Battle Lines: Israel-Gaza

Donald Trump says the Iran war could be ended with a peace deal this weekend.For the Gulf, everything is at stake. Battered by Iranian missiles and drones throughout the war and economically strangled by the Strait of Hormuz crisis, the Gulf states are desperate for the war to end - so much so that some are even having their own talks with Tehran. Sophia Yan chats to UAE-based Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, associate fellow for Chatham House's MENA programme, about why despite Iran's aggression, countries there just want things to go back to how they were before the war.Highlights: Trump says Iran war could end with peace deal this weekendWhy the Gulf wishes the Iran war never happenedCONTRIBUTORS:Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanAniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Associate Fellow MENA Programme Chatham House @AnisehBassiriProducer: Max BowerExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is this the start of a new phase in the US-Iran war?Following another night of US strikes on Iran and Tehran responding by hitting its Gulf neighbours, Donald Trump has today vowed to ramp things up even further tonight. Roland Oliphant discusses the latest news with chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair, and asks whether Trump can bomb his way out of the deadlock. Plus, for the first time ever, the World Cup 2026 will see a nation host a team it's currently at war with. As the competition kicks off, sports news reporter Tom Morgan joins Roland Oliphant from Mexico to discuss the strength of each side's teams, the politics behind the visa and ticketing rows, and how Iran and USA could even face one another on the pitch. HighlightsTrump hits Iran with dozens of Tomahawks and vows to keep goingThe World Cup Iran war row: Everything you need to knowCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtTom Morgan, sports news correspondent @Tom_MorgsCONTENT REFERENCED:Iran arrive at World Cup with swipe at US over attack on schoolhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/06/08/iran-team-arrive-mexico-world-cup-swipe-us-attack-school/As cartels slink into shadows for the World Cup, horror remainshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/06/10/world-cup-mexico-search-victims-cartels-disappeared/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump has vowed Iran will “pay the price” after it launched multiple strikes on US bases throughout the Middle East. The latest escalation came up after the US bombed Iran in response to a Shahed drone downing an American Apache helicopter in the Gulf of Oman. The crew were rescued by an unmanned boat - a US first. Venetia Rainey speaks to former US Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks about what this week's events tell us about the growing role of autonomous systems in the military. Plus, what is the Pentagon's plan to combat the drone threat posed by enemies from Iran to China - and is it moving fast enough? Hicks and Aaron Sherman from the Atlantic Council talk about the Replicator project they launched in 2023 in the Department of Defence and why it's more vital than ever. HighlightsTrump vows Iran will ‘pay the price' for firing at US bases From Iran to China: inside the Pentagon's drone revolutionCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyKathleen Hicks, former US Deputy Secretary of Defence Aaron Sherman, non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic CouncilCONTENT REFERENCED:How a cutting-edge AI drone boat saved defenceless US Apache pilotshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/06/09/apache-pilots-rescued-ai-drone-boatMove Fast and Scale: A Brief Insiders' History of the Replicator Initiativehttps://www.belfercenter.org/research-analysis/move-fast-and-scale-brief-insiders-history-replicator-initiativeProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The exchange of strikes between Israel and Iran have highlighted the tensions between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu after more than 100 days of war.The US president wants the war to stop - now. The Israeli leader wants to keep going. Why? What else does he want to achieve? And why is Trump stopping him?Venetia Rainey chats to Danny Citrinowicz, senior researcher at Israeli think tank the Institute for National Security Studies, about why most Israelis think that the war has been a ‘colossal failure' and how he fears Iran's regime has been the real winner in all of this. Highlights:Why Israelis think the war has been a ‘colossal failure' Why Israel wants the Iran war to continue - and why Trump says noCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyDanny Citrinowicz, senior researcher INSS @citrinowiczCONTENT REFERENCED:WATCH: 100 days of US-Iran war: the winners and losers so farhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3VEIOK3-SUIsraelis grow tired of Bibi and bomb sheltershttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/08/israelis-grow-tired-of-bibi-and-bombshelters/Netanyahu: Our war with ‘weak' Iran isn't finishedhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/07/iran-launches-missile-attack-on-israel/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran and Israel have bombed each other for the first time since they agreed a ceasefire with the US in early April. Why? And can Donald Trump stop all-out war from re-erupting? Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant bring you all the latest updates from the past 24 hours, plus chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair and foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii discuss how we got here, the domestic factors at play in each country and what might happen next. Plus, an American and Iranian on what we learned from 100 days of war. What are the big successes, what could have gone better, and what will the long-term implications be? Venetia and Roland speak to Ben Hodges, former US general and commander of the US Army in Europe, and Holly Dagres, Washington Institute analyst and author of The Iranist substack. They discuss the most significant moments from the war, the biggest winners and losers, and what surprised them. WATCH THE FULL 100 DAYS OF WAR ROUNDTABLE NOW: https://youtu.be/-3VEIOK3-SUHighlightsIran and Israel bomb each other - what just happened?100 days of war: an American and an Iranian debateCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantBen Hodges, former commanding general US Army Europe @general_ben Holly Dagres, Washington Institute analyst and The Iranist author @hdagresProducer: Peter Shevlin and Phil AtkinsExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did heavily sanctioned Iran create a drone so cheap, deadly and effective that everyone from Russia to the US has copied it?From the Gulf being inundated with attacks by Iranian Shaheds to Ukraine finding innovative new ways to counter the Russian version, Tehran has mass-produced a strategic weapon that has challenged traditional Western air-defence thinking. To look at how Iran did it, what makes the Shahed so brutal and how to counter it, guest host from the Ukraine: the Latest team Sophie O'Sullivan speaks to Mykola Bielieskov, research fellow at the Kyiv-based National Institute for Strategic Studies, and Peter Lee, co-Director of the Centre for Defence, Risk and Resilience at Britain's University of Portsmouth.Plus, Sophie covers the latest major updates from the region, including Hezbollah's rejection of the Israel-Lebanon deal as “Satan's dream” and news of a secret deployment of elite Israeli military units to Azerbaijan. HighlightsIran's cheap but deadly drones have reshaped warfare. Can the US catch up?Why everyone from Russia to the US are copying the ShahedCONTRIBUTORS:Sophie O'Sullivan, guest host and producer Ukraine: the LatestMykola Bielieskov, research fellow at National Institute for Strategic Studies @MBielieskovPeter Lee, professor at the University of PortsmouthProducer: Phil AtkinsExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US military is secretly helping ships circumvent Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz along a new route hugging the Omani coast. Bryan Clark, a former US Navy officer and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, looks at whether this is a solution to the Hormuz crisis that has plagued Donald Trump and the rest of the world since the war began.Plus, Hezbollah accuses Lebanon of “surrendering” after agreeing a deal with Israel. Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan discuss the latest news, including the significance of the US House passing a war powers resolution to curb further American military activity and the death of British MI6 boss Sir Alex Younger. HighlightsThe secret US operation evading Iran's Strait of Hormuz blockade Israel and Lebanon to use “pilot zones” to push out Hezbollah CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineySophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanCONTENT REFERENCED:Sir Alex Younger, long-serving head of MI6 who shaped the service for a ‘fourth generation of espionage'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2026/06/03/sir-alex-younger-mi6-secret-intelligence-service-edward-sno/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-03/us-looks-to-unblock-hormuz-with-quiet-version-of-project-freedomThe Economist: A former spy chief's take on intelligence and the Iran warhttps://www.economist.com/insider/inside-defence/a-former-spy-chiefs-take-on-intelligence-and-the-iran-warProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Donald Trump waiting until after the World Cup to restart the war with Iran despite the largest attack on the Gulf since the ceasefire began?Violence erupted overnight in the Middle East after the US attacked a ship heading to Iran and Tehran fired missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain. Roland Oliphant looks at the latest news of clashes in the Persian Gulf and speaks to Maziar Bahari, founder of Iran Wire, about why the war is unlikely to erupt until after the World Cup. One of Iran's most experienced journalists until he was forced into exile, Bahari's English and Persian website has become an invaluable source of reliable information for anyone interested following the war. He explains why the Iranian regime is weaker than most think and shares his experiences of being interrogated by IRGC officials who rely on pornography to understand the Western world. Plus, global health security editor Paul Nuki explains why Israelis can't ignore Donald Trump's explosive reported warning to leader Benjamin Netanyahu that the world is starting to hate his country due its military activity.HighlightsIran strikes Kuwait airport after US bombs Qeshm IslandWhy IRGC officers believe the West is just like in porn filmsCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, chief foreign analyst, @rolandoliphantMaziar Bahari, founder of Iran Wire, @maziarbahari Paul Nuki, global health security editor, @PaulNukiCONTENT REFERENCED:Paul Nuki: Trump outburst reflects Israel's sinking popularity in American eyeshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/02/trump-netanyahu-outburst-reflects-israel-unpopularity/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could Israel's campaign against Hezbollah ruin the US's attempts to strike a deal with Iran?News today about a fiery, expletive-laden phone call suggests Donald Trump is very upset with Benjamin Netanyahu and has forced him to halt a planned attack on Beirut.Michael Young from the Carnegie Middle East Center think tank joins from the Lebanese capital to take Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan through the latest news from this active frontline, how Hezbollah has been rearmed by Iran and what it means for the broader war. Plus, Roland Oliphant gets a rare look inside Iran with Jan Egeland, secretary general of the aid organisation Norwegian Refugee Council, who describes the bombed-out police stations, factories, military posts and homes he has seen first-hand across the country. HighlightsWhat Trump's angry call with Netanyahu means for the Iran warInside Iran: ‘Bombed-out police stations, factories and military posts'CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineySophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanJan Egeland, NRC secretary-general @NRC_EgelandMichael Young, Carnegie Middle East Center senior editor @BeirutCalling Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran has pulled out of peace talks to end the war with the US, accusing Israel of breaking the ceasefire by ordering strikes on Beirut. Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey discuss the latest news, which comes after a series of military escalations over the weekend, including more tit-for-tat bombing between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile in Lebanon, the Israeli army scored a symbolic and strategic victory by capturing Beaufort Castle as part of its expanding offensive in the country's south, amid fierce fighting with Hezbollah. Plus, how did Iran become a corrupt mafia state? Iranian journalists Yeganeh Torbati (New York Times) and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin (Iran International) have written a new book on the subject, Stolen Revolution, and join the show to explain why the war is likely to make things even worse. HighlightsIran quits US talks after Israel orders Beirut strikesPlus: how Iran became a corrupt mafia stateCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantVenetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyYeganeh Torbati, journalist and author of Stolen Revolution @yjtorbatiBozorgmehr Sharafedin, journalist and author of Stolen Revolution @bozorgmehrCONTENT REFERENCED:Kasra Aarabi and Saeid Golkar: The West is ignoring the dangerous new partnership reshaping Iran from withinhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/29/shadowy-new-hardline-alliance-reshaping-irans-regime/Producer: Max BowerExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump says the US is lifting its blockade of Iranian ports and boats in the Strait of Hormuz - does this mean a peace deal is imminent?Plus, Iran famously has two militaries: a regular army, and the IRGC. But Tehran also has a third force: its network of foreign militias in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. They played a key role in the recent war - and no outsider knows them better than Elizabeth Tsurkov. In 2023, while on a research trip to Iraq, the Russian-Israeli PhD student was kidnapped for nearly three years by Kataib Hezbollah, the most powerful of Iran's Iraqi proxy militias. Still recovering from the ordeal, she takes Sophia Yan and Roland Oliphant inside the group - and why she was surprised to learn that many of her kidnappers were “idiots”. Plus, she explains how they sustain Iran's shadow economy, dominate politics in their host counties, and double up as fronts for massive embezzlement schemes. HighlightsDonald Trump lifts US naval blockade on IranElizabeth Tsurkov on being kidnapped by “idiot” Iranian militias in IraqCONTRIBUTORS:Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent, @sophia_yan Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantElizabeth Tsurkov, fellow at the New Lines Institute @LizHurraCONTENT REFERENCED:Elizabeth Tsurkov: I Was Kidnapped by Idiotshttps://www.theatlantic.com/international/2026/01/kidnapped-baghdad/685470/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States has for the first time accused Iran of breaching the ceasefire, after Tehran fired a ballistic missile at Kuwait in response to the Americans hitting southern Iran.Washington brushed off previous exchanges of fire as ceasefire compliant, so does the change in rhetoric herald a return to all-out war? The Telegraph's Lottie Tiplady-Bishop explains why domestic developments in America means Donald Trump is more confident and feeling less pressure to secure a peace deal. Plus, Alp Toker, the founder of Netblocks, explains what we learned from Iran's record-setting Internet blackout and what it means for other authoritarian regimes around the world. Highlights‘Ceasefire violated': US fury after Iran targets Kuwait base‘The most intense game of chicken ever'CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantLottie Tiplady-Bishop, associate US News Editor @lottietipbishopAlp Toker, Netblocks founder @atoker CONTENT REFERENCED:Trump: We're not satisfied with Iran dealhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/27/iran-war-us-peace-deal-trump-strait-hormuz-latest-lebanon/US military hits Iranian control centre in fresh strikeshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/28/us-military-strikes-southern-iran-peace-deal/Terror and trauma under the world's longest internet blackouthttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/27/iran-relief-internet-restoration-weeks-war/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran appears increasingly confident that it will secure a favourable end to the war with the US.From demanding $24bn in frozen assets to publishing what they say is a draft peace deal to restoring the Internet after nearly 90 days, Tehran seems to feel victory both at home and abroad is within its grasp. Foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii joins Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey to discuss the latest news from inside Iran, as well as the significance of one of the country's biggest exports: pistachios. Plus, as Israel launches a deadly new phase in its campaign against Hezbollah, UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel joins from Beirut to share her insights on what it's like working as a peacekeeper in southern Lebanon caught between the two longtime enemies. HighlightsIran demands $24bn to sign US peace deal - will Trump accept? 'They think the war is over': Why Iran is restoring internet accessCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantAkhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoiiKandice Ardiel, UNIFIL spokesperson @hikandiceCONTENT REFERENCED:Iran will sign peace deal only if US releases $24bn of frozen assetshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/26/iran-peace-deal-us-release-24bn-frozen-assets/The $24bn cost of Trump's capitulation on Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/05/26/trump-us-iran-capitulation/Akhtar Makoii: Iran's hardliners are sabotaging their own government's peace talkshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/26/iran-hardliners-sabotaging-peace-talks/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US says it has bombed Iranian mine-laying ships in the Strait of Hormuz and a missile launch site in southern Iran. Tehran says it has downed American drones. Is the war about to restart?Former Royal Navy officer Tom Sharpe explains what we know about the latest tit-for-tat military activity today and why the timing is unusual. He also gives an inside look at the threat posed by Iran's newly deployed “ship-smashing” Ghadir mini-submarines, known as the “dolphins of the Persian Gulf”.Plus, Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan discuss why the signs suggest peace talks are set to continue for now. While Chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair analyses what Donald Trump could get out of a deal - and why he's making more and more concessions to the Iranian regime each passing week, including over its nuclear programme. HighlightsClashes in Hormuz as US ‘blows up' Iranian mine-laying ships Why Donald Trump is chasing a ‘quick and incomplete deal'CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineySophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtTom Sharpe, ex-Royal Navy officer @TomSharpe134CONTENT REFERENCED:US strikes on Iran threaten fragile ceasefirehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/26/us-strikes-on-iran-threaten-fragile-ceasefire-war/David Blair: Trump's latest gambit on Iran is a smokescreenhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/26/trump-latest-gambit-iran-smokescreen/Tom Sharpe: Iran's ship-smasher mini subs are loose in Hormuz. I've been up against them beforehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/18/iran-irin-irgcn-mini-submarines-torpedoes-strait-hormuz/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bank holiday episode, we're taking a break from looking at the US-Iran war and focusing instead on tanks. Since it first appeared on the Somme battlefield, the tank has dominated and defined modern warfare. It has been such a successful concept that its distinctive silhouette - two tracks, a turret and a gun - has barely changed in a hundred years. But can it survive in the century of the drone? Or will the venerable tank go the way of the armoured knight before it? Hamish de Bretton Gordon, a former commander of the Royal Tank Regiment and the author of a new book on the subject, Tank Command, takes Roland Oliphant through the history of armoured warfare. They discuss why the tank has long been the ultimate instrument of battlefield shock action from World War 1 to the Arab-Israeli war to Ukraine today. Hamish argues that in 100 years from now, armies will still be fielding - and fighting against - tanks.Plus, Hamish shares what it's like to command a Challenger, his ultimate "petrol-head" tank from history, and the definitive Hollywood film every enthusiast needs to watch.Highlights Why the lessons of tank development are still hugely relevant todayWhat it's like to command a ChallengerCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantHamish de Bretton-Gordon, former tank commander @HamishDBGCONTENT REFERENCED:Hamish de Bretton-Gordon's new book Tank Command is out June 4: https://linktr.ee/TankCommandProducer: Max BowerExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Iran peace talks deadlocked, US military attention appears to be turning to another longtime enemy: Cuba. This week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Cuba a threat to US security. Indictments have been issued against its elderly former president Raúl Castro. Claims about a Cuban drone stockpile aimed at the US have been leaked to the press. The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier has been deployed to the Caribbean. A blockade has been in place for months, leading to mass blackouts. Carlos Solar, RUSI's senior research fellow for Latin American security, joins Roland Oliphant to examine whether the United States is creating a pretext for an attack on Cuba. They discuss why things are escalating in the Caribbean and what an attack on the country might look like. Plus, how it is all connected to the war in Iran. HighlightsFirst Venezuela, then Iran. Is Cuba next on Trump's hit list?How the Iran war is pushing Cuba's regime over the edgeCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantCarlos Solar, RUSI Latin American Security senior fellow @CSolarCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump: deploying aircraft carrier to Caribbean is not meant to intimidate CubaRubio: Cuba is a national security threatCuba is dark, desperate and still deludedProducer: Max BowerExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oil flows will not return to normal until the second half of next year - even if the Strait of Hormuz opens now.That's the grim prognosis of the UAE's most senior oil executive. But even if it does open, Iran is implementing a system of tolls that will have long-term implications, both in the Middle East and further afield. International economic editor Hans van Leeuwen tells Roland Oliphant how the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is transforming shipping all over the world. Hans also looks at why India's leader Narendra Modi is in Europe at the moment trying to drum up deals amid fears the Iran war could impact his country's superpower trajectory. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu clash over whether to restart active hostilities, Pakistan's army chief heads to Tehran to coax the regime towards a peace deal, and Iran says it will not give up its Uranium. HighlightsHow Iran's Strait of Hormuz toll could spread worldwideWhy the Iran war is throwing India off its superpower trajectoryCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantHans van Leeuwen, international economics editor @hansvan333 CONTENT REFERENCED:How Trump trampled on Modi's dream of an Indian superpowerhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/05/20/how-trump-trampled-on-modis-dream-of-an-indian-superpower/Iran weaponised world trade and others are following suithttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/05/19/iran-weaponised-world-trade-and-others-are-following-suit/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran has threatened to spread the war beyond the Middle East if Donald Trump starts bombing the country again. Is it an empty threat or should we be worried?Jonathan Hackett, a former US Marine Corps interrogator and special operations intelligence officer, joins the podcast again to discuss the state of Iran's military capabilities, their Mosaic Doctrine and what next for the war with Venetia Rainey, Sophia Yan and Roland Oliphant.They also discuss reports today that the US wanted to install former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Ali Khamenei's place, news of secret Israeli bases in the Iraqi desert, and the shady Iran-linked group known as HAYI behind a series of attacks on Jews in London. Plus, as Vladimir Putin visits Xi Jinping in China, Sophia looks at how the energy crisis caused by the war has boosted Moscow by forcing the UK and US to drop sanctions on Russian oil, and Venetia looks at JD Vance's latest comments on peace deal talks. HighlightsIran warns Trump: ‘We'll take war global if you bomb us again'A US Marine on Iran's terror war against the WestCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanJonathan Hackett, former US Marine Corps @jonathanhackettCONTENT REFERENCED:Akhtar Makoii: Iran's plan to strike back in second round of warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/19/iran-plan-strike-back-second-round-war/Badenoch: PM's sanctions U-turn will fund killing of Ukrainian soldiershttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/05/20/starmer-eases-sanctions-on-russian-oil/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has postponed his “scheduled” attack on Iran for now, but who is winning the online war between the two countries?America's military has pumped out videos of air strikes and missile attacks, often spliced in with video game footage and overlaid with high octane music for maximum effect. Meanwhile, Iranian activists have created slick Lego animation videos set to hip hop music. Venetia Rainey chats to information warfare specialist Tal Hagin about which is cutting through more. They also discuss the rise in AI-driven misinformation, anti-Semitism and desensitisation during the Iran war, from the deadly Minab school attack to Benjamin Netanyahu's “extra” finger and rumoured death. Plus, how can Israel deal with the growing Hezbollah drone threat? Lieutenant Colonel Sarit Zehavi, founder of the Alma Center, explains what it's like living in northern Israel at the moment and why a bigger war with Lebanon would be needed to root out the terror group. Highlights America's Call of Duty vs Iran's Lego videos: who is winning the online war?Why Israel wants to go deeper into Lebanon to root out HezbollahCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyTal Hagin, information warfare analyst @talhaginLt Col. Sarit Zehavi, founder Alma Center @ZehaviAlmaProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Executions have soared inside Iran, with new Amnesty data today showing more than 2,000 people were given the death penalty in 2025. Roland Oliphant speaks to Iranian journalist in exile Maryam Mazrooei about the “bloodthirsty” regime's latest tactic to scare citizens into silence amid the war with the US and Israel. She also explains why the mood inside the country is increasingly dark amid a growing economic disaster, with mass layoffs and no internet.Plus, the UK has fitted new laser-guided missiles to its Typhoon jets on patrol in the Gulf. Venetia Rainey talks to acting defence editor Tom Cotterill about how they have been designed to talk on Iranian Shahed drones and why they were developed so fast. Tom also talks about his recent trip to the Falklands, where locals dismissed rumours that the US may drop its backing for British sovereignty over the Islands as punishment for not joining Donald Trump's war against Iran. Highlights Gulf gets new laser-guided missiles to help smash Iranian drones‘Bloodthirsty' Iran regime executions hit all-time high as economy freefallsCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantTom Cotterill, acting defence editor @TomCotterillXMaryam Mazrooie, journalist @MaryammazrooeiSCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump: There won't be anything left of Iran if it refuses peace dealhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/17/trump-wont-be-anything-left-of-iran-if-refuses-peace-deal/Typhoon jets equipped with cheaper missiles to fend off Iranian attackshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/17/typhoon-jets-new-missiles-iran-attacks/Tom Cotterill: Trump is using us as a pawn, says Falklands chiefhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/10/falkland-islands-trump-is-using-us-as-a-pawn/David Blair: Iran's regime is confident of victory. It may be overplaying its handhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/17/irans-regime-confident-of-victory-it-may-overplaying-hand/Amnesty: Executions surge to highest recorded figure in 44 yearshttps://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/05/executions-surge-highest-recorded-figure-44-years/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump ended his high stakes trip to China claiming Xi Jinping had promised not to arm Iran, wanted the Strait of Hormuz open, and backed his goal of preventing Tehran getting a nuclear weapon. But does any of that amount to a change in Chinese policy, and will it do anything to bring the frozen but still rumbling conflict to a close? Sophia Yan speaks to Andrea Ghiselli, a China-Iran expert who has spent the war in China, about how the conflict is perceived in Beijing. Plus, Roland Oliphant summarises the latest news from the Middle East, including renewed drone strikes in Iraq.Highlights:Trump says that Xi has pledged no military equipment to IranCautious optimism in Lebanon as talks with Israel progressCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent, @sophia_yan Andrea Ghiselli, China-ME expert and lecturer at the University of Exeter @AGhiselliChinaProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As two more ships are attacked in the Strait of Hormuz and the ceasefire in Lebanon nears its end, all eyes are on the high-stakes US-China summit in Beijing.Donald Trump and Xi Jinping say they agree that Iran must not have nuclear weapons and that the Strait must be reopened - but what does that mean in practice? Ahmed Aboudouh, Associate Fellow for Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House, joins Roland Oliphant and Sophia Yan and explains how Beijing's complex relationship with Tehran and the Gulf monarchies will inform its approach to the war.Highlights What Beijing really wants from the Iran crisisThe balancing act between Tehran and the Gulf statesCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent, @sophia_yan Ahmed Aboudouh, Chatham House @AAboudouhCONTENT REFERENCED:China ‘secretly planning to ship arms to Iran'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/05/13/china-weapons-deal-iran/China will benefit from the Iran war, regardless of any deal between Trump and Tehranhttps://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/05/china-will-benefit-iran-war-regardless-any-deal-between-trump-and-tehran Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Weeks of American and Israeli airstrikes inflicted grievous losses on Iran's military. Or so we thought. Now, US intelligence assessments suggest that Iran retains 70 percent of the missiles and launch vehicles it had before the war - including most of the sites threatening the Strait of Hormuz. Holly Dagres joins Roland Oliphant and Sophia Yan to unpack the implications. She also explains why Iran's hardliners are unlikely to listen to China's leader Xi Jinping, have stepped up execution of opponents and alleged spies at home, and are nose-diving the economy with a crippling internet black out. This is the latest from Donald Trump's war against Iran – which will overshadow his summit later this week with Xi.Highlights Iran retains 70 percent of its missile arsenalWhy Tehran's hardliners will resist pressure from ChinaCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent, @sophia_yan Holly Dagres, Washington Institute, @hdagresProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US-Iran ceasefire is on ‘life support,' says Donald Trump. Iran may enrich Uranium to weapons grade if the war resumes, says its government. All this sets the stage for Donald Trump's trip to Beijing this week, where he will ask Xi Jinping for help bringing the war to a satisfactory end.Might the two most powerful men on the planet might find a way to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and end the war? But does China have the leverage to force Iran to act, and would Xi Jinping be willing to use it to help out Donald Trump?Highlights Can China stop the Iran conflict from spiralling further?What will a successful US-China Summit look like for Trump?CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantAllegra Mendelson, Asia CorrespondentDr Alessandro Arduino, RUSI Associate Fellow, International SecurityCONTENT REFERENCED:Antonia Langford, Putin expands world's largest drone factoryhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/11/putin-expands-worlds-largest-drone-factory/ Benedict Smith, Trump: ceasefire with Iran is on life supporthttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/11/iran-us-war-latest-tehran-executes-alleged-cia-mossad-spy/Robert White, UAE ‘carried out secret attacks on Iran'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/12/uae-secret-attacks-on-iran/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Donald Trump rejects Iran's rejection of his peace terms, diplomatic efforts to end the war are back where they started. David Blair explains how this leaves Donald Trump with little choice to restart the war - but with little appetite to do so. And with time running out before the US president heads to China for a high-stake summit with Xi Jinping. Memphis Barker explains how Xi Jinping could help Donald Trump to end the war, why he is unlikely to be terribly helpful, and why some fear the US might sell out Taiwan in exchange for Chinese help. Highlights Netanyahu preparing to reengage militarilyCan Xi Jinping help Donald Trump find an off-ramp from the Iran war?CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator, @davidblairdt Memphis Barker, senior foreign correspondent, @memphisbarkerCONTENT REFERENCED:‘Double-dealing' Pakistan plots windfall from Iran peacemaker rolehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/03/pakistan-takes-centre-stage-in-iran-negotiations/ Trump now has three options. They are all badhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/06/trump-three-options-all-bad/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US and Iran have traded fire - and blame - in the Strait of Hormuz, is the war about to restart?The ceasefire is looking shakier than ever after America bombed Iranian coastal cities overnight. It said it was a response to Tehran attacking three US destroyers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, Iran has attacked the UAE with drones and missiles. President Donald Trump says the US strikes were just a “love tap”, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi calls it a “reckless military adventure”. Venetia Rainey is joined by Washington bureau chief Arthur MacMillan to discuss the view from the US following a week of U-turns and uncertainty. He explains why he does not have high expectations of a peace deal being struck before Trump goes to China, what the American public make of the war, and why the US may well pull more troops out of Europe. Plus, Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin takes listeners inside a Hezbollah tunnel in a dispatch from southern Lebanon, where he reports on Israel's plan to create a northern buffer zone in the style of Gaza. Highlights ‘Love tap' or ‘reckless adventure'? US and Iran trade fire and blamePlus: a dispatch from inside a Hezbollah tunnel in LebanonCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyArthur MacMillan, Washington bureau chief @arthurmacmillanHenry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkinCONTENT REFERENCED:Connor Stringer: How Trump's ‘Project Freedom' fell apart in one dayhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/05/06/us-iran-trump-military-diplomacy-project-freedom/Henry Bodkin: Inside the tunnels that show Hezbollah doesn't want peace with Israelhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/07/inside-tunnels-show-hezbollah-doesnt-want-peace-with-israel/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The focus of the US-Iran war rests once again on the Strait of Hormuz, is there any way to get it open again? Since Donald Trump cancelled Project Freedom, Iran's chokehold on the vital waterway is as tight as ever. But James Parkin has some ideas. The former Royal Navy rear admiral was in charge of the task force that broke the last attempted IRGC shut down in 2019, and tells Roland Oliphant that the US could do it again - if it really wanted to. He also explains what it is like fighting the fanatical but talented sailors of the IRGC navy, and why he thinks their claims to have mined the Strait are probably lies. Plus, The Telegraph's foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii gives the view from Iran amid growing expectations of an imminent peace deal today, and Venetia Rainey looks at why Israel has suddenly bombed Beirut despite a ceasefire. They also discuss the latest news of extensive damage to American bases in the Gulf and the long-term implications. Highlights ‘Trump could reopen Hormuz if he dared, I've done it'Retired Royal Navy rear admiral James Parkin speaks outCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantVenetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyAkhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoiiJames Parkin, retired Royal Navy rear admiral CONTENT REFERENCED:Connor Stringer: How Trump's ‘Project Freedom' fell apart in one dayhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/05/06/us-iran-trump-military-diplomacy-project-freedom/Henry Bodkin: US and Iran ‘close' to deal to end warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/06/us-iran-close-deal-end-war-israel-middle-east-hormuz-strait/Akhtar Makoii: Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei have more in common than they realisehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/06/trump-and-mojtaba-khamenei-have-more-in-common-they-realise/Washington Post: Iran has hit far more U.S. military assets than reported, satellite images showhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/05/06/iran-us-bases-satellite-images/NBC: Trump's abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allieshttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trumps-abrupt-u-turn-plan-re-open-strait-hormuz-came-backlash-allies-rcna343845Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is America's Operation Epic Fury really over?Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US's military campaign against the Iranian regime has finished, and there are growing reports of a US-Iran peace deal in the offing. Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant break down the top three news stories you need to know today, from why Donald Trump has ended Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz to the importance of talks between Iran and China. Plus, did a spat over the Iran war prompt Trump to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany last week? Berlin correspondent James Rothwell explains the significance of America's significant troop presence in the country and why America's pull-out is fuelling speculation that Nato is well and truly over. Highlights The end of Operation Epic Fury amid growing talks of a peace dealWhy Trump has pulled troops from Germany following Iran war spatCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantJames Rothwell, Berlin correspondent @JamesERothwellCONTENT REFERENCED:David Blair: Trump now has three options. They are all badhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/06/trump-three-options-all-bad/Akhtar Makoii: Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei have more in common than they realisehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/06/trump-and-mojtaba-khamenei-have-more-in-common-they-realise/Donald Tusk: Nato is disintegratinghttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/02/donald-tusk-nato-is-disintegrating/Why the US cannot fight another war after Iran without China's helphttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/30/us-cannot-fight-another-war-after-iran-without-china-help/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the US-Iran war about to restart amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz?Donald Trump has launched Project Freedom - a US Navy mission to break the Iranian blockade imposed since the beginning of the war. However, while the White House has framed the escort of neutral vessels as a “humanitarian gesture”, Tehran sees it as an escalation. Iran has fired missiles and drones at ships and an oil port in the UAE, and today says it is “just getting started”. Roland Oliphant and chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair discuss the latest updates and why both sides are now likely locked in a downward spiral, putting us “one step” away from renewed all-out fighting. Plus, former US Navy submariner Bryan Clark, director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute, explains why America must put more force into the Strait of Hormuz if it wants to win against a patient enemy like Iran. He also talks through Iran's remaining naval capabilities, from midget subs to fast boats. HighlightsWhy Trump's Project Freedom will fail without more forceAn ex-US Navy submariner on what it will take to reopen the Strait of HormuzCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtBryan Clark, senior fellow Hudson Institute @clarkdefenseCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump has finally realised he must seize the Strait of Hormuzhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/04/trump-finally-realised-seize-the-strait-of-hormuz/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Within living memory, Tehran ruled an oil-rich great power brimming with intellectuals inspired by British democracy. So how did it become an impoverished rogue state at war with the West?In this special Bank Holiday edition, Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian history at the University of St Andrews, takes Roland Oliphant through Iran's tumultuous modern era: from the 1906 Constitutional Revolution and the 1953 coup, to the 1979 ousting of the shah and the 2026 US assassination of Ali Khamenei.From the blunders of the unlikely "midwife" of the modern Iranian state - Great Britain - to the catastrophic decisions of successive Supreme Leaders after the founding of the Islamic Republic, he charts the course that shaped the country Donald Trump is fighting today. How do the myths overshadow the facts of the CIA's 1953 coup and the Iran-Iraq war? Why is the regime so obsessed with enriching uranium and fighting Israel and America? And is the UK guilty of betraying Iranian dreams of democracy?Plus, how the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company brought association football to Tehran. Highlights Oil, revolution and ayatollahs: how Iran went from great power to rogue state Professor Ali Ansari explains 20th-century Iranian historyCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantAli Ansari, professor University of St Andrews @aa51_ansariCONTENT REFERENCED:Part 1: ‘Iran thinks it's still a great power': Why the regime won't surrenderhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/03/why-the-iranian-regime-wont-surrender-ali-ansari/Producer: Max BowerExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump faces a critical decision as the Iran war drifts into a stalemate: double down on military force or hope the US blockade will break the deadlock. Amid a deadline today for Trump to get Congress' approval for further military operations under the War Powers Act, new reports suggest the Pentagon has requested the deployment of America's Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles to the Middle East. Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss the latest updates from the region. Plus, what is Russia's role in the Iran war? Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies's Iran program, explains how Moscow has supported Tehran and is using it as a “pawn” in the broader fight against the West. He also analyses the significance of the viral Iranian Lego propaganda videos and Mojtaba Khamanei's latest statement. Highlights US 'could deploy hypersonic missiles' to Middle EastHow Russia is supporting Iran to fight the WestCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantBehnam Ben Taleblu, Foundation for Defense of Democracies @therealBehnamBTCONTENT REFERENCED:US asks to move Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles towards Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/30/us-asks-to-move-dark-eagle-hypersonic-missiles-towards-iran/1,000 targets a day in Iran: How AI is accelerating warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/01/1000-targets-day-how-ai-accelerating-america-iran-war/Maven: the AI system helping the US bomb Iranhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdHYDGHN5rQProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK is in shock after an Iran-linked Islamist group claimed yet another attack on Jews in London. In the wake of the Golders Green stabbing attack, national security editor Rozina Sabur looks at what we know about the shadowy online group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) and its links to the Iranian regime. Plus, as Donald Trump weighs whether to take further military action against Iran or in the Strait of Hormuz, Samuel Olsen, chief analyst at risk and intelligence firm Sibylline, explains that the conflict has further indebted the US to China. Why? Beijing's near-total dominance of the supply chain of rare earths and critical minerals, which every bit of modern military kit requires. Trump's upcoming visit to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping is likely to centre on this issue - as well as Taiwan. Elsewhere, Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan analyse what we learned from Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth's first under-oath testimony on the war and why the ceasefire seems to be holding everywhere apart from Iraq. HighlightsWhy the US cannot rearm post-Iran war without China Rozina Sabur on the Iran-linked group claiming to be behind the Golders Green attackCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineySophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanSamuel Olsen, chief analyst Sibylline @samolsenxCONTENT REFERENCED:Project Vault: Trump's battle to break China's critical mineral strangleholdhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/09/project-vault-trumps-battle-to-break-chinas-mineral-strangl/China just proved it can cripple the US military in days. Now Trump is furioushttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/20/china-just-proved-it-can-cripple-the-us-military-in-days-no/The Iranian sleeper cell bringing terror to Europehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/23/iranian-sleeper-cell-islamic-movement-companions-synagogue/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the Strait of Hormuz to Lebanon, the Iran war has seen the West's foes adopt asymmetric warfare with growing efficacy. Fresh off the boat from the Omani side of the Strait, Adrian Blomfield joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant. He explains how being out on the busy, misty and historic waterway helped him to understand why it is almost impossible for the US to counter Iran's so-called “mosquito” fleet of fast boats.Meanwhile, Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin discusses the growing threat posed by Hezbollah as it adopts Ukrainian drone tactics to fight Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. He talks through a particularly worrying video showing the terror group flying a fibre-optic first-person view (FPV) drone at a medivac helicopter. Plus, Venetia and Roland run through the latest updates from today, including Donald Trump's new threat to Iran and bad signs from the Iranian economy. Highlights: Adrian Blomfield on his trip to the Strait of HormuzHenry Bodkin on the growing threat posed by Hezbollah as it adopts Ukrainian drone tacticsCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantAdrian Blomfield, senior foreign correspondent @adrianblomfieldHenry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkinCONTENT REFERENCED:Hezbollah attacks Israeli military helicopter with fibre optic droneshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/28/hezbollah-attack-israeli-idf-helicopter-fibre-optic-drones/Adrian Blomfield: Here in the Strait, Iran's mosquito fleet renders Trump blockade futilehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/28/strait-of-hormuz-irans-mosquito-fleet-winning-blockade/Akhtar Makoii: Iran's cost of living is out of control as Trump's blockade takes holdhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/29/irans-cost-of-living-trump-blockade/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran's regime is facing an existential crisis prompted by the US-Israeli war. Despite taking a military battering and the economy being in ruins, Tehran refuses to surrender to Donald Trump. Historian Arash Azizi takes Roland Oliphant and Sophia Yan inside the clash between the regime establishment and the ultra-hardliners who fear their vision of the Islamic Republic will not survive peace. He explains why the country's powerful, IRGC-linked chief negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf is increasingly being attacked in Iranian media and the dilemma facing the Islamic Republic as it looks to make a deal without surrendering the anti-American dogmatism that revolutionaries hold so dear. Plus, senior foreign correspondent Adrian Blomfeld reports from the Strait of Hormuz and Sophia and Roland discuss the significance of the UAE pulling out of OPEC. HighlightsArash Azizi on why Iran's hardliners are a “bunch of losers with no power”How the Iranian regime is facing a choice between reform and destruction CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host @rolandoliphantSophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophiacyan Arash Azizi, author and historian Yale University @arash_tehran CONTENT REFERENCED:Adrian Blomfield: Here in the Strait, Iran's mosquito fleet renders Trump blockade futilehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/28/strait-of-hormuz-irans-mosquito-fleet-winning-blockade/Robert White, Iona Cleave: Trump ‘unlikely to accept' Iran's Hormuz deal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/28/iran-war-live-trump-peace-talks-hormuz-strikes-lebanon/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US has severely depleted key munitions in the Iran war - and it's already having global consequences. From delayed deliveries to allies such as Japan, South Korea and Ukraine, to a knockon impact on any future wars - such as a potential conflict with China over Taiwan - new analysis of America's strategic stockpiles do not make for comfortable reading. Venetia Rainey talks to Mark Cancian and Chris Park from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) about what's running low, why and what impact it will have. Plus, will Donald Trump strike a deal with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz instead of prioritising a nuclear agreement? That's what Tehran is reportedly proposing today, but as veteran US diplomat David Satterfield explains, that comes with its own problems. With Iran playing the long-game in an asymmetric war, the former ambassador says Trump does not have many good options available. CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyDavid Satterfield, former US diplomat and director of Baker Institute for Public PolicyMark Cancian, senior fellow CSIS @MarkCancianChris Park, research associate CSIS @chrhsparkCONTENT REFERENCED:Last Rounds? Status of Key Munitions at the Iran War Ceasefirehttps://www.csis.org/analysis/last-rounds-status-key-munitions-iran-war-ceasefireProducer: Elliot LampittExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US-Iran ceasefire has limped into its third week, but can stuttering peace talks deliver a deal before war resumes? Roland Oliphant is joined by Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, to discuss the latest news and updates, including what Mojtaba Khamanei's reported injuries tell us about the balance of power in Tehran. She also explains why the normally factional Iranian regime is united in its need to end the war, and how Donald Trump's attempt to drive a wedge between “moderates” and “hardliners” is likely to fail.Plus, international economics editor Hans van Leeuwen explains why the world has been watching the wrong oil price - and how the global impact of the war could be worse than we thought. Highlights Why time is not on Trump's side in the Iran warMojtaba Khamenei's injuries and what they say about the Iranian regimeCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantHans van Leeuwen, International economics editor @hansvan333Sanam Vakil, MENA programme director Chatham House @SanamVakilCONTENT REFERENCED:Hans van Leeuwen: The world is watching the wrong oil priceProducer: Elliot LampittExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What will it take to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iran's sea mines and fast boats?With Tehran now charging extortionate tolls, attacking commercial ships who do not get permission to transit and reportedly laying around 20 sea mines, the vital waterway has become a living nightmare. President Donald Trump today told the US Navy to fire on any boats laying mines, but with Pentagon estimates that it will take six months to mine-sweep the Strait, is that enough? To discuss the problem, Venetia Rainey is joined by Emma Salisbury, an Associate Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. Emma explains how American minesweeping capabilities became so heavily degraded, why Iran's non-conventional navy remains so effective and hard to destroy, and the maritime signs that Trump may be considering a return to all-out war. Plus, senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan talks through the latest news and updates from the region, including the status of the US-Iran ceasefire, reports that America is running out of munitions, and the Lebanon-Israel peace talks to disarm Hezbollah. Highlights: Why it would take the US six months to minesweep the Strait of Hormuz - in peacetimeSophia Yan on how the Iran war became a game of chickenCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineySophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanEmma Salisbury, associate fellow Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre @salisbotCONTENT REFERENCED:The Mine Gap: America Forgot How to Sweep the SeaIranian shadow fleet tankers break through US blockadeTrump has eight days to make up his mind on IranLast Rounds? Status of Key Munitions at the Iran War CeasefireProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Instead of peace talks today, the US-Iran ceasefire is on the brink of collapsing and the Strait of Hormuz is heating up. Despite the two-week deadline expiring today, JD Vance never boarded a plane to Pakistan for negotiations and neither did anyone from Iran. Instead, Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire indefinitely and the IRGC has today attacked several more international ships.Is the war about to restart? Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant are joined by chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair and foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii to discuss the latest news, decode the signals from each side and explain what might happen next. Plus, Roland chats to Richard Mead, editor-in-chief of the maritime industry bible Lloyd's List, about the wider implications of the Strait of Hormuz being in “utter chaos”, how ships are increasingly going dark to avoid detection, and China's role in everything. HighlightsDavid Blair and Akhtar Makoii discuss whether the Iran war will restartWhy the Strait of Hormuz being in “utter chaos” matters for everyoneCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtAkhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoiiCONTENT REFERENCED:Connor Stringer: ‘It's all a giant clusterf---': Inside Trump's floundering Iran peace processAkhtar Makoii: Iran's real negotiator is staring Trump down from the shadowsDavid Blair: Trump's flip-flopping will only embolden Iran to harden its demandsHormuz chaos shows Iran is too fractured to speak with one voiceProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can the US and Iran strike a last-minute nuclear deal to end the war?With the two-week ceasefire deadline expiring on Wednesday, peace talks are tentatively set to go ahead in Pakistan between US Vice President JD Vance and an Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Ghalibaf. Donald Trump has threatened to resume bombing if negotiations fail, but a major stumbling block remains: Iran's nuclear programme. Washington wants Tehran to end all advanced uranium enrichment and give up its 450kg of “nuclear dust” that is currently buried under rubble. Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, tells foreign editor Louis Emanuel that without proper verification on the ground, any agreement will be an “illusion”. Meanwhile, senior foreign correspondent Memphis Barker explains how the "ghost" of the previous Iran nuclear agreement - Barack Obama's 2015 JCPOA - looms large over everything. Can Trump strike a better deal now than the one he tore up in 2018?Plus, Roland Oliphant runs through the latest updates and news from across the region, including what is going on in the Strait of Hormuz and some clarity on when the ceasefire actually ends. Highlights:Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, on why a nuclear deal with Iran is tricky but doableWhy the ghost of Obama's 2015 Iran nuclear deal looms over peace talksCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantMemphis Barker, senior foreign correspondent @memphisbarkerLouis Emanuel, foreign editor @louisjemanuelRafael Grossi, director general IAEA @rafaelmgrossiCONTENT REFERENCED:Exclusive interview: World faces new nuclear arms raceWhy Obama's Iran nuclear deal looms large over Trump's negotiationsProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producer: Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will the weekend showdown in the Strait of Hormuz collapse the US-Iran ceasefire?After Iran opened and then closed the Strait, attacked an Indian tanker and turned around ships, Donald Trump ordered the seizure of a sanctioned Iranian vessel that was attempting to pass through the US blockade. What followed was a new first for the war: shots fired at the Iranian container ship's engine and the whole vessel taken into custody. Retired Royal Navy commodore Steve Prest looks at how such seizures normally happen, the tricky question of what will happen to the vessel now and the long-term prospects of the Strait of Hormuz being reopened for global trade. Plus, with the deadline for ceasefire talks in Pakistan fast approaching, Venetia Rainey looks at the signs today that talks may go ahead on Tuesday despite Iranian denials. She also explains the latest updates from Lebanon, where Hezbollah killed two Israeli soldiers over the weekend. CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineySteve Prest, ex-Royal Navy commodore @fightingsailorCONTENT REFERENCED:Akhtar Makoii: Hormuz chaos shows Iran is too fractured to speak with one voice‘Vacate your engine room': US Navy warns Iran ship before firingYou're firing, let me turn back: Panicked sailor pleads with Iranian attackersIsraeli soldier smashes Jesus statue in face with sledgehammerTimes of Israel: 26 years later, IDF restores its south Lebanon security zone — with key changesProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producer: Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Iran giving up its enriched uranium?US President Donald Trump says Tehran has agreed to hand over all of its “nuclear dust” - a potentially huge concession in the war. Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss why this would be so significant and what might have been offered to Iran in return. They also discuss what this means for US-Iran peace talks and the latest updates from the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it was “completely open”. Plus, as the separate Israel-Lebanon ceasefire comes into force today, The Telegraph's Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin and AP's Beirut correspondent Kareem Chehayeb look at the prospect of it lasting. Kareem explains why disarming Hezbollah is desirable for many Lebanese but difficult, while Henry analyses why Israelis are feeling dejected and pessimistic about all fronts of the war. CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantHenry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkinKareem Chehayeb, AP Beirut correspondent @chehayebkCONTENT REFERENCED:Lebanon can't expel one Iranian. So how will it disarm Hezbollah?Lebanon peace deal in full – and how it could unravelProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producer: Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, Donald Trump wrangles the leaders of Israel and Lebanon into their first direct talks in decades. Ending the fighting in Lebanon would bring the White House's “grand bargain” peace deal with Iran itself a step closer. But on the ground, Israel's offensive against Hezbollah rages unabated. While the ceasefire In Iran itself is holding, the war is remaking the political map of Europe.James Crisp, the Telegraph's Europe editor, explains how the conflict has turned Donald Trump from populist inspiration to an electoral kiss of death for the European right, and asks whether Iran's attempts to manipulate Western voters with Lego propaganda videos is paying off.CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantJames Crisp, Europe editor, CONTENT REFERENCED: Starmer and Macron to cut Trump out of Hormuz patrolsMeloni-Trump love-in falls apart as a political affair comes to an endHow Trump's ‘toxic' Iran war broke the European RightProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producer: Louisa Wells► 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.