Iran: The Latest

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

  1. Trump says US-Iran ceasefire ‘on life support’: can Xi Jinping revive it?

    9 HRS AGO

    Trump says US-Iran ceasefire ‘on life support’: can Xi Jinping revive it?

    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 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/11/iran-us-war-latest-tehran-executes-alleged-cia-mossad-spy/ 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  2. Netanyahu says war not over as US and Iran veto rival peace proposals

    1D AGO

    Netanyahu says war not over as US and Iran veto rival peace proposals

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

    35 min
  3. ‘Love tap’ or ‘reckless adventure’? US and Iran trade fire and blame

    4D AGO

    ‘Love tap’ or ‘reckless adventure’? US and Iran trade fire and blame

    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 blamePlus: 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 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/07/inside-tunnels-show-hezbollah-doesnt-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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min
  4. ‘Trump could reopen Hormuz if he dared, I’ve done it’: a rear admiral speaks out

    5D AGO

    ‘Trump could reopen Hormuz if he dared, I’ve done it’: a rear admiral speaks out

    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 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/06/us-iran-close-deal-end-war-israel-middle-east-hormuz-strait/ Akhtar Makoii: Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei have more in common than they realise https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/06/trump-and-mojtaba-khamenei-have-more-in-common-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 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trumps-abrupt-u-turn-plan-re-open-strait-hormuz-came-backlash-allies-rcna343845 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.

    48 min
  5. The end of Operation Epic Fury & why Trump is pulling troops from Germany

    6D AGO

    The end of Operation Epic Fury & why Trump is pulling troops from Germany

    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 dealWhy 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 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/06/trump-and-mojtaba-khamenei-have-more-in-common-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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    22 min
  6. ‘One step away from war’: Trump launches Project Freedom to open the Strait of Hormuz

    MAY 5

    ‘One step away from war’: Trump launches Project Freedom to open the Strait of Hormuz

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

    28 min
  7. Oil, revolution and ayatollahs: how Iran went from great power to rogue state

    MAY 4

    Oil, revolution and ayatollahs: how Iran went from great power to rogue state

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

    50 min
  8. US 'could deploy hypersonic missiles' & how Russia is using Iran to fight the West

    MAY 1

    US 'could deploy hypersonic missiles' & how Russia is using Iran to fight the West

    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 EastHow 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 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/30/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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min

Shows with Subscription Benefits

Enjoy early access to our bonus episodes

4.4
out of 5
45 Ratings

About

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

More From The Telegraph

You Might Also Like