Iran: The Latest

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 @venetiaraineySophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanLottie Tiplady-Bishop, associate US news editor @lottietipbishopNatasha Leake, US reporter @NatashaLeakeCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump hands Iran 15-point plan to end warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/25/donald-trump-iran-war-15-point-plan-nuclear-missile/‘Where the hell is JD Vance?’: Why Trump’s VP is missing in actionhttps://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 warhttps://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 peacehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/20/trump-promised-peace-then-he-started-war/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 finding itself increasingly isolated. 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 @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtLina Khatib, associate fellow Chatham House @LinaKhatibUKCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump may have blinked, but his war of necessity will grind onhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/23/iran-war-no-end-in-sight/Iran now has a clear path to victoryhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/24/iran-now-has-a-clear-pathway-to-victory/Producer: Elliot LampittExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantTom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillXPeter Mansoor, chair military history Ohio State University CONTENT REFERENCED:Telegraph View: Britain must do what it can to open the Strait of Hormuzhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/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 ShevlinExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @venetiaraineyPeter Apps, Reuters defence columnist @pete_appsFabian Hoffman, University of Oslo @FRHoffmann1Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent @sophia_yanHenry Bodkin, Jerusalem Correspondent @HenryBodkinCONTENT 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 Iraqhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/15/missiles-and-drones-chase-americans-out-of-iraq/?recomm_id=faf315cd-c56c-4a5d-a833-90e89545db06Tehran won’t fall without a ground offensive, says Kurdish leaderhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/18/tehran-iran-war-ground-offensive-kurdish-leader-khabat/?recomm_id=35c185da-6605-4d40-aa0e-d19bf63781b0Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @venetiaraineyArthur Scott-Geddes, co-host @ascottgeddes Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantGareth Corfield, transport editor @GazTheJournoCONTENT REFERENCED:A girls’ school in Iran was blown up. Here’s what locals say happenedhttps://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’ schoolhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/evidence-shows-us-missile-hit-iranian-girls-school/The top US intelligence official who turned on Trump over Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/17/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-right-hand-man/Producer: Louisa WellsExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @RolandOliphantAkhtar Makoii, foreign correspondentAli Safavi, National Council of Resistance of Iran @amsafaviCONTENT REFERENCED:Larijani’s death is more significant than that of supreme leaderhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/17/ali-larijani-killing-hits-iran-more-than-ayatollah-death/Producer: Sophie O'SullivanExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No one knew how Iran’s new supreme leader survived the 30 bombs dropped on his father’s compound. Until now. The Telegraph’s foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii has obtained exclusive audio from an IRGC meeting that explains how Mojtaba Khamenei escaped the deadly US-Israeli strikes that killed his father, wife, sister, and other relatives on the first day of the Iran war. It also sheds new light on why he was chosen as Ali Khamenei’s successor. Plus: how do you reopen the Strait of Hormuz and what can the UK really do to help Donald Trump? Jack Watling, senior research fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, joins Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey to discuss the military options and why even they might not be enough. They also talk about how China might be looking to take advantage of this conflict and the impact of the Iran war on Indo-Pacific security. Watling’s new book, Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World, is out this week and is published by Macmillan. CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantVenetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyAkhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoiiJack Watling, senior research fellow RUSI @Jack_WatlingCONTENT REFERENCED:Mojtaba Khamenei escaped death by seconds, leaked audio revealshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/16/exclusive-mojtaba-khamenei-escaped-death-leaked-audio/Trump wants Britain to send a warship to the Gulf. Starmer has sent eight sailorshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/15/trump-wants-starmer-warship-gulf-sent-eight-sailors/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Iran’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 @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtAkhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoiiJonathan HackettCONTENT REFERENCED:Mojtaba Khamenei has called for Iranian unity – but he may not be alivehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/13/mojtaba-khamenei-uniting-iran-against-trump-may-not-alive/David Blair: Iran’s leaders have every reason to believe they’re succeedinghttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/12/irans-leaders-every-reason-believe-succeeding/Producer: Sophie O'SullivanExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @RolandOliphantVenetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineySir Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies King's College London @LawDavFCONTENT REFERENCED:A girls’ school in Iran was blown up. Here’s what locals say happenedhttps://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’ schoolhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/evidence-shows-us-missile-hit-iranian-girls-school/Con Coughlin: Putin has been the Iran war’s big winnerhttps://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 againhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/12/strait-hormuz-us-navy-escort-tanker-war-iran-force-open/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @venetiaraineyArthur Scott-Geddes, co-host @ascottgeddes Sahar Zand, journalist @SaharZandProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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/CONTENT REFERENCED:How Iran’s ‘horizontal warfare’ could trap Trump in another Vietnamhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/iran-horizontal-warfare-trap-trump-another-vietnam/UN claims 700,000 displaced in Lebanon after Israeli bombingshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/un-claims-700000-displaced-in-lebanon-after-israeli-bombing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent @sophiayanClionadh Raleigh, ACLED CEO, @cliona_raleighCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump needs us to win war, says Kurdish opposition commanderhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/08/kurdish-militia-leader-trump-needs-us-to-win-iran-war/Kurds desperate to invade Iran... if they get Trump’s jetshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/08/kurds-desperate-invade-iran-cover-trump-jets/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator and co-host @RolandOliphantSascha Bruchmann, IISS Research Fellow for Defence and Military AnalysisCONTENT REFERENCED:David Blair: New supreme leader shows folly of Trump’s warhttps://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 warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/09/iran-first-big-miscalculation-war/Iran war, day ten: Everything you need to knowhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/09/iran-war-day-ten-everything-you-need-to-know/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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'SullivanExecutive 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/fromtheeditorContact us with feedback or ideas:@venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ShevlinExecutive 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/fromtheeditorContact us with feedback or ideas:@venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ShevlinExecutive 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/fromtheeditorContact us with feedback or ideas:@venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ShevlinExecutive 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/fromtheeditorContact us with feedback or ideas:@venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ShevlinExecutive 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/fromtheeditorContact us with feedback or ideas:@venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ShevlinExecutive 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/fromtheeditorContact us with feedback or ideas:@venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ShevlinExecutive 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/fromtheeditorContact us with feedback or ideas:@venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.