Iran: The Latest

The Telegraph
  • 0.0 (0)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY

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. First Venezuela, then Iran. Is Cuba next on Trump’s hit list?

    6 HR AGO

    First Venezuela, then Iran. Is Cuba next on Trump’s hit list?

    With Iran peace talks deadlocked, US military attention appears to be turning to another longtime enemy: Cuba.  This week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Cuba a threat to US security. Indictments have been issued against its elderly former president Raúl Castro. Claims about a Cuban drone stockpile aimed at the US have been leaked to the press. The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier has been deployed to the Caribbean. A blockade has been in place for months, leading to mass blackouts.  Carlos Solar, RUSI’s senior research fellow for Latin American security, joins Roland Oliphant to examine whether the United States is creating a pretext for an attack on Cuba. They discuss why things are escalating in the Caribbean and what an attack on the country might look like. Plus, how it is all connected to the war in Iran.  Highlights First Venezuela, then Iran. Is Cuba next on Trump’s hit list?How the Iran war is pushing Cuba’s regime over the edge CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Carlos Solar, RUSI Latin American Security senior fellow @CSolar CONTENT REFERENCED: Trump: deploying aircraft carrier to Caribbean is not meant to intimidate Cuba Rubio: Cuba is a national security threat Cuba is dark, desperate and still deluded 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.

    45 min
  2. Trump, Iran and the $150,000 Strait of Hormuz toll

    1 DAY AGO

    Trump, Iran and the $150,000 Strait of Hormuz toll

    Oil flows will not return to normal until the second half of next year - even if the Strait of Hormuz opens now. That’s the grim prognosis of the UAE’s most senior oil executive. But even if it does open, Iran is implementing a system of tolls that will have long-term implications, both in the Middle East and further afield. International economic editor Hans van Leeuwen tells Roland Oliphant how the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is transforming shipping all over the world.  Hans also looks at why India’s leader Narendra Modi is in Europe at the moment trying to drum up deals amid fears the Iran war could impact his country’s superpower trajectory.  Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu clash over whether to restart active hostilities, Pakistan’s army chief heads to Tehran to coax the regime towards a peace deal, and Iran says it will not give up its Uranium.  Highlights How Iran’s Strait of Hormuz toll could spread worldwideWhy the Iran war is throwing India off its superpower trajectory CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Hans van Leeuwen, international economics editor @hansvan333  CONTENT REFERENCED: How Trump trampled on Modi’s dream of an Indian superpower https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/05/20/how-trump-trampled-on-modis-dream-of-an-indian-superpower/ Iran weaponised world trade and others are following suit https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/05/19/iran-weaponised-world-trade-and-others-are-following-suit/ 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.

    30 min
  3. Iran warns Trump: ‘We’ll take war global if you bomb us again’

    2 DAYS AGO

    Iran warns Trump: ‘We’ll take war global if you bomb us again’

    Iran has threatened to spread the war beyond the Middle East if Donald Trump starts bombing the country again. Is it an empty threat or should we be worried? Jonathan Hackett, a former US Marine Corps interrogator and special operations intelligence officer, joins the podcast again to discuss the state of Iran’s military capabilities, their Mosaic Doctrine and what next for the war with Venetia Rainey, Sophia Yan and Roland Oliphant. They also discuss reports today that the US wanted to install former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Ali Khamenei’s place, news of secret Israeli bases in the Iraqi desert, and the shady Iran-linked group known as HAYI behind a series of attacks on Jews in London.  Plus, as Vladimir Putin visits Xi Jinping in China, Sophia looks at how the energy crisis caused by the war has boosted Moscow by forcing the UK and US to drop sanctions on Russian oil, and Venetia looks at JD Vance’s latest comments on peace deal talks.  Highlights Iran warns Trump: ‘We’ll take war global if you bomb us again’A US Marine on Iran’s terror war against the West CONTRIBUTORS: Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan Jonathan Hackett, former US Marine Corps @jonathanhackett CONTENT REFERENCED: Akhtar Makoii: Iran’s plan to strike back in second round of war https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/19/iran-plan-strike-back-second-round-war/ Badenoch: PM’s sanctions U-turn will fund killing of Ukrainian soldiers https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/05/20/starmer-eases-sanctions-on-russian-oil/ 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.

    39 min
  4. US's Call of Duty vs Iran’s Lego videos: who is winning the online war?

    3 DAYS AGO

    US's Call of Duty vs Iran’s Lego videos: who is winning the online war?

    Donald Trump has postponed his “scheduled” attack on Iran for now, but who is winning the online war between the two countries? America’s military has pumped out videos of air strikes and missile attacks, often spliced in with video game footage and overlaid with high octane music for maximum effect. Meanwhile, Iranian activists have created slick Lego animation videos set to hip hop music. Venetia Rainey chats to information warfare specialist Tal Hagin about which is cutting through more.  They also discuss the rise in AI-driven misinformation, anti-Semitism and desensitisation during the Iran war, from the deadly Minab school attack to Benjamin Netanyahu’s “extra” finger and rumoured death.  Plus, how can Israel deal with the growing Hezbollah drone threat? Lieutenant Colonel Sarit Zehavi, founder of the Alma Center, explains what it’s like living in northern Israel at the moment and why a bigger war with Lebanon would be needed to root out the terror group.  Highlights  America’s Call of Duty vs Iran’s Lego videos: who is winning the online war?Why Israel wants to go deeper into Lebanon to root out Hezbollah CONTRIBUTORS: Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Tal Hagin, information warfare analyst @talhagin Lt Col. Sarit Zehavi, founder Alma Center @ZehaviAlma 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.

    41 min
  5. Gulf gets laser-guided missiles to fight drones & Iran executions soar

    4 DAYS AGO

    Gulf gets laser-guided missiles to fight drones & Iran executions soar

    Executions have soared inside Iran, with new Amnesty data today showing more than 2,000 people were given the death penalty in 2025.   Roland Oliphant speaks to Iranian journalist in exile Maryam Mazrooei about the “bloodthirsty” regime’s latest tactic to scare citizens into silence amid the war with the US and Israel. She also explains why the mood inside the country is increasingly dark amid a growing economic disaster, with mass layoffs and no internet. Plus, the UK has fitted new laser-guided missiles to its Typhoon jets on patrol in the Gulf. Venetia Rainey talks to acting defence editor Tom Cotterill about how they have been designed to talk on Iranian Shahed drones and why they were developed so fast.  Tom also talks about his recent trip to the Falklands, where locals dismissed rumours that the US may drop its backing for British sovereignty over the Islands as punishment for not joining Donald Trump’s war against Iran.  Highlights  Gulf gets new laser-guided missiles to help smash Iranian drones‘Bloodthirsty’ Iran regime executions hit all-time high as economy freefalls CONTRIBUTORS: Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Tom Cotterill, acting defence editor @TomCotterillX Maryam Mazrooie, journalist @MaryammazrooeiS CONTENT REFERENCED: Trump: There won’t be anything left of Iran if it refuses peace deal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/17/trump-wont-be-anything-left-of-iran-if-refuses-peace-deal/ Typhoon jets equipped with cheaper missiles to fend off Iranian attacks https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/17/typhoon-jets-new-missiles-iran-attacks/ Tom Cotterill: Trump is using us as a pawn, says Falklands chief https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/10/falkland-islands-trump-is-using-us-as-a-pawn/ David Blair: Iran’s regime is confident of victory. It may be overplaying its hand https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/17/irans-regime-confident-of-victory-it-may-overplaying-hand/ Amnesty: Executions surge to highest recorded figure in 44 years https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/05/executions-surge-highest-recorded-figure-44-years/ 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
  6. Why China’s promise of no arms to Iran will do little to end the war

    15 MAY

    Why China’s promise of no arms to Iran will do little to end the war

    Donald Trump ended his high stakes trip to China claiming Xi Jinping had promised not to arm Iran, wanted the Strait of Hormuz open, and backed his goal of preventing Tehran getting a nuclear weapon.  But does any of that amount to a change in Chinese policy, and will it do anything to bring the frozen but still rumbling conflict to a close?  Sophia Yan speaks to Andrea Ghiselli, a China-Iran expert who has spent the war in China, about how the conflict is perceived in Beijing. Plus, Roland Oliphant summarises the latest news from the Middle East, including renewed drone strikes in Iraq. Highlights: Trump says that Xi has pledged no military equipment to IranCautious optimism in Lebanon as talks with Israel progress CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent, @sophia_yan  Andrea Ghiselli, China-ME expert and lecturer at the University of Exeter @AGhiselliChina 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.

    36 min
  7. High stakes at Beijing summit as Xi and Trump talk Taiwan and Iran

    14 MAY

    High stakes at Beijing summit as Xi and Trump talk Taiwan and Iran

    As two more ships are attacked in the Strait of Hormuz and the ceasefire in Lebanon nears its end, all eyes are on the high-stakes US-China summit in Beijing. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping say they agree that Iran must not have nuclear weapons and that the Strait must be reopened - but what does that mean in practice?  Ahmed Aboudouh, Associate Fellow for Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House, joins Roland Oliphant and Sophia Yan and explains how Beijing’s complex relationship with Tehran and the Gulf monarchies will inform its approach to the war. Highlights  What Beijing really wants from the Iran crisisThe balancing act between Tehran and the Gulf states CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent, @sophia_yan  Ahmed Aboudouh, Chatham House @AAboudouh CONTENT REFERENCED: China ‘secretly planning to ship arms to Iran’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/05/13/china-weapons-deal-iran/ China will benefit from the Iran war, regardless of any deal between Trump and Tehran https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/05/china-will-benefit-iran-war-regardless-any-deal-between-trump-and-tehran  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.

    50 min
  8. Iran’s hardliners will not listen to anyone - even China’s Xi Jinping

    13 MAY

    Iran’s hardliners will not listen to anyone - even China’s Xi Jinping

    Weeks of American and Israeli airstrikes inflicted grievous losses on Iran’s military. Or so we thought.  Now, US intelligence assessments suggest that Iran retains 70 percent of the missiles and launch vehicles it had before the war - including most of the sites threatening the Strait of Hormuz.  Holly Dagres joins Roland Oliphant and Sophia Yan to unpack the implications. She also explains why Iran’s hardliners are unlikely to listen to China’s leader Xi Jinping, have stepped up execution of opponents and alleged spies at home, and are nose-diving the economy with a crippling internet black out. This is the latest from Donald Trump’s war against Iran – which will overshadow his summit later this week with Xi. Highlights  Iran retains 70 percent of its missile arsenalWhy Tehran's hardliners will resist pressure from China CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent, @sophia_yan  Holly Dagres, Washington Institute, @hdagres 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.

    33 min
See All (317)

Shows with Subscription Benefits

Enjoy early access to our bonus episodes

View Subscription FAQs

Hosts & Guests

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.

Information

  • Channel
    The Telegraph
  • Creator
    The Telegraph
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    317
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Iran: The Latest
  • Provider
    Telegraph Media Group Holdings Limited

More From The Telegraph

You Might Also Like