{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6583019ebbd71a00175001c8/6aad5e6764d244acc6f0e5b6?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Trump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran as China upgrades Djibouti military base","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6583019ebbd71a00175001c8/1789746482601-f8371d88-a0ef-43f2-921c-7b0ec88b8539.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Donald Trump has once again threatened to \"annihilate\" the Iranian regime, saying he faces a major decision on how to proceed with the Iran war but will consult with his Gulf allies at the UN General Assembly next week first.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>On today’s episode of <em>Iran: the Latest</em>, Roland Oliphant speaks to former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe about whether Trump will execute his strike threat given Washington appears to lack the risk appetite for further military escalation. They unpack how the US and Saudi Arabia are smuggling millions of barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz to keep prices down, and what it says about the crippled Iranian military’s inability to police the narrow waterway.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Plus, satellite imagery reveals China is upgrading its military base in Djibouti near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Yemen’s Houthis claim their first fatality in this round of strikes on Saudi Arabia, and what a looming US naval drawdown in the Gulf means for Western security.</p><p><br></p><p>Highlights</p><ul><li>Trump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran as China upgrades Djibouti military base</li><li>Inside the Strait of Hormuz dark route: ship-to-ship transfers and US escorts</li></ul><p><br></p><p>CONTRIBUTORS:</p><p>Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant</p><p>Tom Sharpe, former Royal Navy commander @TomSharpe134</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>Daniel DePetris: Iran is proving it can push America out of the Middle East</p><p><a href=\"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/18/iran-war-proving-push-america-out-middle-east/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/18/iran-war-proving-push-america-out-middle-east/</a></p><p><br></p><p>Pentagon exposes mass US aircraft losses and base damage from Iran war</p><p><a href=\"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/17/pentagon-exposes-mass-us-aircraft-losses-and-base-damage-fr/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/17/pentagon-exposes-mass-us-aircraft-losses-and-base-damage-fr/</a></p><p><br></p><p>CSIS: China Upgrades Its Military Base in Djibouti</p><p>https://features.csis.org/hiddenreach/china-djibouti-base-upgrade/</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>Audio Producer: David Dargahi&nbsp;</p><p>Video Producer: Max Bower</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>","author_name":"The Telegraph"}