Iran: The Latest

The war between Donald Trump and Iran has escalated dramatically following the first direct US combat deaths since the start of the war and rare strikes against Saudi Arabia’s oil assets. In today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey and chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair unpack the most violent weekend of the conflict since the ceasefire. Following deadly Iranian precision attacks on the Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan - potentially with Chinese help - Trump has ordered strikes across the country and sought to cut off the crucial port city of Bandar Abbas. Iran has furiously hit back by targeting Saudi Arabia’s key Yanbu oil infrastructure, alongside successful strikes on critical water infrastructure in Kuwait. Plus, they discuss reports of dwindling US interceptor missile stockpiles and whether the US is sliding into a forever war.HighlightsTrump hits Iran hard after US troops killed by ‘Chinese-guided’ missilesIran targets Saudi Arabia’s key Yanbu oil infrastructureCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump’s bridge strikes cut off city that keeps Iran alivehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/18/trump-iran-strikes-bridge-bandar-abbas/‘Controlled detonation’ of Iranian drone kills US soldierhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/19/us-punishes-iran-for-soldier-deaths-with-fresh-strikes/US doesn’t have enough missiles to return to all-out war with Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/20/us-prepares-all-out-war-iran-sending-more-jets-middle-east/Tom Sharpe: Iranian missiles are defeating US soft-kill defences using Chinese guidancehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/15/iran-hormuz-missile-strikes-us-china-beidou-satnav/ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter ShevlinResearcher 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 has ordered the heaviest escalation in the US-Iran war so far this week, striking critical Iranian bridges, airports, and infrastructure surrounding the critical Strait of Hormuz chokepoint. Iran has hit back with attacks on the UAE, Qatar and other Gulf states, as well as allegedly targeting US Special Forces outposts in Syria.In today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Sophia Yan and Roland Oliphant break down the overnight news of more kinetic strikes. Plus, Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps joins the show to analyze how Iranian missiles are leveraging China’s encrypted BeiDou-3 satellite system to bypass Western air defenses, why the UAE is secretly bombing Iran, and whether the House of Saud is ready to ditch Washington for Beijing.HighlightsTrump destroys key ports and bridges in sweeping strikesHow China is upgrading Iranian missiles to make them harder to stopCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Burnham plans to sanction Israel set to anger White Househttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/07/15/white-house-warns-burnham-do-not-sanction-israel/Alleged spy charged with helping Iran’s secret servicehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/17/counter-terror-police-charge-spying-iran/Iran’s war faces a dangerous new threathttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/15/houthis-plot-to-open-new-front-in-iran-war/ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter ShevlinResearcher 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/

The US has dramatically expanded its strike campaign into northern Iran for the first time in this latest stage of the war, targeting critical ballistic missile and space facilities near Tehran. With Donald Trump warning Tehran that they "better behave," the US Navy has unleashed Hellfire missiles to disable an oil tanker attempting to run the blockade. Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant break down the overnight strikes, the high-stakes naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, and whether the US is preparing for an imminent ground campaign.Plus: is Donald Trump marching into a trap? Leaked reports suggest Washington is again considering an amphibious ground offensive to Iranian coastal territory. Former US Marine Colonel Andy Milburn breaks down why an amphibious landing along the Iranian coastline is a tactical dead-end and how Tehran’s decentralized "Mosaic Doctrine" is designed to survive Western airstrikes.HighlightsTrump launches hellfire missiles at tanker as American blockade escalatesUS Marine colonel: A ground war in Iran is a trap with no purposeCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantAndy Milburn, former US Marine colonel @andymilburn8WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPWATCH PART TWO - ROLAND’S INTERVIEW WITH ANDY MILBURN: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:The hidden messages behind Trump’s latest wave of Iran strikeshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/16/hidden-messages-behind-trumps-new-wave-of-iran-strikes/Andy Milburn: Outgunned, But Not Outplayed: Iran’s Theory of Victoryhttps://warontherocks.com/outgunned-but-not-outplayed-irans-theory-of-victory/ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Producer: Peter ShevlinVideo 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/

The military stand-off between the US and Iran has escalated again after Donald Trump ordered a seven-hour bombing campaign targeting Iranian missile barracks, coastal radar sites, and naval bases. The inevitable Iranian response targeting its Gulf neighbours was met with rare daytime strikes by American forces. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant sits down with Tim Mak and Jacqueline Cole from the Iran War Dispatches Substack to discuss the significance of what each side is hitting and how the Pentagon is adapting its tactics against asymmetric Iranian warfare. They also discuss whether Trump’s brutal threat to destroy Iran's power plants and bridges will bring Tehran to the negotiating table.Plus, worrying signs that Iran is becoming more militarised and why Jackie and Tim went to Armenia to find out what ordinary Iranians think of the war. HighlightsUS strikes Iran twice in 24 hours after Shahed attacks hit Gulf statesTrump’s ultimatum to Iran: ‘Negotiate or we destroy your infrastructure’CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantTim Mak, founder Iran War Dispatches @timkmakJacqueline Cole, journalist Iran War Dispatches @jacmcoleWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump’s three options to solve his Iran problemhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/09/trump-three-options-return-warTrump U-turns on Hormuz toll after one dayhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/14/trump-hormuz-toll-uturn-one-day/Even Iran’s children’s authors are losing hopehttps://www.iranwar.news/p/even-irans-childrens-authors-areIran War Dispatches: https://www.iranwar.news/The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Producer: Peter ShevlinVideo 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 has reimposed the US’s naval blockade on Iran and, for the third night in a row, launched a brutal five-hour blitz hitting Iran’s coastal defences. In retaliation, the IRGC has struck back, killing one and injuring several onboard two oil supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeting critical American assets in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant run through the latest updates from the region as the war escalates.Plus, why hasn’t Israel rejoined the US war with Iran? Sima Shine, former head of research and evaluation at Mossad and Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, explains why she thinks Donald Trump has put a break on Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu participating in the latest round of fighting. She also discusses the explosive news about Israel’s Operation Puss in Boots, a yearslong, multi-pronged effort to overthrow the Iranian regime and install the most unlikely of candidates, arch Israeli enemy former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. HighlightsTrump’s five-hour blitz triggers Iran war escalationEx-Mossad chief on why Israel is out of Iran warCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantVenetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineySima Shine, director of the Iran and the Shiite Axis Research Program at INSS @INSSIsraelWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:US attacks Iran using kamikaze drone boats for first timehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/13/us-attack-iran-kamikaze-drone-boats-hormuz-war/Inside the Mossad Plot to Install Israel's Arch-enemy Ahmadinejad as Iran's Leaderhttps://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-07-13/ty-article-magazine/.premium/inside-the-mossad-plot-to-install-ahamadinijad-as-irans-leader/0000019f-5b28-de66-a5bf-5b7b3bbd0000ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter ShevlinResearcher 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/

The US-Iran ceasefire is in crisis following a violent weekend of escalation. From the IRGC damaging a ship in the Strait of Hormuz so badly that the crew had to abandon it, to President Donald Trump declaring he "bombed the hell out of them" after striking dozens of targets, the war appears to be back on in all but name. Now, Trump has reimposed the US naval blockade and announced a toll.On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant break down a frantic weekend of military action, including the US deploying one-way attack sea drones for the first time and the collapse of Omani negotiations to reopen the Hormuz waterway. Plus, the damage done by Iran repeatedly launching missile and drone strikes against US airbases across the Gulf and Jordan is growing. King’s College London security expert Dr. Andreas Krieg unpacks how China and Russia are actively backing Iran's underground missile infrastructure to bleed Western interceptor stocks and distract the US from the Indo-Pacific.HighlightsTrump reimposes Strait of Hormuz blockade and attacks Iran with sea dronesIran attacks on American bases across Middle East ‘leave US in the dark’CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantAndreas Krieg, King’s College London and Institute of Middle Eastern Studies @andreas_kriegWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Telegraph View: The Iranian regime continues to sow chaoshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2026/07/13/the-iranian-regime-continues-to-sow-chaos/Iran bombs US supply lines in fight for Strait of Hormuzhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/12/iran-aims-to-cripple-us-navy-supply-in-major-air-strikes/Starmer proscribes Iran’s IRGChttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/13/keir-starmer-proscribes-irans-islamic-revolutionary-guards/ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter ShevlinResearcher 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/

Four months after he was assassinated by Israeli and US airstrikes on the first day of the Iran war, former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei has been buried in an elaborate funeral.But who was he behind all the mythology and pomp? How did he shape modern Iran into the impoverished, rogue nation it is today? And what does his life tell us about what his son Mojtaba Khamenei will be like as Iran’s new leader?Venetia Rainey speaks to Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian History and director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, about Khamenei’s legacy and backstory. Ali lays out how this fake ayatollah was corrupted by absolute power, how he allied with the IRGC to steal the state's wealth, and why his "princeling" son Mojtaba is even weaker. Highlights‘Bitter, weak and corrupted’: how Ali Khamenei ruined IranAli Ansari on his backstory and what his son Mojtaba will be likeCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyAli Ansari, professor University of St Andrews @aa51_ansariWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkProducer: Peter ShevlinResearcher 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/

The burst of strikes between Iran and the US has died down but the Strait of Hormuz has seized up, with shipping coming to an almost complete standstill on the southern non-Iranian route. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss how this is exactly what Tehran wants. Meanwhile, Israel has revealed that Donald Trump is the subject of a “new and specific” assassination plot by Iran, and Ali Khamenei has finally been buried - with his son Mojtaba Khamenei still nowhere to be seen. Plus, what does this week’s Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey tell us about the future of the alliance and the trans-Atlantic security relationship? Rachel Ellehuus, director-general of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), gives her analysis of Trump’s Greenland comments, how Ukraine was the real winner, and why America's aggressive global force posture review is a "protection racket". HighlightsIran’s Trump ‘assassination plot’ revealed as Strait of Hormuz closes upRUSI chief Rachel Ellehuus on Trump, the Nato summit and GreenlandCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign analyst @rolandoliphantRachel Ellehuus, RUSI director-general @rach_ellehuusWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:What I saw behind the scenes at Nato’s tumultuous summithttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/09/behind-the-scenes-nato-turkey-summit/Trump ‘forced to use old Air Force One over security fears’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/09/trump-forced-to-use-old-air-force-one-over-security-fears/Millions block streets for Khamenei burialhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/09/iran-us-war-latest-news-strikes-strait-of-hormuz-nato/

The US-Iran war has escalated significantly amid a second consecutive night of heavy American strikes on Iran and a furious response from Tehran.On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan look at why for the first time since the ceasefire in April, President Donald Trump ordered cruise missiles to attack a critical railway bridge used to trade with Russia and China.After Tehran responded with kamikaze drones and ballistic missiles targeting US military assets across Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan, they ask what next for the peace talks. Plus, why the 2026 Nato summit's quiet winner is Turkey. Sophia dives into the country’s exploding defence sector, its simmering rivalry with Israel, and how it has gone from black sheep to core member of Nato. And everything we know about the personalised handgun Erdogan gave world leaders as a farewell gift.HighlightsIran attacks more US bases across the Middle EastComes after Trump struck a key Russia-China railway link in IranCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineySophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:How Turkey is powering Europe’s rearmamenthttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/09/how-turkey-became-new-pillar-european-defence/Erdogan gives every Nato leader a gun as farewell gifthttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/08/erdogan-nato-summit-fun-keir-starmer-donald-trump/Monday’s episode: Where is Iran’s new supreme leader?https://linktr.ee/iranthelatestProducer: Peter ShevlinVideo 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/