Iran: The Latest

US President Donald Trump has backed Benjamin Netanyahu after a strong election result for the Israeli leader that is likely to lead to the imminent resumption of war with Iran even as Gulf states push for peace talks. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin and global health security editor Paul Nuki in Tel Aviv about the why Bibi beat back his rival Gadi Eisenkot, how the Arab parties could become kingmakers, and the importance of Trump’s intervention ahead of voting. Amid growing momentum behind a Qatari peace deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, they explain why Israeli military action against remaining IRGC targets is inevitable, whatever Trump does with the war. Plus, what the election result means for the region as Lebanese proxy Hezbollah rearms with the help of Iranian cash, Yemen’s Houthis attack a major oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, and tensions in the West Bank are on a knife edge. HighlightsTrump backs Bibi as Israel readies for new Iran strikesYemen’s Houthis attack a major oil refinery in Saudi ArabiaCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyHenry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkinPaul Nuki, global health security editor @PaulNukiWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Netanyahu’s fate now rests in the hands of his enemieshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/28/israel-election-netanyahu-fate-in-the-hands-of-enemies/Israel’s plan for ‘decisive victory’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/25/israels-plan-for-decisive-victory/ We’re ready to ditch two-state solution, says Arab-Israeli election kingmakerhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/18/were-ready-to-ditch-two-state-solution-says-arab-kingmaker/The CIA, civil war and the total collapse of Israelhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/23/cia-civil-war-total-collapse-israel-haredi-ultra-orthodox/Israel closes West Bank after shoot-out days before electionhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/23/israel-closes-west-bank-after-shootout-before-election/Winner Podcast of the Year - London Press Club Awards 2026Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Bronze Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Producers: Joleen Goffin and Max Bower Researcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey ► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on [email protected]► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/FOR YT ONLY >>> Keywords: Iran, Iran war, US Iran war, Iran the latest, The Telegraph, Telegraph podcast, Donald Trump, Trump, Netanyahu, Bibi, Israel Iran, Israel strikes Iran, Middle East war, Ras Tanura, Houthis, Saudi Arabia oil, Strait of Hormuz, military analysis, Iran news today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Israeli election is the most strategically consequential in the country’s history, with record turnout as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns voters to pick him or die.On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant talks to former Israeli defence intelligence analyst and INSS fellow Danny Citrinowicz about why Netanyahu is reported to have pushed Donald Trump to restart the Iran war early so he could delay the election. When the US said no to avoid pushing up oil prices any further, leaks suggest the Israeli leader tried to find another way to provoke Tehran, only to be stopped by the IDF chief of staff.They discuss the domestic and regional stakes for the country’s first wartime vote since Oct 7, and why the chances of renewed strikes against Iran are highly likely whether Bibi wins or loses.Plus, two British men are charged over a suspected Iranian intelligence plot targeting RAF Fairford, a vessel catches fire off the coast of Iraq, and Iran warns it will target South Korean shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.HighlightsNetanyahu ‘pushed Trump for Iran strikes’ to delay first wartime Israeli election‘Elect me or die’: Netanyahu’s Israel election threat as Iran war looms largeCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantDanny Citrinowicz, senior fellow at Institute for National Security Studies @citrinowiczWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Two men charged over suspected RAF Fairford terror plothttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/27/two-men-charged-over-raf-fairford-terror-plot/Victory or prison: Bibi’s last standhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/27/netanyahu-israeli-election-eisenkot-likud-iran/Netanyahu ‘pushed for strike on Iran before Israeli election’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/27/netanyahu-pushed-for-iran-strike-before-israel-election/ Winner Podcast of the Year - London Press Club Awards 2026Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Bronze Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Producers: Joleen Goffin and Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on [email protected]► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has threatened to restart the war with Iran with “another little Operation Epic Fury”, even as US intelligence exposes advanced Iranian plots targeting American personnel across the Middle East.On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant look at why the US and Israel are delaying strikes until after the midterm and parliamentary elections. Sascha Bruchmann, Research Fellow at the IISS in Bahrain, breaks down why the region is changing forever and the Gulf’s military posture as leaders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey visit Iran for an emergency summit.Plus, former President Barack Obama weighs in on the Iran war, the Tehran-backed Houthi forces launch ballistic missiles at Riyadh’s main airport, why war resilience is about more than stockpiling.HighlightsTrump vows a ‘little Operation Epic Fury’ against IranTehran plots to target American personnel across the Middle EastCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSascha Bruchmann, IISS Defence and Military Analysis Research FellowWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Obama accuses Trump of ‘chaos, cruelty and corruption’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/25/obama-accuses-trump-chaos-cruelty-corruption/US withdraws diplomats from Saudi Arabiahttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/22/us-withdraws-diplomats-from-saudi-arabia/Winner Podcast of the Year - London Press Club Awards 2026Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Bronze Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Producers: Joleen Goffin and Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on [email protected]► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US is preparing for a protracted war with Iran as Donald Trump’s UN ambassador, Mike Waltz, warns the US Navy can maintain its maritime blockade on Iranian ports indefinitely. With Iranian seaborne oil exports falling toward zero, Washington is tightening its economic pressure campaign to force concessions on Tehran’s nuclear program.On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, host Roland Oliphant is joined by The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair. They unpack the escalation across the Middle East as Saudi air defenses intercept a Houthi ballistic missile over Riyadh, European and Middle Eastern foreign ministers convene in Istanbul, and the environmental cost of the war as UAE temporarily closes a beach due to dangerous contamination by a spill from a tanker.Plus, oil prices surge to a five-month high amid fears of fresh US-Israeli strikes, and Benjamin Netanyahu orders a total lockdown of the West Bank just days before Israel's general election.HighlightsUS Navy prepares for indefinite Iran blockade as oil revenues hit zeroHouthis target a ballistic missile at Riyadh as regional allies convene in IstanbulCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Israel closes West Bank after shoot-out days before election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/23/israel-closes-west-bank-after-shootout-before-election/ The testimony of 24 soldiers has put the Gaza toll at the heart of Israel’s election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/21/naza-film-israel-netanyahu-election/?recomm_id=d05acaf9-6799-4c4c-b651-e0e86e1d4d0b Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Bronze Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Winner Podcast of the Year - London Press Club Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Producers: Peter Shevlin and Max Bower Researcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Chris JanuaryExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey ► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on [email protected]► 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.

Further details have emerged regarding US-Israeli plans for a joint military campaign against Iran after the midterm elections. Following sightings of Israeli Air Force jets flying up to the Iranian border on Monday, plans for a three-day military blitz on Iran’s nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure were revealed to the New York Times.On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps about whether a renewed campaign can force Tehran’s hand or if it will trigger a devastating cycle of retaliation across Gulf energy fields. They examine the collapse of Iran’s shadow tanker fleet, escalating Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia, and whether expanding cyber warfare and drone technology mean the West is already entangled in a broader global conflict.Plus, what would be the global impact of Iranian attacks on undersea cables in the Persian Gulf, and why Russian trawlers are spying on critical British subsea infrastructure.HighlightsIran’s ‘shadow fleet’ has run out of oil after a monthslong US blockade.How conflicts around the world are inextricably linked and are AI cyber attacks dragging the West into global war?CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantPeter Apps, global defence commentator for Reuters @pete_appsWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:US and Israel practise fresh strikes on Iran’s border https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/22/us-and-israel-practise-fresh-strikes-on-irans-border/US withdraws diplomats from Saudi Arabia https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/22/us-withdraws-diplomats-from-saudi-arabia/Netanyahu pushes for new strikes against Iran before Israeli election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/21/netanyahu-wants-new-strikes-on-iran-before-israel-elections/Iran threatens to cut Hormuz internet cables https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/20/iran-threatens-cut-hormuz-internet-cables/Exclusive: Putin sends fishing trawlers to spy on Britain https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/21/exclusive-putin-sends-fishing-trawlers-to-spy-on-britain/Winner Podcast of the Year - London Press Club Awards 2026Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Bronze Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Producers: Peter Shevlin and Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on [email protected]► 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.