Iran: The Latest

As Chinese leader Xi Jinping concludes his three-day state visit to Washington, Beijing’s incremental support of Tehran threatens to undermine Donald Trump’s pressure campaign.On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, host Sophia Yan speaks with China military expert Meia Nouwens to break down Beijing’s strategic calculus in the Middle East, how China benefits from the US getting bogged down in a regional war, and preparations for potential future wartime chokepoints in the Strait of Malacca.Plus, Iran-backed Houthi strikes hit Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Aramco facilities, driving up crude oil prices and prompting an emergency meeting amongst Saudi, Turkish, and Pakistani military chiefs. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi proposes a seven-day truce to Washington, demanding a halt to all hostilities, $12 billion in frozen assets to be released and an end to the US naval blockade – pre-conditions to reopen Hormuz.HighlightsChina expands its military to gain advantage over information and data warfare How war in the Middle East might expose new chokepoints in the Malacca Strait CONTRIBUTORS:Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanMeia Nouwens, senior fellow and China military expert, International Institute for Strategic Studies, @MeiaNouwensWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Miliband warns Iran: Britain will not tolerate intimidation https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/25/ed-miliband-iran-foreign-minister-abbas-araghchi/ Iran’s supreme leader is alive, president insists https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/25/iran-supreme-leader-alive-mojtaba-khamenei-pezeshkian/ Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter Shevlin 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took to the UN stage in mourning attire to deliver a defiant message to Washington: Tehran will “never bow or bend the knee” to US bullying. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to US Correspondent Iona Cleave, who is based in New York, reporting on the ongoing UN General Assembly. Iona shares her insight into what the atmosphere is like in the UN headquarters. They unpack Pezeshkian’s high-stakes address, the escalating diplomatic rhetoric, and why hardline factions in Tehran are already moving to impeach Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, for holding talks with the US.Meanwhile, an advisor to Mojtaba Khamenei threatens to expand the conflict into the Indian Ocean as new US secondary sanctions force regional airlines in Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Oman to halt flights into Iran. Plus, as Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for a high-stakes summit with Donald Trump, secret customs data reveals China is fuelling Tehran's missile program with illicit dual-use component shipments.HighlightsAnalysis of Pezeshkian’s speech at the UN General AssemblyChina’s dual-use military shipments to Iran exposedCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantIona Cleave, US correspondent @cleaveionaWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Americans walk out of Iranian president’s UN speech https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/23/americans-storm-out-iranian-president-un-speech-gaza-israel/?recomm_id=106ef4bb-f257-4fa3-89da-68cbbdb00767 Zelensky lashes out at EU https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/23/kremlin-accuses-burnham-of-stoking-anti-russian-sentiment/?recomm_id=106ef4bb-f257-4fa3-89da-68cbbdb00767 Trump rolls out the red carpet for Xi https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/09/23/trump-rolls-out-red-carpet-for-xi-jinping-in-washinghton-dc/?recomm_id=fd4833ca-a0e2-4b41-b42a-fe28efe2b5cc Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Peter Shevlin Video Producer: 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly that he is deciding between a fresh agreement with Iran and driving the regime “into hell”, after Tehran reportedly offered a seven-day deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey looks at apparent growing momentum towards a deal as world leaders from across the Middle East gather in New York. After Trump vowed once again to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, former nuclear weapons inspector David Albright breaks down how Tehran is using the lull in fighting to rebuild and fortify key capabilities at Parchin and Pickaxe Mountain. Plus, Britain is sending a single RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft to assist Saudi Arabia in its fight against the Houthis after Trump reportedly cancelled planned air strikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed militants at the last minute. HighlightsTrump deciding between Iran deal or driving regime ‘into hell’ A nuclear weapons inspector on how Iran is rebuilding its capabilitiesCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyDavid Albright, president Institute for Science and International Security @DAVIDHALBRIGHT1WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Burnham sends RAF to help defend Saudi Arabiahttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/09/21/trump-to-challenge-burnham-uk-defence-spending/David Blair: Burnham is walking into the lion’s den with nothing to offer Trumphttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/21/burnham-nothing-to-offer-trump-special-relationship/Saudi Arabia turns to UK for help as Houthi offensive threatens Suez Canalhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/15/saudi-arabia-turns-uk-help-houthi-offensive-suez-canal/Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter Shevlin 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

A Houthi ballistic missile struck an Aramco jet-fuel depot near Riyadh’s international airport, a major escalation in the war between Yemen’s Iran-backed militants and Saudi Arabia.  On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Bahraini analyst Ahmed Khuzaie about Turkey and Pakistan’s vows of military support for Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Defence Pact after Donald Trump refused to provide US assistance. They also discuss the dilemma for Egypt as the rise of Iranian-backed Islamist factions in Sudan’s civil war threatens to pile additional pressure on the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.Plus, what Gulf leaders at the UN General Assembly want from Trump as he weighs whether to restart the war, and new satellite images show Iran rapidly rebuilding and fortifying a nuclear-linked facility at Parchin. HighlightsHouthis strike Riyadh jet-fuel depot as Turkey, Pakistan vow Saudi Arabia supportIRGC fortifies and rebuilds key nuclear-linked siteCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyAhmed Khuzaie, Bahraini analyst @AhmedAlkhuzaieWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Saudi Arabia confirms Houthi missile attack on capitalhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/19/riyadh-sounds-first-air-raid-alerts-since-houthi-escalation/Pakistan hints at joining war on Houthishttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/18/iran-saudi-arabia-mecca-joint-defence-gulf/Trump considering ‘blowing up entire nation’ of Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/20/trump-considering-blowing-up-iran/Satellite images show Iran rapidly rebuilding nuclear facilityhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/18/satellite-images-iran-rapidly-rebuilding-nuclear-facility/ISIS: Iran is Rapidly Reconstructing Taleghan 2https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/iran-is-rapidly-reconstructing-taleghan-2Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter Shevlin Researcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy Watson Executive 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, 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. 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.HighlightsTrump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran as China upgrades Djibouti military baseInside the Strait of Hormuz dark route: ship-to-ship transfers and US escortsCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantTom Sharpe, former Royal Navy commander @TomSharpe134WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Daniel DePetris: Iran is proving it can push America out of the Middle Easthttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/18/iran-war-proving-push-america-out-middle-east/Pentagon exposes mass US aircraft losses and base damage from Iran warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/17/pentagon-exposes-mass-us-aircraft-losses-and-base-damage-fr/CSIS: China Upgrades Its Military Base in Djiboutihttps://features.csis.org/hiddenreach/china-djibouti-base-upgrade/Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: David Dargahi Video Producer: 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

A landmark Pentagon report has exposed the devastating cost of the Iran war for the US military: 59 aircraft damaged or destroyed, bases struck across the Middle East, and critical missile stockpiles depleted for up to 5 years.On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to former Defense and State Department insider Kori Schake, now a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. She unpicks how the report lays bare the underpreparedness of Donald Trump’s administration for Iran’s precision missile attacks on key US assets. They also discuss how the toll of the war has created a critical window of vulnerability that China could exploit in the Pacific if it wanted to seize Taiwan. Plus, Anthropic’s new threat report reveals how Iran and the Houthis are using Claude AI to finetune weapons and target the US Navy, Trump goes behind Saudi Arabia’s back to make a secret deal with the Yemeni militants over the Red Sea, and will Pete Hegseth be impeached?PIC CREDIT: CBS HighlightsPentagon exposes mass US aircraft losses and base damage from Iran warTrump makes secret deal with the Houthis over the Red SeaCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyKori Schake, director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute @KoriSchakeWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Houthis claim to have shot down Saudi fighter jethttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/16/houthis-claim-downing-of-saudi-fighter-jet/Akhtar Makoii: Four ways the Houthis became a major military powerhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/17/four-ways-houthis-major-military-power-yemen-iran-weapons/US committed war crimes in Iran school strike, say UN expertshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/09/17/us-committed-war-crimes-iran-school-strike-experts/CBS: New photos show widespread damage at U.S. positions caused by Iranian missile, drone attackshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-photos-damage-u-s-kuwait-saudi-arabia-iran-drone-missile-attacks/LEAD INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT ON OPERATION EPIC FURYhttps://media.defense.gov/2026/Sep/09/2003993626/-1/-1/1/OEF_Q3_JUN2026_FINAL_508%20SECURE.PDFAnthropic: Detecting and countering misuse of AI - September 2026https://www-cdn.anthropic.com/e50be2e51e7695dc4b1366a37a245a597377d3b5/Anthropic-Detecting-and-countering-091026.pdfWinner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Peter Shevlin Video Producer: 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Saudi Arabia claimed that Yemen’s Houthis tried to attack the holy city of Mecca, and the Iran-backed militia claims to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Yemen, as fighting by the Red Sea continues. On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks with Maziar Bahari, editor of IranWire, to dive into the bleak daily reality inside Iran. They discuss how regime corruption, the mounting costs of war amid a maritime blockade on oil exports, and Donald Trump’s sanctions have plunged Iran into its most severe economic crisis in recent history. Today also marks four years since Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being arrested in Tehran for not wearing her hijab properly. Bahari reveals how the regime is now quietly backing down on core ideological mandates such as the hijab to survive.Plus, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces impeachment articles over unauthorised strikes on Iran, Israel is about to get a $2.8bn arms package, and China calls on the US and Iran to restart peace talks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. HighlightsWhy the Iranian regime is relaxing its hijab enforcement laws in order to surviveYemen’s Houthis target Mecca and down Saudi jetCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantMaziar Bahari, editor of IranWire @maziarbahariWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Iran is trying to break Trump’s stranglehold by hitting him where it hurts https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/15/iran-is-trying-to-break-trumps-stranglehold/ US mulls diesel export ban as prices skyrocket https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/09/15/us-mulls-diesel-export-ban-as-prices-skyrocket/ Woman, Life, Freedom: How a Protest Movement Changed Iran https://iranwire.com/en/features/133949-woman-life-freedom-how-a-protest-movement-changed-iran/ Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Peter Shevlin Video Producer: 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia have exchanged further strikes, amid signs that Tehran is ramping up the war against Riyadh to compensate for a stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz. On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks with Arabist and Yemen expert Dr. Elisabeth Kendall (mistress of Girton College) to explain why the Houthis and Iraqi militias are part of a new Iranian Axis of Resistance. They also discuss how Saudi leader Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) is facing an existential crisis following devastating pipeline attacks and escalating violence, with missile alerts sounding as far as Jeddah. Following Donald Trump’s refusal to help, Saudi Arabia has called on the UK and Egypt while Iran turns to China. Who will step in?Plus, how Iran helped the Houthis to evolve into a formidable fighting force and the US pushes back against the IRGC’s fake news about sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. HighlightsIran activates Yemen Houthi ‘ace card’ amid Strait of Hormuz stalemateSaudi Arabia turns to UK for help after ‘shocking’ Trump-Houthi callCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyElisabeth Kendall, mistress of Girton College, University of Cambridge @Dr_E_KendallWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-september-14-2026/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/09/14/proscribing-houthis-bring-energy-bills-down-burnham/Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Elliot Lampitt Video Producer: 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/