He also reflects on his experiences serving in the Israeli army in southern Lebanon during the 1990s and explains why there is “no quick fix” to get rid of Hezbollah.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Robert Campbell, former British Army officer
CONTENT REFERENCED:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/04/10/why-the-tehran-tollbooth-will-never-work/
Producer: Max Bower
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-09 16:11:50
Trump’s Iran ceasefire on brink of collapse & how Ukraine is helping the Gulf (media.mp3)
Will Israel’s war to eliminate Hezbollah in Lebanon collapse the fragile US-Iran ceasefire?
Tehran has accused Israel of violating the terms of its deal with Donald Trump by launching a massive military operation against its Lebanese proxy on Wednesday afternoon, killing more than 250 people with strikes on more than 100 targets in the space of 10 minutes. Today, Hezbollah has responded by firing a barrage of rockets at northern Israel.
Iran and Europe want Lebanon to be included in the ceasefire, but Israel and the US say it’s a separate theatre of the war. Venetia Rainey talks through the latest updates and what it could mean for the upcoming peace talks in Pakistan.
Plus, as Keir Starmer tours the Gulf, countries in the normally stable region are reeling from more than 40 days of war.
Qatar-based IISS research fellow Sascha Bruchmann and Bahraini political consultant Ahmed Alkhuzaie discuss the Gulf’s scepticism of the ceasefire, why a counter-force in the Strait of Hormuz is essential, and how Ukraine is helping tackle the Iranian drone threat.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Ahmed Alkhuzaie, Bahraini political consultant @AhmedAlkhuzaie
Sascha Bruchmann, IISS research fellow
Producer: Max Bower
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-08 16:05:39
Why Trump’s Iran war ceasefire hinges on the Strait of Hormuz (media.mp3)
Is this the end of the Iran war?
Donald Trump has announced a two-week ceasefire deal after 40 days of fighting, with peace talks mediated by Pakistan set to go ahead this Friday. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth today said the US had achieved a “historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield”.
But many questions remain unanswered. Will the ceasefire turn into a lasting peace? What guarantees and concessions have been offered by each side? Will the Strait of Hormuz ever be fully open again? And why is Israel still attacking Lebanon?
Venetia Rainey is joined by chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair and foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii to discuss the latest news and what it could mean for the region in the weeks and months ahead.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt
Akhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoii
CONTENT REFERENCED:
David Blair: Trump’s ceasefire threatens to hand Iran a critical advantage
Akhtar Makoii: Trump will never be able to wipe out my civilisation
New York Times: How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran
Producer: Max Bower
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-07 16:57:07
Trump's Iran deal deadline: ‘A whole civilization will die tonight’ (media.mp3)
What will happen after Donald Trump’s midnight deadline for Iran to strike a deal?
The US president has issued a series of increasingly hardline threats to Tehran to force it sue for peace and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, from the complete demolition of all of its bridges and power plants to destroying its entire civilisation.
Venetia Rainey is joined by senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan to discuss Trump’s latest ultimatum, the frantic peace talks underway to avoid further escalation, and the possible impact on Iranians of such a widespread campaign of destruction.
Plus, they discuss China’s fuel shipments to the Iranian regime, the fallout from the latest attacks on the Gulf, and how Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon is heightening sectarian tensions among local communities.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Akhtar Makoii: How Trump is turning Iran into a full military dictatorship
Adrian Blomfield: Ceasefire remains unlikely while both Iran and the US think they’re winning
Producer: Max Bower
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-06 12:00:00
Inside the 'Easter Miracle': How the US rescued two airmen from Iran (media.mp3)
How did America manage to rescue two airmen after their plane was shot down over Iran?
In this bonus bank holiday episode, Venetia Rainey is joined by Jack Murphy, ex-US special forces who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, including as a Green Beret. He is now a journalist and military commentator and hosts The Team House national security podcast. He broke the story that the weapons systems officer (WSO) from the downed F-15E had been rescued alive after 36 hours stranded behind enemy lines.
Jack provides a unique insight into the dramatic double rescue mission - already being described as the most complex in American military history. He explains the initial search and rescue (CSAR) efforts, what the WSO would have been doing to survive on the ground, and why the US abandoned and blew up two multimillion-dollar aircraft at a remote desert airstrip.
Plus: what role is AI playing in the Iran war and beyond, in battlefields from Ukraine to Gaza?
The US military increasingly relies on an AI decision support system called Maven to help with targeting, intelligence assessments and troop deployments. Israel and Ukraine use similar technology. Proponents of artificial intelligence argue it makes warfare faster and more efficient - giving the West a key battlefield advantage in a time of rising conflict.
But critics say there are concerns over safety and low accuracy, and worry humans are increasingly being left out of the loop. Some of these concerns come from industry insiders such as AI company Anthropic, which is in a dispute with the Pentagon over the use of its system Claude for autonomous weapons.
Venetia Rainey is joined by Adam Wishart, the filmmaker behind new Channel 4 documentary, Click to Kill: the AI War Machine, and Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute and previously at OpenAI.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Jack Murphy, ex-special forces and host The Team House @JackMurphyRGR
Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist AI Now Institute @HeidyKhlaaf
Adam Wishart, director Click to Kill: the AI War Machine @adam_wishart
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Click to Kill: the AI War Machine on Channel 4
Producer: Rachel Porter
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-03 13:15:54
‘Iran thinks it’s still a great power’: Why the regime won’t surrender (media.mp3)
Why hasn’t the Iranian regime surrendered yet?
The Islamic Republic is at the centre of a war sending shock waves around the world, and despite being pummelled by the US and Israel, it remains defiant. The explanation lies in the country's ancient history and myths, which still permeate modern Iranian politics today.
For this special Easter edition, Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian history at the University of St Andrews, joins Roland Oliphant to take us all the way back to the empire of Cyrus the Great and the legendary heroes of Persian literature on a quest for the origins of the country.
Who are Iranians? Why do they think of themselves as a great power that can rival the West? And how has their long history shaped the regime at war with Donald Trump today?
Ansari explains how Iran is not as Islamic as the ayatollahs make out, why Iran adopted Shia rather than Sunni Islam, and how history and myth are used by both the regime and its opponents. Plus, perhaps most importantly, why the ancient Persians loved a drink.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Ali Ansari, professor University of St Andrews @aa51_ansari
Pic credit: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Producer: Rachel Porter
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-02 17:07:01
'We’ve trained for this': How US Marines could open the Strait of Hormuz and seize Iran’s uranium (media.mp3)
Could US amphibious troops re-open the Strait of Hormuz?
In his first major speech on the Iran war, Donald Trump said America is on course to finish its military campaign in the next three weeks. But to do so, he will have to find solutions to both the Strait, and Iran's remaining stockpile of enriched uranium.
To discuss, Roland Oliphant is joined from Saudi Arabia by Andrew Milburn, a former US Marine Corps colonel and ex-deputy Commander of Special Operations Command Central (CENTCOM), the headquarters responsible for all American special operations in the Middle East.
He explains what operations the Marines could undertake in the Strait, why a potential plan to seize Iran’s uranium is do-able but dangerous, and why some in the Gulf are worried there could be a premature ceasefire.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Andrew Milburn, former US Marine Corps colonel and co-host of Eyes-On @andymilburn8
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-01 16:22:59
Iran's 'zombie regime' & UAE ‘to help force open’ Strait of Hormuz (media.mp3)
Could the UAE help solve the Strait of Hormuz stalemate caused by the Iran war?
The US is growing increasingly angry with its allies for refusing to help fully reopen the blocked waterway, which has led to soaring oil prices and dire economic warnings. From President Donald Trump threatening to pull out of Nato (a Telegraph exclusive) to Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth lambasting the UK, Washington’s ire is palpable.
Venetia Rainey runs through the latest updates from the Middle East, including Trump’s claim ahead of his big speech tonight that Iran has asked for a ceasefire, and a potentially game-changing report that the UAE is pushing for a coalition to help reopen the Strait by force.
Plus, Roland Oliphant and senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan speak to Iranian-American analyst and author of the Iranist newsletter, Holly Dagres. She explains why there haven’t been more protests and how the Islamic Republic is becoming a “zombie regime”.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Holly Dagres, Washington Institute analyst @hdagres
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Roland Oliphant: The four outcomes if Trump surrenders the Strait of Hormuz to Iran
Trump interview: I am strongly considering pulling out of Nato
Iona Cleave: Iranian fortress at the centre of the battle for Hormuz
Akhtar Makoii: How Iran plans to fight US troops if Trump invades
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-31 16:55:49
One month of Iran-US war: Assassinations, missiles and the Strait of Hormuz (media.mp3)
After one month of the US-Iran war, who is winning and who is losing?
Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey step back to examine how much of US President Donald Trump’s original war goals have been achieved, from destroying Iran’s missiles, navy and regional proxies to regime change and preventing the development of nuclear weapons.
They also look at the role of Israel, the impact of attacks on the Gulf and the global economic shock caused by Iran’s closure of the vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz.
Plus, they discuss the depletion of global munition stocks after a month of air strikes, how the conflict has further frayed the Western alliance and what all that means for Ukraine and Russia.
If you’ve been struggling to keep up with the latest news from the Middle East conflict, this is an update and analysis of everything you need to know from March 2026.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Why tens of millions face hunger and poverty in wake of Trump’s Iran war
American troops forced to withdraw from Middle East bases
RUSI: Over 11,000 munitions in 16 Days of the Iran War: ‘Command of the Reload’ Governs Endurance
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-30 16:25:46
Iran vows to ‘rain fire’ on US troops, the Houthi ‘nightmare’ & on the ground in Tehran (media.mp3)
Is the US about to invade Iran?
Warship USS Tripoli has arrived in the Middle East with thousands of fresh troops, and the USS Boxer is not far behind - but Iran has vowed to “rain fire” on any American troops who set foot on its territory. Meanwhile, Trump is said to be considering taking Kharg Island and has been claiming regime change has already happened.
Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss all the latest updates, along with the impact on the price of oil and Israel expanding its offensive in southern Lebanon.
Yemen expert and University of Cambridge mistress Elisabeth Kendall explains why the Houthis joining the war is so significant and how they could turn things into a “nightmare”.
Plus, a glimpse into daily life on the ground in Tehran. Norwegian Refugee Council’s Iran director, Martje van Raamsdonk, joins from the Iranian capital to talk about how bombing has intensified in recent days, prompting residents to tape up their windows, and growing fears and uncertainty amid talks of a US invasion.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Elisabeth Kendall, president of Girton College, @Dr_E_Kendall
Martje van Raamsdonk, Norwegian Refugee Council’s Iran director
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump needs troops to seize the Strait of Hormuz. These are his options
‘Gate of Tears’ could be a strait too far for Trump’s military
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-27 16:51:55
‘A full spectrum crisis’: how the Iran war went global (media.mp3)
Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has already pushed up oil prices. But is a bigger global economic disruption yet to come? And how long will it last?
The Telegraph’s World Economy Editor Ambrose Evans-Pritchard joins Roland Oliphant to explain why the Iran conflict is sending shock waves around the world - and not just in the oil market.
From fertiliser to helium to sulphur, the block on shipping through the Strait carries other key commodities used by the tech industry, hospitals and farmers. Ambrose explains how the war will almost certainly cause a global food shock in 2027.
They also discuss how Russia and China are benefitting from the Iran war and why the Houthis in Yemen remain the dog that hasn’t barked - but could make things even worse than they are now.
Plus, Roland Oliphant and senior foreign correspondent Sohia Yan analyse the latest news from the Iran war, including Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts at peace talks with Tehran, the US Navy’s first ever use of unmanned surface boats and why AP is now calling Israel’s attack on Lebanon an invasion.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, world economy editor
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Roland Oliphant: Trump needs troops to seize the Strait of Hormuz. These are his options
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: China has already won the Gulf War
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: The longer Trump’s war drags on, the worse the coming global food crisis
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-26 16:32:31
Iran navy chief killed & why the war 'was based on a lie' (media.mp3)
Will Israel’s assassination of the IRGC’s naval chief lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz?
Hosts Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey analyse the latest news from the Iran war, from the killing of navy commander Alireza Tangsiri to Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran is “begging” for a deal.
With thousands of US troops en route to the Middle East, the stakes are high. Among them are the 82nd Airborne Division; acting Defence Editor Tom Cotterill explains what sort of missions this elite group of paratroopers might be able to execute.
Plus, former UK ambassador to Iran Sir Richard Dalton gives his insights into why striking a deal with the regime will be so difficult and how he thinks the war is based on a lie around Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Tom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillX
Sir Richard Dalton, UK’s former ambassador to Iran
CONTENT REFERENCED:
What 2,000 US paratroopers could do in Iran
Trump denies it – but two wars are becoming one
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-25 16:06:14
Delay tactic? Trump deploys paratroopers as he outlines peace plan (media.mp3)
Donald Trump has set out a 15-point Iran peace plan, but is he serious about ending the war?
With news that another 2,000 elite American troops are en route to the Middle East, Tehran has its doubts - particularly as they’ve been here twice before with Trump.
The Telegraph’s senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan joins Venetia Rainey to talk through how realistic the proposal is and how it’s being viewed in Iran. They also discuss Turkey’s role as a potential mediator and the impact of the conflict on China.
From the Telegraph’s US bureau, editor Lottie Tiplady-Bishop explains why Vice President JD Vance is now involved in peace negotiations and how boots on the ground is a red line for Trump’s MAGA base.
Plus, how is the Iran war being viewed by ordinary Americans? Reporter Natasha Leake takes the temperature on the streets of Washington DC.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Lottie Tiplady-Bishop, associate US news editor @lottietipbishop
Natasha Leake, US reporter @NatashaLeake
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump hands Iran 15-point plan to end war
‘Where the hell is JD Vance?’: Why Trump’s VP is missing in action
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/10/jd-vance-trump-iran-war-missing/
JD Vance met with Trump security official who quit over Iran war
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/18/jd-vance-met-joe-kent-quit-iran/
Donald Trump said he would be the president of peace
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/20/trump-promised-peace-then-he-started-war/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES:
Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-24 16:59:16
‘Iran thinks it’s winning’: can US peace talks in Pakistan really end the war? (media.mp3)
After four weeks of war with Iran, is Donald Trump calling it quits?
The US president claims he is in advanced talks with a highly placed regime insider on a peace deal that would end Iran’s nuclear ambitions, reopen the strait of Hormuz, and give the country’s leadership a reason to make up with the rest of the Middle East.
Pakistan and Egypt say they have brokered a meeting between US Vice President J D Vance and an Iranian delegation in Islamabad later this week. But who is the mystery Iranian negotiator? Does Iran have any reason to stop fighting now? And if peace is about to break out, why is the Iran war on the battlefield accelerating?
Meanwhile, amid a bruising war with Israel, Iran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah is on the brink of total collapse.
Roland Oliphant is joined by David Blair, the Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator, and Lina Khatib, associate fellow for the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt
Lina Khatib, associate fellow Chatham House @LinaKhatibUK
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump may have blinked, but his war of necessity will grind on
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/23/iran-war-no-end-in-sight/
Iran now has a clear path to victory
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/24/iran-now-has-a-clear-pathway-to-victory/
Producer: Elliot Lampitt
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-23 16:52:26
‘A forever mission': US colonel on Trump's Strait of Hormuz quagmire (media.mp3)
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
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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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-20 15:55:33
US sends Marines to Strait of Hormuz & why Iran can still fire missiles (media.mp3)
Thousands of US Marines and sailors are heading towards Iran - does this mean boots on the ground?
Venetia Rainey is joined by Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps to discuss the war three weeks in, how to open the Strait of Hormuz and whether as part of it, Trump will order troops to take Kharg Island.
They also discuss whether this counts as a world war and why this conflict is likely deterring China from taking Taiwan by force for at least another few years.
Plus, how is Iran still able to inflict so much damage on its neighbours? University of Oslo missiles expert Fabian Hoffman explains why Iran’s launchers may run out before its missiles do and how much longer interceptor stocks in the Gulf and Israel could last.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Peter Apps, Reuters defence columnist @pete_apps
Fabian Hoffman, University of Oslo @FRHoffmann1
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-19 16:49:38
‘Drunk on assassinations’: What is Israel’s Iran war strategy? (media.mp3)
Has Israel gone rogue with the attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field?
The bombing triggered a furious response from Tehran and led to a further escalation in the energy crisis caused by the US and Israeli war with Iran.
President Donald Trump says the US did not know about it but Israeli officials say it was coordinated. The Telegraph’s Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant to explain why the attack is consistent with Israel’s war goals and how tactics are potentially being prioritised over strategy.
Henry also discusses his reporting from northern Israel where troops are readying for an expanded ground invasion of Lebanon to root out Hezbollah and why talk of a buffer zone there may not match up with the threat.
Plus, senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan joins to discuss her time on the ground in Iraq and why things there are much worse than being reported. She also shares her thoughts on how Turkey is so far staying out of the conflict and why Iranian Kurds are pushing the US to let them invade.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Sophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent @sophia_yan
Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem Correspondent @HenryBodkin
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump’s three options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/18/trump-three-options-reopening-strait-hormuz/
Missiles and drones chase Americans out of Iraq
Tehran won’t fall without a ground offensive, says Kurdish leader
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-18 17:27:26
America’s biggest mistake in the Iran war so far & Israel's 'Gaza' threat to Lebanon (media.mp3)
When an Iranian primary school was bombed on the first day of the war, killing dozens of children instantly, it spawned a cycle of denials, conspiracy theories and online speculation.
Nearly three weeks on, it’s clear that an American Tomahawk missile was responsible for the deadliest attack of the conflict so far. The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs analyst Roland Oliphant and OSINT expert Gareth Corfield join Venetia Rainey and Arthur Scott-Geddes to go through all the evidence and explain why it matters.
Plus: Israel is upping its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, with strikes on central Beirut, troops invading from the south and flyers invoking the threat of Gaza.
The Telegraph’s global health security editor Paul Nuki joins from Beirut to discuss the latest news on what’s been targeted, the displacement crisis and attempts at peace talks. He also outlines three scenarios for how the war in Lebanon may unfold in the weeks to come.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Arthur Scott-Geddes, co-host @ascottgeddes
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Gareth Corfield, transport editor @GazTheJourno
CONTENT REFERENCED:
A girls’ school in Iran was blown up. Here’s what locals say happened
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/girls-school-iran-blown-up-locals-say-happened/
The evidence that shows a US missile hit an Iranian girls’ school
The top US intelligence official who turned on Trump over Iran
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/17/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-right-hand-man/
Producer: Louisa Wells
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-17 17:05:20
‘Huge void’ in Iran regime after security chief 'assassinated' (media.mp3)
Ali Larijani, Iran’s security chief, is believed to have been assassinated today by Israel in what could be a huge blow to the Iranian regime.
Roland Oliphant is joined by Akhtar Makoii to explain who Larijani was and why his death could be more significant for Tehran than Khamenei’s amid the ongoing US war.
Plus, Roland speaks to opposition figure Ali Safavi, part of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The NCRI is essentially Iran’s anti-monarchy opposition group and is led by the highly controversial People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) - previously designated as terrorists.
MEK supporter Safavi argues that an armed uprising rather than a war is needed to overthrow the Islamic Republic. He also discusses the MEK’s chequered history, the Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, and the enormous divisions among Iranian diaspora opposition groups.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Akhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent
Ali Safavi, National Council of Resistance of Iran @amsafavi
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Larijani’s death is more significant than that of supreme leader
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/17/ali-larijani-killing-hits-iran-more-than-ayatollah-death/
Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-13 15:46:22
Two weeks of Iran war: who's winning and losing? (media.mp3)
Two weeks into the American and Israel war with Iran, who is winning?
From Tehran’s perspective, this war is going according to plan. Even though America and Israel have dominated the battlefield, the regime has not collapsed, the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked, and the entire region is under pressure. Yet major questions remain over how many missiles they have left and how long they can stop major protests from erupting once again on the streets.
Roland Oliphant is joined by The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair and foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii to discuss the conflict so far and answer listeners’ questions.
Plus, Jonathan Hackett, a former Marine Corps interrogator, counterintelligence agent, and special operations intelligence officer, returns to give his assessment of the past two weeks, discuss the Israeli covert ops taking place on the ground, and look at where things might go from here.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt
Akhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoii
Jonathan Hackett
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Mojtaba Khamenei has called for Iranian unity – but he may not be alive
David Blair: Iran’s leaders have every reason to believe they’re succeeding
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/12/irans-leaders-every-reason-believe-succeeding/
Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-12 16:02:36
‘Strategically appalling’: Britain’s greatest military expert on Trump’s Iran war (media.mp3)
Does the US war with Iran make strategic sense? No, says Britain’s foremost military expert and strategist, Sir Lawrence Freedman.
Talking to Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey on The Telegraph’s Iran: The Latest podcast, Sir Lawrence shares his damning verdict of Donald Trump’s military operation against the Iranian regime: no proper preparation and no thinking through the risks.
They also discuss the global oil crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, lessons (or not) from the Iraq war, and the impact on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Sir Lawrence is the emeritus professor of war studies at King’s College London and has spent half a century looking at wars, national security and defence doctrine. He is new book, On Strategists and Strategy, is a collection of essays covering the Iraq war, the importance of tactics and nuclear deterrence.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, Chief Foreign Affairs Analyst and co-host @RolandOliphant
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Sir Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies King's College London @LawDavF
CONTENT REFERENCED:
A girls’ school in Iran was blown up. Here’s what locals say happened
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/girls-school-iran-blown-up-locals-say-happened/
The evidence that shows a US missile hit an Iranian girls’ school
Con Coughlin: Putin has been the Iran war’s big winner
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/12/putin-iran-war-big-winner/
Tom Sharpe: The Strait of Hormuz has been opened by force before, and it can be again
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/12/strait-hormuz-us-navy-escort-tanker-war-iran-force-open/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-11 16:13:31
Inside Iran: Why some celebrate Trump bombing their country (media.mp3)
How do Iranians inside Iran feel about Trump’s war?
With no independent reporting allowed, an internet blackout in place and harsh punishments for anyone who speaks out against the regime, it’s hard to tell. But there are some voices getting out - and some are happy about the American-Israeli attack. Sahar Zand, an Iranian-British investigative journalist based in London, shares messages from Iranians in the country who have been speaking to her.
Plus, The Telegraph’s Global Health Security Editor Paul Nuki joins from Beirut to talk about the latest in Israel’s escalating war against Hezbollah and the death, damage and disruption it’s causing on the ground.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Arthur Scott-Geddes, co-host @ascottgeddes
Sahar Zand, journalist @SaharZand
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
CONTENT REFERENCED:
How Iran’s ‘horizontal warfare’ could trap Trump in another Vietnam
UN claims 700,000 displaced in Lebanon after Israeli bombings
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-10 16:16:35
World War 3? How Iran conflict could pit US against Russia and China (media.mp3)
Is this what the start of World War Three looks like?
On the 11th day of the US-Israeli war with Iran, Roland looks at how the conflict is broadening well beyond Iran’s borders. President Donald Trump has hinted the war is nearly over, but ACLED CEO Clionadh Raleigh says it is dangerously close to dragging in Russia and China given they have already openly backed Iran. She also talks through what the data says about this conflict so far, from the high intensity of the military campaign to the surprisingly low casualty rates.
Plus, Senior Foreign Correspondent Sophia Yan reports from the Iraqi side of the Iranian border where she has been speaking to Iranian Kurdish separatist leaders who say they have thousands of fighters ready to go. Trump has flip-flopped over whether he would support the separatist groups as a proxy ground force in the US-Israel war against Iran. But they say America cannot topple Tehran’s regime without their help.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, Chief Foreign Affairs Analyst and co-host @RolandOliphant
Sophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent @sophiayan
Clionadh Raleigh, ACLED CEO, @cliona_raleigh
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump needs us to win war, says Kurdish opposition commander
Kurds desperate to invade Iran... if they get Trump’s jets
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/08/kurds-desperate-invade-iran-cover-trump-jets/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-09 16:49:03
Why Iran's new supreme leader could intensify the war (media.mp3)
Could Iran’s new leader be worse than the old one? On the 10th day of the US-Israeli war with Iran, Roland looks at why IRGC-favourite Mojtaba Khamenei has been chosen as the new supreme leader to take over from his assassinated father and what it means for the regime.
Plus, Venetia gets a view from the Gulf about the growing oil crisis, fears over dwindling interceptor missile stocks and how the war is dragging in countries there.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator and co-host @RolandOliphant
Sascha Bruchmann, IISS Research Fellow for Defence and Military Analysis
CONTENT REFERENCED:
David Blair: New supreme leader shows folly of Trump’s war
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/09/new-iran-supreme-leader-folly-trump-iran-war/
Iran has already made its first big miscalculation of the war
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/09/iran-first-big-miscalculation-war/
Iran war, day ten: Everything you need to know
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/09/iran-war-day-ten-everything-you-need-to-know/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-06 16:11:54
‘Shock and awe’ but no regime change: Assessing Trump's Middle East war, one week in (media.mp3)
It’s the seventh day of the US-Israeli war with Iran and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said America is about to dramatically increase the amount of firepower over the country as the military campaign moves into the next phase.
On today’s episode, Venetia takes a step back and looks at what has been achieved so far over one week of war. She is joined by Col. Simon Diggins, a former British Army Officer who has served in the Middle East, and Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute.
They discuss how much progress America has made with its stated objectives, whether Iran is running out of missiles or holding them back, the Shahed drone problem, what’s left of the Iranian navy and why regime change still seems a distant prospect for now.
Plus, two arguments for and against the UK becoming militarily involved - is it Keir Starmer’s moral duty or does Britain have nothing relevant to offer?
Read Iran war, day seven: Everything you need to know: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/06/iran-war-day-seven-everything-you-need-to-know/
Read Trump to use British bases for ‘surge’ in Iran attacks: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/06/trump-to-use-british-bases-for-surge-in-iran-attacks/
Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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Contact us with feedback or ideas:
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-05 16:20:41
Why Iran's navy is not - yet - defeated (media.mp3)
On the sixth day of the US-Israeli war with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is remains effectively closed to shipping, despite the US Navy crippling Iran’s surface fleet - including by torpedoing a Frigate off Sri Lanka.
On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe about how Western militaries have prepared for years for a big war with Iran; why Iranian maritime forces are equally well prepared; and the cruel necessities of submarine warfare.
And Nicholas Hopton, a former British ambassador to Iran, explains the three conditions necessary for a regime collapse - and why none of them have yet been met.
Read: The US submarine which torpedoed the Iranian frigate will soon be flying the Jolly Roger, by Tom Sharpe: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/05/us-submarine-torpedo-iranian-warship-jolly-roger/
Read: Will America betray the Kurds again? by Owen Matthews: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/05/will-america-betray-kurds-again/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-04 16:20:23
Is Europe being dragged into Trump’s Iran war? (media.mp3)
In the wake of an attack on a British military base in Cyprus, the UK has said it will send an extra warship to the region. Does this make Britain militarily involved in America and Israel’s war against Iran? Or was that already true after Prime Minister Keir Starmer allowed Donald Trump to use British bases? Venetia and Roland discuss Europe’s growing involvement in the conflict and the countries that are resisting.
Iranian-British journalist Nazenin Ansari talks about why she is pro-regime change but doesn’t want this war, the brutality of the IRGC, and how Khamenei’s son Mojtaba would be just more of the same if picked as his successor.
Plus, senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan sends a dispatch from the Turkish-Iranian border where she has been speaking to fleeing Iranians, and Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, explains how the UN’s health body prepared for the conflict.
Read Sophia Yan’s analysis of why China is unfazed by the war: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/04/why-china-is-unfazed-by-donald-trump-epic-fury/
Read Tom Cotterill on why this could be the Royal Navy’s biggest humiliation: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/03/is-this-the-royal-navys-biggest-humiliation/
Read our visual journalism deep dive on how Trump sank the Iranian navy: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/03/how-trump-sank-iranian-navy/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-03 16:48:35
US obliterates Iranian navy, exclusive Trump chat & voices from inside Tehran (media.mp3)
Battle Lines is now Iran: The Latest! Roland and Venetia are going to be covering the new conflict every day for the weeks to come, bringing you the best of The Telegraph’s reporting from around the world and exclusive interviews with world-class experts in military strategy, diplomacy, and the Middle East.
On today’s episode, Venetia and Roland look at America’s devastating attacks on Iran’s official Navy and the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining the war.
The Telegraph’s foreign reporter Akhtar Makoii shares his insights from speaking to people inside Iran about how ordinary people are now facing threats from both American bombs and the regime, who are out in force on the streets.
Maya Gebeily, Reuters’ bureau chief in Beirut, discusses the state of Hezbollah and the mood on the ground in Lebanon after Israel announced it is invading.
Plus, The Telegraph's US Correspondent Connor Stringer talks about his exclusive phone call with Donald Trump in the midst of the Iran war and why the president thinks Keir Starmer is “disappointing”.
Read Connor Stringer's exclusive chat with Trump: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/03/02/exclusive-trump-very-disappointed-in-starmer-over-iran/
Read Akhtar Makoii’s interviews with people inside Iran: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/02/iran-war-tehran-live-in-fear-us-bombs-whats-left-regime/
Read Akhtar Makoii’s rundown of Khamenei’s possible successors: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/03/the-four-men-who-could-save-or-destroy-iran/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-02 15:05:15
Iran bombs entire Middle East after Ayatollah Khamenei assassinated by Israel and US (media.mp3)
On day three of the conflict in the Middle East which started with Israel’s ‘pre-emptive attack’ on Iran, Venetia and Roland run through the big updates, including the UK’s involvement, the ongoing death toll and how Iran is striking back on key targets in the region.
We also talk to former Israeli intelligence official and Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz on how poorly defined the war's goals are and the fact that we aren't seeing any cracks in the regime yet.
Plus, The Telegraph’s David Blair on the significance of Khamenei's assassination and Trump's conflicting messaging.
Read Iran war, day three: Everything you need to know: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/02/iran-war-day-three-everything-you-need-to-know/
Read David Blair on why Trump’s incoherence on Iran maximises the risk of failure: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/28/trump-is-taking-a-monumental-risk-on-iran/
Read Roland Oliphant on the eight-month plot that led to Trump’s attack on Iran: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/28/donald-trump-attack-iran-israel-how-it-came-to-this/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-02 15:05:15
Iran bombs entire Middle East after Ayatollah Khamenei assassinated by Israel and US (media.mp3)
Iran's leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in an Israeli and US strike on Saturday morning, kicking off a major war that has since expanded to the entire Middle East.
On day three of the conflict, Venetia and Roland run through the big updates, including the UK’s involvement, the ongoing death toll and how Iran is striking back on key targets in the region.
They also talk to former Israeli intelligence official and Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz about how poorly defined the war's goals are and why we aren't seeing any cracks in the regime yet.
Plus, The Telegraph’s David Blair on the significance of Khamenei's assassination and Trump's conflicting messaging.
Read Iran war, day three: Everything you need to know: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/02/iran-war-day-three-everything-you-need-to-know/
Read David Blair on why Trump’s incoherence on Iran maximises the risk of failure: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/28/trump-is-taking-a-monumental-risk-on-iran/
Read Roland Oliphant on the eight-month plot that led to Trump’s attack on Iran: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/28/donald-trump-attack-iran-israel-how-it-came-to-this/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-28 12:58:57
Trump launches 'major combat operations' against Iran to oust regime (media.mp3)
The US and Israel have launched what President Donald Trump has described as "major combat operations" to try to bring about the end of the Iranian regime.
In this bonus episode, Roland and Venetia look at what we know so far - from Trump’s speech to strikes across the Middle East - and what might happen next, while Henry Bodkin, The Telegraph’s Jerusalem correspondent, reports from on the ground in Israel amid air raid sirens around the country.
Plus, Roland speaks to Jonathan Hackett, a 20-year US Marine Corps veteran and special operations capabilities specialist, as well as the author of Iran's Shadow Weapons: Covert Action, Intelligence Operations and Unconventional Warfare. Their conversation - which was recorded shortly before the attack began - covers how Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was offered an escape route but refused to take it, the state of the IRGC and why regime change in Iran will be so difficult.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-27 06:02:00
Cuba 'very close' to regime change: John Bolton on Trump, Venezuela and Iran (media.mp3)
For sixty years Washington and Havana have been having a geopolitical tango fuelled by obsession and ideology. The island nation of Cuba has been a socialist splinter in the finger of the Florida coastline, its regime infecting the region.
Now, with the toppling of Nicolás Maduro and Venezuelan oil tightly controlled by the US, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel could be next. To get into the finer details of the US’s new found dominance in the Caribbean, Venetia is joined by The Telegraph’s foreign reporter, Lily Shanagher.
Plus, former national security advisor John Bolton, voices the need for regime change in Venezuela, Iran and Cuba. Coining the phrase ‘Troika of Tyranny in 2018, Bolton has had Cuba in his sights for many years as a rogue state. So what should happen next in the region? John Bolton lays bare the truth about Trump’s decision making and the need for swift action.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-23 17:13:31
The 'super secret' Chagos island airbase at heart of Trump-Starmer row (media.mp3)
The British Indian Ocean Territory, AKA the Chagos Islands is home to the American super-base of Diego Garcia. Located on the largest island in the archipelago and home to the joint UK/US military base since the 1970s.
The Chagos handover to Mauritius has been controversial from the outset and shifting signals from Donald Trump have left the Starmer government open to a political backlash.
Has the special relationship turned toxic over these islands? And should the sovereignty transfer be stopped? To discuss, Roland turns to Ben Judah who has worked for the previous foreign secretary and Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, David Blair.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-23 17:13:31
The 'super secret' Chagos island airbase at heart of Trump-Starmer row (media.mp3)
The British Indian Ocean Territory, AKA the Chagos Islands is home to the American super-base of Diego Garcia. Located on the largest island in the archipelago and home to this joint UK/US military base since the 1970s.
The Chagos handover to Mauritius has been controversial from the outset and shifting signals from Donald Trump have left the Starmer government open to a political backlash.
Has the special relationship turned toxic over these islands? And should the sovereignty transfer be stopped? To discuss this Roland turns to The Telegraph’s Ben Judah who worked for the previous foreign secretary and Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, David Blair.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-20 06:00:00
Trump’s Iran plan: 'kick the door in' and hit the regime where it hurts (media.mp3)
The drumbeat of war in the Middle East is getting louder - and once again it’s Iran in America’s crosshairs.
A second round of talks over Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons programme ended this week without a deal. In the last few days, dozens of American fighter jets and refuelling tankers have joined the US's two carrier strike groups in the region. This is now the largest American military buildup in the Middle East since the Iraq war in 2003.
Venetia chats to Henry Bodkin, The Telegraph's Jerusalem correspondent, and Roland Oliphant, chief foreign affairs analyst about when war might break out and how it could unfold.
Plus Roland speaks to Maryam Mazrooei, an Iranian journalist and war photographer who fled the country after being arrested and imprisoned in 2022, about whether American-led regime change would spark a civil war in Iran.
Read - Trump sends fighter jet squadron to ‘kick the door down’ in Iran: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/18/us-military-aircraft-heading-towards-iran/
Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-16 17:41:09
North Korea 'names' 13-year-old nuclear heiress & inside Europe’s race to rearm (media.mp3)
North Korea’s dynasty dictatorship has taken on a new leather clad, second-in-command. Reports from South Korea have suggested that Kim Jong Un’s daughter Kim Ju-ae is now the heir apparent in the totalitarian state.
Could she one day be the youngest person to command a nuclear arsenal? Roland chats to The Telegraph’s Lily Shanagher and from the University of Oxford, North Korea watcher, Dr Edward Howell, to unpack what we know from the shadows.
Plus, after the Munich Security Conference at the weekend, Europe is facing a new future without Washington’s steadying hand and will have to be less reliant on the Stars and Stripes. But is European defence manufacturing scaling up in line with these new demands? Roland speaks to Philip Lockwood from defence startup Stark to find out just how quickly the ambitions are being realised.
Read Lily's article on Kim Ju-ae: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/16/kim-opens-neighbourhood-families-soldiers-killed-ukraine/
Pic credit: KCNA via Reuters
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-13 06:02:00
Vance’s ‘Enemy Within’: How the US shocked Europe into rearmament (media.mp3)
A year ago, JD Vance gave an explosive speech at the Munich Security Conference. It marked a fundamental shift in the relationship between the US and its European allies that have since been cemented through tariff wars, a new National Security Strategy and threats to take Greenland.
So has Europe risen to the challenge laid down by Donald Trump's administration and started to take care of its own security? Is there any trust left in the trans-Atlantic relationship? And will there be another attack on Europe at this weekend's Munich conference?
Venetia and Roland chat to David Blair, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, and Joe Barnes, Brussels Correspondent to find out.
Read Joe Barnes's story on how Europe ‘must become military superpower’ to survive without US: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/11/europe-must-be-military-superpower-to-survive-without-us/
Read David Blair's analysis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/d/da-de/david-blair/
Pic credit: Matthias Schrader/AP
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-09 15:58:59
Project Vault: Trump's battle to break China’s mineral stranglehold (media.mp3)
Donald Trump has moved the war for critical minerals from the margins of policy to the heart of great power rivalry. In this episode of Battle Lines, we look at Project Vault, America's bid to take back control of the critical minerals and rare earths supply chain from China.
This bid to build a vast new stockpile and industrial strategy was unveiled at the inaugural US Critical Minerals Ministerial Summit last week. Supporters see it as a necessary first step to protect American industry and national security. Critics warn that for middle countries, it may simply shift dependencies rather than break them.
Venetia talks to Sibylline Chief Analyst Sam Olsen to unpack what Project Vault really means, why processing matters more than mining, and how China has weaponised its dominance in ways OPEC never could.
Plus, a deep dive on how Greenland fits into the West's rare earths strategy. Greenland Energy, Business and Mineral Resources Minister Naaja Nathanielsen on that Trump deal, Chinese influence and the challenges of mining on the island.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-06 06:02:00
‘UK's biggest post-war scandal' and the China-Russia threat: shadow defence sec James Cartlidge (media.mp3)
Was Peter Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US a national security risk? Should the US and UK bomb Iran to spark regime change? Will Nato survive Trump? And how should European countries deal with the threat of China?
British shadow defence secretary and former procurement minister James Cartlidge joins Roland and Venetia to discuss the biggest news stories in British and global defence at the moment, from Russia's Yantar 'spy ship' to the 'poison chalice' and beleagured Ajax tank program.
We want to hear why you enjoy Battle Lines! Email us: battlelines@telegraph.co.uk
Read Sophia Yan's story on how China is powering Putin’s deadly new Oreshnik missiles: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/28/china-helping-russia-build-nuclear-capable-missile/
Read Roland's analysis of the Army’s £6bn Ajax disaster: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/23/inside-army-ajax-disaster/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-02-02 18:35:49
Trump masses 'large armada' to force Iran into nuclear deal (media.mp3)
The United States appeared poised for a major military confrontation with Iran after Donald Trump ordered a powerful naval force into the region in response to the killing of thousands of Iranian protesters.
The expected strikes never came. Instead, Washington has shifted towards using military pressure as leverage for a renewed nuclear deal.
Does this mark a genuine de-escalation? Or is it merely a pause before conflict? As diplomacy falters, tensions remain high and, inside Iran, the regime faces deepening political fractures as internet blackouts lift and grim details of last month’s massacres begin to emerge.
Roland is joined by The Telegraph’s Akhtar Makoii and Sascha Bruchmann from the International Institute For Strategic Studies.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-30 06:02:00
Nuclear secrets leak? Why Xi purged China’s top general (media.mp3)
Xi Jinping is purging again. Generals once seen as untouchable are gone, rivals erased, loyalty enforced through fear. Is this the move of a leader under real threat or the paranoia of a man who has ruled too long and trusts no one? To find out more, Venetia talks to Political Scientist Shanshan Mei from RAND Corporation.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been to Beijing, the first British leader to do so in eight years, talking trade, visas and whisky tariffs while security concerns barely made the script. We hear from The Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith, behind the smiles come burner phones, burner laptops, fears of honey traps and even planes being bugged. Economic opportunity versus national security. Values versus power.
Meanwhile Britain faces its own reckoning. Spies in Parliament. Phones hacked inside Downing Street. A vast Chinese mega embassy rising in central London amid warnings from MI5. Venetia is joined in the studio by The Telegraph’s Gareth Corfield and Rozina Sabur to discuss the extent of the national security threat posed by China.
Read Rozina Sabur's hacking scoop: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/26/china-hacked-downing-street-phones-for-years/
Read Gareth Corfield's embassy scoop: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/12/revealed-china-embassy-secret-plans-spy-basement/
Read Colin Freeman's analysis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/27/general-zhang-youxia-chinas-nuclear-secrets/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-26 16:01:34
America's Kurdish betrayal: has ISIS been given a second chance? (media.mp3)
For more than a decade, Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria were America's most trusted ally, spearheading the war against Isis, taking responsibility for guarding thousands of jihadi prisoners of war, and in the process carving out an autonomous statelet that seemed poised to realise the dream of Kurdish independence. Over the past few weeks, that dream as has been crushed.
In a sudden offensive, Ahmed Al Sharaa's transitional Syrian government has evicted the Kurds from vast territories including the country's biggest oilfield. Abandoned by their American allies, the Kurds have been forced to cede ground including the sprawling Isis prison camps. What now for the Kurds, for Syria, and for the jihadists Isis veterans?
To answer this and more, Roland is joined by The Telegraph's senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan and Senior Research Fellow, Middle East Security, Dr Burcu Ozcelik from RUSI.
Read Dr Burcu's research paper on northern Syria: https://www.jstor.org/stable/27342855
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-23 06:02:00
Battle for the West: Trump, Greenland and Canada's fightback (media.mp3)
Donald Trump has abruptly backed down over the US takeover of Greenland. From the icy streets of Nuuk our correspondent James Rothwell reports from the centre of an unusual geopolitical spotlight as Greenlanders try to make sense of their island’s sudden importance and the anxiety of being discussed by faraway powers.
Greenland itself emerges not as a prize but as a place with its own history identity and quiet resilience. James paints a picture of a small Arctic capital balancing fishing tourism and everyday life while navigating long memories of colonial rule and new questions about sovereignty security and self determination.
Back in the studio Venetia and Roland are joined by Chief Foreign Correspondent David Blair to unpack what Trump’s partial retreat really means and to explore the wider implications of Mark Carney’s striking Davos speech. Carney argues we are living through a rupture not a transition and urges middle powers to face reality and work together in a world where power politics is once again shaping events.
Read James Rothwell's Greenland dispatch: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/j/ja-je/james-rothwell/
Read David Blair's analysis of the Greenland deal: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/22/predicted-greenland-deal-not-good-one/
Read Roland Oliphant on Trump's Board of Peace: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/22/monarchs-and-pariahs-join-trumps-board-of-peace-parade/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-19 16:24:32
'Trump is damaging Nato': ex-commander speaks out on Greenland threats (media.mp3)
With tariffs aimed at Europe over Greenland, Nato teetering on the brink and Donald Trump flexing military muscle like never before, this is geopolitics as a personal power play.
Venetia and Roland are joined by the Alliance’s former Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Philip Breedlove who lays bare the strategic and moral fallout of Mr Trump’s actions and why he would refuse the order to invade Greenland if it came. The retired four star US Air Force general also reflects on the impact of America’s new National Security Strategy and the state of the Pentagon’s fleet of fighter jets.
Plus, US correspondent Connor Stringer on what it’s been like having a front row seat to the president’s second-term storm, sharing what it is really like to cover an administration that is rewriting the international security architecture.
Read David Blair on why this is a gift to Putin: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/19/trump-handed-putin-prize-soviet-union-40-years/
Read Tom Sharpe on why the US doesn’t need Greenland militarily: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/18/us-never-needed-greenland-for-military-reasons/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-16 06:02:00
Trump wants to conquer Greenland. This is how Europe can stop him (media.mp3)
President Trump’s talk of taking Greenland isn’t a joke, that much is now clear. His ambition to "conquer" the autonomous Danish territory is a direct challenge to the EU, Nato, and the post-Cold War security order - so what should Europe do?
Roland chats to Rachel Ellehuus, head of British defence and security think tank RUSI and formerly a senior US official in Nato and the Pentagon. She explains why Greenland matters far more than most people realise: from missile defence and Arctic dominance to critical minerals and great-power competition.
They also discuss why Trump’s threats should be taken seriously, how Denmark and Greenland are responding behind the scenes, and why this moment is critical for Europe if it wants to protect its values and way of life.
To watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/96WiO6QE6WQ
Archive: PBS News.
Picture credit: OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA/Shutterstock, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-12 17:28:35
Why Iran's regime is not finished (yet) and why Trump can't help (media.mp3)
Since late December, Iran has been gripped by a wave of protests that began in Tehran’s bazaars over economic collapse and rapidly spread nationwide. Cash handouts failed. Brutal force followed. Internet cut. According to human rights groups, more than 500 people are dead and over 10,000 arrested. This is not another Tehran uprising. This time the anger is coming from small towns, poorer regions, and even the regime’s traditional supporters.
As blood fills hospital corridors, the big question looms. Is this finally the end of the Islamic Republic? Venetia and Roland are joined by foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii and Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator David Blair, to unpack what makes this moment different. From the historic role of the Grand Bazaar to the shocking violence on the streets, from young protesters paying with their lives to the absence of any clear opposition leader, the panel confronts a stark reality. The regime is determined to survive. And despite his threats, Donald Trump cannot simply bomb Iran into freedom. Military intervention could just as easily strengthen the regime, fracture the country, or trigger chaos far beyond Iran’s borders.
Read Roland's analysis of the key signs to watch for: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/09/iran-protests-regime-fall/
And Roland examines Iran’s growing water crisis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11/12/evacuate-tehran-the-catastrophe-threatening-iran/
Read Akhtar's reporting on the protest victims: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/10/they-protested-peacefully-iran-answered-with-bullets/
Read David's analysis of the Ayatollah vs Trump: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/12/ayatollah-iran-protests-trump/
Pic credit: NEIL HALL/EPA/Shutterstock
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-09 06:02:00
A US general on Trump, Greenland and Nato in crisis (media.mp3)
An American raid in Venezuela. Nicolas Maduro hauled into a Manhattan courtroom. Open talk in Washington of annexing Greenland. A Russian flagged tanker seized in the freezing North Atlantic. And as the great powers flex their muscles, Iran edges towards what could become a full blown uprising.
So what on earth is going on?
At the heart of this extraordinary week lies a simple but dangerous truth. The transatlantic alliance is under more strain than at any moment since the Cold War. And for the first time in NATO’s history, the unthinkable is being whispered. What happens if allies collide?
Roland speaks to Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander of US Army forces in Europe, about how NATO has survived bitter internal disputes before and whether it can survive this one.
And former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe explains what really happened in the Greenland Iceland UK gap, what was on board the seized tanker, and why this matters for the laws of the sea.
Picture credit: Katie Miller/X, Alex Wong/Getty Images
Read David Blair's analysis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/06/usa-donald-trump-take-greenland-collapse-nato/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-05 15:30:31
Trump's Venezuela gamble: Why China, Russia and Iran just lost their foothold in Latin America (media.mp3)
Two days on from Donald Trump’s extraordinary capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the dust has barely begun to settle.
Maduro is appearing today in a New York court where he will be charged with “narco-terrorism” and conspiracy to import cocaine, which can carry life sentences under US law.
But Maduro is not the only loser in all of this. Iran, Russia and China have all lost a valuable client - one who sold them oil, bought their weapons, and provided them with a beachhead on America's doorstep.
Venetia is joined by Dr Carlos Solar, a Latin American Security at RUSI, and Adrian Blomfield, The Telegraph's senior foreign correspondent, to discuss the downsides - and upsides - for America's enemies, the Monroe Doctrine's renewed relevance, and what will happen next.
Pic credit: Marcelo GARCIA/AFP
Read Adrian's analysis of what the capture of Maduro means for China and Russia: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/03/venezuela-regime-change-russia-china-impact/
Venezuela becomes Trump’s energy superweapon against China: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/05/venezuela-becomes-trumps-energy-superweapon-against-china/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-03 19:25:30
Trump captures Maduro and takes over Venezuela: 'Welcome to 2026, America is back' (media.mp3)
In the early hours of this morning, US President Donald Trump gave the order for the Pentagon to bomb Venezuela’s capital Caracas and capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife.
Trump has just given a press conference in Mar-A Lago sharing fresh details.
In this emergency bonus episode of Battle Lines, Venetia is joined by The Telegraph's Chief US Correspondent Rob Crilly to cover everything we know so far about how it all unfolded, why Trump has done this, and what might happen next.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-01-02 06:00:00
Wargaming WW3: how and where the next global conflict could actually unfold (media.mp3)
From Taiwan to Estonia and Latvia, the prospect of World War Three feels closer than ever - that is unless you're one of those people who thinks it's already begun.
Peter Apps, Reuters' Global Defence Commentator, is not one of those people, but he does think there is a 30-35% chance of it erupting in the next decade. He talks to Roland and Venetia about what it might look like, where it might start, when and how to prevent it.
Peter is a British Army reservist and one of the most plugged in voices on modern warfare. He has reported from around the world, served in the British Army during the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war, and has just written a new book, The Next World War: The New Age of Global Conflict and the Fight to Stop It.
Peter will be speaking about his book at the 2026 Oxford Literary Festival in partnership with The Telegraph. Tickets: oxfordliteraryfestival.org; Telegraph readers can save 20% with the code 26TEL20
Producer: Peter Shevlin
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-29 12:00:00
US vs China vs Europe: the race to build the fighter jet of the future (media.mp3)
This episode goes straight to the jugular of modern air power and asks a brutally simple question: has the last great manned fighter already been born?
Roland is joined by Tom Withington of Royal United Services Institute and Sophy Antrobus from King’s College London, two people who actually know what they’re talking about when it comes to fighter jets. They unpack the mystery and the hype surrounding the sixth generation fighters. These are not just faster jets with shinier wings. They are flying data centres, designed to hoover up information, evade the most lethal air defences on the planet, and command swarms of drones doing the truly dangerous work.
We cut through the fog of acronyms to explain what sixth generation really means, how it differs from the F-35, and why programmes in the US, Britain, Europe and Asia are racing ahead despite eye watering costs. This is air dominance, power politics and future war rolled into one.
Picture credit: United States Air Force
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-26 06:00:00
No limits partnership: Why 2025 was China and Russia's year (media.mp3)
This has been a year when the world lurched from crisis to crisis at breakneck speed. Trump back in power. America wavering on Europe and Ukraine. China strutting with new confidence. Russia grinding on. Iran bombed. Gaza paused. If you feel dizzy you are not alone.
Venetia is joined by Adelie Pojzman-Pontay from Ukraine the Latest and Asia correspondent Allegra Mendelson to take a sharp eyed look back at the moments that mattered and the ones you may have missed but cannot afford to ignore.
We focus on the three powers shaping everything China, Russia and the United States.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-24 06:00:00
Photographing war, disease and nuclear accidents with Simon Townsley (media.mp3)
What's it like to photograph M-Pox outbreaks, military morgues and famines in Sudan? On this week’s episode of Battle Lines Global Health Security, international photojournalist Simon Townsley joins Arthur and Sophie to share his most memorable photographs of 2025.
This year, Simon has traveled to Sierra Leone, Guyana, Sudan, Chad, Zambia, Honduras, Kazakhstan, and Burundi for the Telegraph Global Health Security Desk. He reflects on how the world has changed in his nearly 40 years of work, and why now people often mistake him as Chinese.
Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
Studio Operator: Meghan Searle
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-22 12:00:00
From Afghanistan to Everest: the double-amputee Gurkha veteran who made history (media.mp3)
In this special festive edition of Battle Lines, Roland Oliphant and Dominic Nicholls cut through the tinsel to tell a story that actually matters.
In aid of, The Not Forgotten, a charity born out of the carnage of the First World War, they are joined by Hari Budha Magar, a Gurkha veteran who lost both his legs while serving in Afghanistan. From a remote village in Nepal to the battlefields of Afghanistan, Harry recounts the moment an IED changed his life and how he rebuilt it again.
Join Roland, Dom and Hari for dark humour, blunt honesty and genuine inspiration.
Read Jack Rear's profile of Hari Budha Magar: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/christmas-charity-appeal/2025/12/02/first-double-amputee-to-summit-everest/
The Not Forgotten is one of The Telegraph’s four Christmas charity appeal charities, the others are Motor Neurone Disease Association, Prostate Cancer Research and Canine Partners. You can donate by visiting telegraph.co.uk/appeal2025 or call 0151 317 5247.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-19 06:00:00
‘Russia-Ukraine deal impossible while Putin is alive’: ex-UK ambassador to Moscow (media.mp3)
Former UK ambassador Laurie Bristow speaks to Roland and delivers a blunt and unsettling warning about the state of the world and Britain’s place in it. Drawing on more than three decades at the heart of the Foreign Office, including some of the most dangerous postings of modern times, he argues we are living through the most volatile and complex global moment of our lifetimes.
From war returning to Europe and the rise of China, to artificial intelligence, pandemics and the collapse of old assumptions about power, nothing is stable and nothing is simple. Speaking candidly about Vladimir Putin, he explains why the west misread Moscow for years and why there are no easy deals or quick endings ahead.
This is a forensic, unsparing account of a world in turmoil and a challenge to Britain to wake up before it is too late.
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-15 16:08:36
'The frontline is everywhere': 10 surprising conflict hotspots for 2026 (media.mp3)
Today, Britain’s MI6 chief delivered a chilling message: the frontline is now everywhere.
Look around the world and the evidence is overwhelming. From Ukraine to Gaza to Sudan, violence is spreading fast and growing more lethal by the month. New data from ACLED shows that Europe is now the most intense conflict zone on the planet - a fact that should shock anyone in the West still clinging to the idea that war happens elsewhere. Plus, with drone strikes now accounting for more than a quarter of all attacks worldwide, war is only a short flight away.
This is not a bad patch, this is a dangerous new era. And next year will be even bloodier still. The warning signs are screaming at us.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data organisation, known as ACLED, has been tracking all of this data and more. Venetia speaks to their CEO Clionadh Raleigh to find out more.
Read ACLED's report: https://acleddata.com/conflict-index-2026-watchlist
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-12 05:00:00
The ex-Royal Marine Commando kicking Britain's armed forces into shape (media.mp3)
Britain's military has seen better days - that much everyone can agree on.
Enter ex-Royal Marine Commando Colonel Alistair Scott Carns, aka Wee Al, the UK's brand new Minister for Armed Forces. Part of the fresh batch of Labour MPs who entered Parliament in 2024, he has risen quickly through the Ministry of Defence and is considered "one to watch".
Carns sat down with The Telegraph's associated defence editor Dominic Nicholls to talk about his plans to get the military into shape, the UK's commitment to Ukraine, and the ongoing Ajax debate.
Plus he shared his views on Reform leader Nigel Farage and the legacy of Stakeknife in Northern Ireland.
Read Dom's profile of Al Carns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/d/dk-do/dominic-nicholls/
For backgrounders on the tensions between Trump and Venezuela:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/24/is-trump-about-to-invade-venezuela/
Listen to Venetia's dispatch from Sweden's Gotland Island: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/17/the-tiny-swedish-island-regiment-tasked-protecting-europe/
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-08 19:20:19
More Russia, less China and no Europe: Trump’s new security strategy unveiled (media.mp3)
Donald Trump has detonated a political earthquake with a National Security Strategy that doesn’t just tweak America’s global role, it torches seven decades of US foreign policy. In a move that’s left European allies stunned and scrambling, Trump’s new blueprint casts Europe as weak, directionless and on the brink of “civilisational erasure,” while pointedly avoiding calling Russia a threat.
And guess who’s absolutely thrilled? The Kremlin. Vladimir Putin’s spokesman practically applauded the document, hailing it as “largely consistent” with Moscow’s own vision. While EU leaders warn the strategy dangerously rewrites reality and echoes far-right rhetoric, Trump is pushing ahead, embracing “patriotic” parties across Europe and accusing the EU of holding back peace in Ukraine.
It’s a bold, brash, America-First gambit and one that’s left America’s closest allies wondering if Washington has just switched sides. To find out more, Roland talks to former British Ambassador to the United States Kim Darroch.
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-05 06:02:00
Why can't Britain build a decent tank? (media.mp3)
Ajax was meant to be the British Army’s modern embodiment of the mighty Greek warrior, strong, unbreakable, unstoppable. Instead, it’s become a national embarrassment. This week the Army suspended the entire fleet after 31 soldiers fell ill inside vehicles that were supposed to protect them. We’re talking tingling hands, ringing ears and troops vomiting on Salisbury Plain. It’s a £6.3 billion “world-beating” programme that’s been spiralling into chaos for two decades. To make matters worse, a whistleblower claims the manufacturer, General Dynamics, tried to shift the blame onto soldiers which was followed by an astonishing Facebook outburst from a company employee. With inquiries now launched and Parliament demanding answers, Roland is joined in the studio by The Telegraph’s Dom Nichols and Ben Barry from The International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Read Tom's story: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/04/defence-boss-mocks-troops-deafened-ajax-armoured-vehicle/
For blow-by-blow coverage of the peace talks, follow Ukraine the Latest: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/03/02/russia-ukraine-war-listen-daily-podcast/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-12-01 16:27:28
Europe is mobilising to face Russia. Is the UK falling behind? (media.mp3)
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the return of military service in the country, 25 years after mandatory national service was phased out. And he's not alone, with the German parliament set to vote on similar measures, while Belgium and the Netherlands have introduced similar voluntary military service.
But what do the measures entail exactly? How effective, or even necessary are they, and will the UK follow suit?
To discuss all of this Venetia Rainey is sits down with Dr Lynette Nusbacher, a military historian and strategist, and James Crisp, The Telegraph’s Europe editor, to hear more.
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-28 06:02:00
Inside Ukraine-Russia talks: Britain's Kissinger, Putin's enforcer and Trump's envoy (media.mp3)
Donald Trump’s latest effort to end the war in Ukraine unleashed a week of diplomatic turmoil.
And some of the most dramatic diplomatic twists and turns bear the finger prints of one man: Jonathan Powell, the British national security advisor, not only led a diplomatic rescue mission to recast Donald Trump’s original Russian-inspired proposals in Ukraine and Europe’s favour. His influence can also be seen in Anglo-French plans for a “coalition of the willing,” and even earlier this year in Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan.
He is a low-profile figure who wields real influence. So can the man who some have called Britain’s Henry Kissinger guide the war in Ukraine to a peaceful and palatable conclusion? Is his philosophy of engagement suited to grappling with Putin’s Kremlin? And have the week’s acrobatics brought Ukraine and Russia any closer to peace?
David Blair, the Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator, and Orysia Lutsevych, the head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, joins Roland Oliphant on this edition of Battle Lines.
David Blair on Jonathan Powell:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11/25/jonathan-powell-britains-kissinger-ukraine/
For blow-by-blow coverage of the peace talks, follow Ukraine the Latest: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/03/02/russia-ukraine-war-listen-daily-podcast/
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Credit: Sgt Robert Weideman / MoD
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-26 06:00:00
Why cutting aid to buy bombs is making us less safe (media.mp3)
With conflicts raging around the world, aid budgets are being slashed in favour of defence spending.
But experts are warning that cutting aid may not just hurt the world’s most vulnerable, it could make life in Britain more dangerous.
This week, Lord Dannatt, the former head of the British Army, tells Venetia and Arthur why cutting aid to boost defence actually makes us less safe.
Plus we hear from the author of a new Chatham House report, Olivia O'Sullivan, about the risk of China filling the power gap and the impact on global health.
Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
Studio Operator: Meghan Searle
Read Lord Dannatt's Telegraph article here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11/24/britain-invest-security-sudan-dangerous-world/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-24 17:35:48
How Xi Jinping’s past shapes China’s future (media.mp3)
Xi Jinping is the most authoritarian and longest serving Chinese leader since Mao - and probably the most powerful man on earth. But what makes him tick, and what does is upbringing tell us about his behaviour today?
Joseph Torigian spent nine years researching this question. The result is The Party's Interests Comes First - a biography of Xi's father, Xi Zhongxun. Torigan sat down with Roland Oliphant to discuss what he discovered about Xi's family history, and how it's shaping China and the world today.
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-21 06:02:00
Nato is running out of TNT. How did we fall behind Russia and China? (media.mp3)
TNT, the unglamorous but indispensable ingredient of modern warfare, is now in critically short supply and Britain is feeling the consequences. A new parliamentary report warns that the UK’s war-fighting readiness is being eroded not only by dwindling stockpiles but by its failure to meet Nato Article 3 obligations to maintain the capacity to resist armed attack.
The shortage of TNT is particularly alarming: Europe and the United States currently rely on a single Polish factory, a fragility that exposes the entire alliance to strategic risk. Ministers insist they are responding, with Defence Secretary John Healey outlining plans for up to 13 new British factories to produce munitions and explosives. But the pace remains slow.
In this episode, Venetia speaks to Joakim Sjöblom, CEO of Sweden Ballistics, about his bid to build Europe's next TNT plant and gets reaction from The Telegraph’s acting defence editor Tom Cotterill on how serious the crisis really is.
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Credit: Sgt Robert Weideman / MoD
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-19 06:00:00
Indiscriminate weapons: how wars became so deadly for civilians (media.mp3)
More children are being killed by explosive weapons than at any other time in history, according to a major new report by Save the Children and Imperial College London.
It’s clear there has been a shift in the way wars are being fought, and children are being caught in the crosshairs.
In this exclusive interview, Arthur and Paul ask George Graham, Executive Director for Global Impact at Save the Children, and Shehan Hettiaratchy, from the Centre for Paediatric Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London why have wars become so much more deadly for civilians and children in particular?
Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
Studio Operator: Meghan Searle
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Picture credit: MAHMUD HAMS / AFP
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-17 16:30:38
Biggest US military buildup since Cuban Missile Crisis puts Latin America on edge (media.mp3)
America is flexing its muscles in the Caribbean and the world is holding its breath. Washington has trained its sights on Socialist-run Venezuela, and the arrival of the colossal USS Gerald Ford has sparked the biggest military buildup since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Operation Southern Spear is now under way: a dozen warships, thousands of troops, and a barrage of so-called “anti-narco” strikes that have already left scores dead. The White House insists it’s about drug traffickers, but few believe that. With President Nicolás Maduro about to be officially labelled a terrorist and Trump accusing him of heading a major cartel, the scent of regime change is hard to ignore. Maduro says America is inventing a war. So what’s really happening? Venetia is joined by former British Royal Navy officer Tom Sharpe and RUSI Senior Research Fellow Carlos Solar.
Three possible scenarios: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/13/donald-trump-venezuela-nicolas-maduro-options/
Tom Sharpe on his time fighting drug smugglers in the Caribbean: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/08/ive-gone-up-against-drug-smugglers-in-the-caribbean/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-14 06:02:00
Trump and the ex-terrorist: why the West needs Syria to work (media.mp3)
The Syrian civil war raged for years, wrecked a nation, and then quietly vanished from the headlines. Last December, a jihadist faction once aligned with Al-Qaeda toppled Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship. Their leader, al-Sharaa is now President of Syria and he met Donald Trump this week in the Oval Office, yes, really.
Al-Sharaa is calling it a “new era” for Syria, no enemies, just friends. He’s courting everyone: Russia, Israel, Iran, the Gulf, even Turkey. But can a man with blood on his hands truly change? Or is this a master of reinvention pulling off the biggest PR stunt in modern history?
So who really is Ahmed al-Sharaa? Joining Roland for Battle Lines we have Jerome Drevon, co-author of “Transformed by the People Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s Road to Power in Syria” and The Telegraph’s very own Adrian Blomfield.
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-10 18:30:07
'Worse than war with Israel': Why Iran's regime is on edge (media.mp3)
Sanctions, nationwide protests, even Israeli airstrikes haven’t broken the Iranian regime. Could a drought finally bring the Islamic Republic to its knees?
Iran is running out of water and now the president has warned that if the rains don’t come, all of Tehran may have to be evacuated. This isn’t a war fought with bombs or bullets, it’s far more devastating. Roland Oliphant is joined by The Telegraph’s Iran correspondent, Akhtar Makoii and former Iranian politician Kaveh Madani to unpack how things got so bad and what it might mean for the regime.
Credit: Geoff Pugh/The Telegraph
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-07 06:01:00
Germany is finally rearming against Russia. Can it go fast enough? (media.mp3)
Germany is rearming, and fast. A sentence that once sent shivers down Europe’s spine is now a shocking reality. This isn’t the Germany of old; it’s a nation powering up for a new era of danger. With Putin’s war machine grinding on, Berlin’s gone from pacifist to powerhouse, pledging a staggering 3.5% of GDP to defence by 2029, outpacing the UK. So what’s behind this dramatic transformation? And is it enough to protect Europe from another Russian rampage? Venetia is joined by The Telegraph’s Berlin correspondent James Rothwell and defence expert Ulrike Franke to find out about Germany’s great rearmament.
Read Matt Oliver's deep dive into Germany's rearmament: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/02/germany-wants-to-arm-itself-to-the-teeth-is-the-world-ready/
Credit: AFP/Genya Savilov
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-11-03 16:36:11
Is the US losing the Pacific to China? (media.mp3)
Donald Trump’s been on a triumphant tour of Asia, shaking hands, signing peace deals, and lapping up royal treatment fit for, well, himself. From Tokyo Tower lit in red, white and blue to 250 cherry trees gifted in his honour, it was a spectacle of ego and diplomacy rolled into one. In South Korea, they even played YMCA as he strutted past a military band. Trump’s “12 out of 10” meeting with Xi Jinping was big on smiles but is it enough to combat Beijing's increasingly confident posture in the Pacific?
Plus, beyond the fireworks and photo ops, what did this Asia trip actually achieve? Were the rare earth and critical mineral deals Trump struck enough to protect Western militaries from China’s stranglehold on this key industry? Venetia is joined by Ben Bland from Chatham House and Steve Tsang from The School of Oriental and African Studies to find out.
Trump may already be losing the economic war for the Asia-Pacific: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/03/trump-may-already-be-losing-war-china-asia-pacific/
Air Force One is stuffed with golden gifts but the promises remain paper-thin: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/30/air-force-one-stuffed-gifts-trump-trade-deals-uncertain/
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From Iran: The Latest at 2025-10-31 06:02:00
How a Middle Eastern superpower is fuelling the Sudan war (media.mp3)
There’s a rhythm to wartime atrocity. First come the warnings, ignored, dismissed. Then the whispers, the shaky videos, the satellite images that no one can quite believe. And finally, the horrific truth. That’s where we are today in el-Fasher, Sudan, where the militia calling itself the Rapid Support Forces is perpetrating a massacre that can literally be seen from space. The crime has refocused attention both on Sudan's war, and the RSF's regional backers. Who are they, and why are they bankrolling such bloodshed? And why is such a vast and visible atrocity drawing such a muted reaction from the international community? Battle Lines is joined by Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair from think tank Confluence Advisory and terrorism and conflict specialist Michael Jones from Royal United Services Institute.
A massacre visible from space: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/28/sudan-bloodied-sands-massacre-thousands/
Attack on El Fasher hospital: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/hundreds-die-in-el-fasher-hospital-massacre-darfur-sudan/
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Credit: AFP PHOTO / HO / SUDAN RAPID SUPPORT FORCES (RSF) TELEGRAM
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