{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6583019ebbd71a00175001c8/6a71fdfe2031aa1a284d6e27?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Trump’s empty ‘decapitation’ threats as Ukraine and Iran wars ‘very close’ to merging","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6583019ebbd71a00175001c8/1785855206589-b95e7626-602e-482a-bc2d-b39ff13e12d4.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Donald Trump has threatened a \"decapitation\" strike to restart the war if negotiations with Iran fail.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Iran denies talks are underway, but Tehran is certainly talking with one country: Oman. It is closing in on a Strait of Hormuz deal that would grant Iranian control over inbound shipping, potentially allowing it to charge fees on everything from oil to fertiliser. Amid fresh missile strikes on commercial vessels near Oman, how will the US respond?</p><p><br></p><p>On today’s episode of <em>Iran: The Latest</em>, Roland Oliphant speaks with Danny Citrinowicz, Senior Fellow at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), about whether Iran is strategically dragging out the conflict. They analyse how the Iran and Russia-Ukraine wars are “very close” to merging into a single global front, why US military posture is buckling in the Gulf, and how collapsing ceasefire deals in Lebanon and Gaza expose the limits of Trump’s Middle East strategy. </p><p><br></p><p>Highlights</p><ul><li>Trump threatens ‘decapitation’ strike if Iran negotiations fail</li><li>Why the Iran and Ukraine wars are ‘very close’ to merging&nbsp;</li></ul><p><br></p><p>CONTRIBUTORS:</p><p>Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant</p><p>Danny Citrinowicz, senior fellow at Institute for National Security Studies @citrinowicz&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk</a></p><p><br></p><p>CONTENT REFERENCED:</p><p>Trump cut out of new deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz</p><p><a href=\"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/04/iran-and-oman-near-deal-to-reopen-strait-of-hormuz/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/04/iran-and-oman-near-deal-to-reopen-strait-of-hormuz/</a></p><p><br></p><p>Trump’s Hamas disarmament plan unravels</p><p><a href=\"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/03/donald-trump-hamas-disarmament-deal-unravelling/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/03/donald-trump-hamas-disarmament-deal-unravelling/</a></p><p><br></p><p><em>Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026</em></p><p><em>Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026</em></p><p><em>Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026</em></p><p><em>The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026</em></p><p><br></p><p>Producer: Max Bower</p><p>Video Producer: Peter Shevlin</p><p>Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh</p><p>Studio Operator: Andy Watson</p><p>Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>► 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</p><p>► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk</p><p>► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>","author_name":"The Telegraph"}