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Iran: The Latest — News
Iran: The Latest

Iran: The Latest is The Telegraph’s defence, security and foreign affairs news podcast providing deep-dive analysis on the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.

Veteran foreign correspondents Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey bring you the latest updates from The Telegraph’s award-winning journalists, plus exclusive interviews with world-class experts in military strategy, international relations, and Middle East policy.

From attacks on the Gulf to Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen to the threat of nuclear escalation, stay informed with the best of The Telegraph’s Middle East coverage in one place. As the geopolitical landscape shifts, subscribe for essential updates on the security shifts defining our global future.

Battle Lines, a defence podcast with a wider scope and created by David Knowles, previously lived on this feed.

Don’t forget to follow and leave a review to stay updated on the latest in global conflict and foreign affairs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

Trump’s Iran ceasefire flounders as ‘utter chaos’ engulfs Strait of Hormuz Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

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.

Highlights

David Blair and Akhtar Makoii discuss whether the Iran war will restart
Why the Strait of Hormuz being in “utter chaos” matters for everyone

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

Akhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoii

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Connor Stringer: ‘It’s all a giant clusterf---’: Inside Trump’s floundering Iran peace process

Akhtar Makoii: Iran’s real negotiator is staring Trump down from the shadows

David Blair: Trump’s flip-flopping will only embolden Iran to harden its demands

Hormuz chaos shows Iran is too fractured to speak with one voice

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive 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.

‘Any US-Iran nuclear deal is an illusion without proper checks’ Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

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 doable
Why the ghost of Obama’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal looms over peace talks

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Memphis Barker, senior foreign correspondent @memphisbarker

Louis Emanuel, foreign editor @louisjemanuel

Rafael Grossi, director general IAEA @rafaelmgrossi

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Exclusive interview: World faces new nuclear arms race

Why Obama’s Iran nuclear deal looms large over Trump’s negotiations

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive 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.

US seizure of Iran vessel near Strait of Hormuz leaves ceasefire in peril Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

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 @venetiarainey

Steve Prest, ex-Royal Navy commodore @fightingsailor

CONTENT 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 firing

You’re firing, let me turn back: Panicked sailor pleads with Iranian attackers

Israeli soldier smashes Jesus statue in face with sledgehammer

Times of Israel: 26 years later, IDF restores its south Lebanon security zone — with key changes

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive 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.

Iran ‘surrendering’ enriched uranium & why Israel-Lebanon ceasefire won't hold Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

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 @venetiarainey

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkin

Kareem Chehayeb, AP Beirut correspondent @chehayebk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Lebanon can’t expel one Iranian. So how will it disarm Hezbollah?

Lebanon peace deal in full – and how it could unravel

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive 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.

Ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon & how Trump’s ‘toxic’ Iran war broke the European Right Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

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 @RolandOliphant

James Crisp, Europe editor,

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Starmer and Macron to cut Trump out of Hormuz patrols

Meloni-Trump love-in falls apart as a political affair comes to an end

How Trump’s ‘toxic’ Iran war broke the European Right

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive 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.

Trump vs Netanyahu: will Israel continue fighting if America pulls out? Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

With a tenuous ceasefire hanging in the balance, Vice President of the United States JD Vance has come out offering a ‘grand bargain’ with Iran, signalling a possible reset of ties with the Islamic Republic. Is this a shift in position? Or is it postponing the inevitable reckoning? The Telegraph's Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator David Blair gives us his take on the chances of diplomacy breaking the deadlock.

Plus, Venetia Rainey talks to former Mossad analyst Sima Shine and asks what role Israel played in launching the war in the first place, and whether Netanyahu would prefer the ceasefire to fail?

CONTRIBUTORS:

Sophie O'Sullivan, cover-host

David Blair, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator @davidblairdt

Venetia Rainey, co-host

Sima Shine, a senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive 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.

US and China on maritime 'collision course' as first ships try to pass Trump's blockade Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

America's naval blockade of Iran is meant to choke Tehran into lifting its own restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, but will it work and can it be enforced? Former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe joins Roland Oliphant to explain the operational challenges.

The first day of the maritime siege has drawn vocal condemnation from Beijing, in the latest sign of growing Chinese involvement in the crisis. Chinese officials were key to persuading Iran to accept the ceasefire. There are claims that Chinese weapons are on their way to re-stock Iranian air defences. Telegraph Asia Correspondent Allegra Mendelson explains China's role in Iran, what it wants from the war, and what would happen if an American warship dared to board a Chinese freighter.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Tom Sharpe, former Royal Navy Commander and Telegraph columnist @TomSharpe134

Allegra Mendelson, Asia correspondent @amendelson_

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Connor Stringer and Allegra Menedelson: How China helped seal Trump’s 11th hour Iran truce

Tom Sharpe: Trump’s blockade on a blockade is possible That doesn’t mean its a good idea

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive 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.

Can Trump’s blockade break Iran’s grip on Strait of Hormuz? Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

Could Donald Trump’s naval blockade break Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz?

As the shaky ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran continues to hold despite failed peace talks over the weekend, Washington is trying a new tack to end the war: barring Iran’s use of its ports. With the US Navy enforcing a blockade of the Strait as of today, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant are joined by senior foreign correspondent Adrian Blomfield in Oman to discuss whether it could work.

Adrian also looks at the reasons behind the failure of US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan over the weekend and why there are still hopes that something positive will come of it.

Plus, Venetia and Roland discuss the latest news updates from the region, including talks between Lebanon and Israel and Trump’s spat with the Pope.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Adrian Blomfield, senior foreign correspondent @adrianblomfield

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Connor Stringer: 21 hours, a dozen calls to Trump and no deal – how the peace talks fell apart

Adrian Blomfield: The strategic deadlock now facing Trump and Iran

Battle Lines: How MAGA Catholics won the White House

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive 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 the Iran war over or is the US just reloading? Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

Can the US and Iran broker a peace deal while Israel and Hezbollah continue fighting?

All eyes are on Pakistan this weekend as US Vice President JD Vance flies to Islamabad to meet with Tehran’s negotiating team, led by Parliament speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf. But with disagreement over whether the ceasefire applies to Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz still closed, it’s not clear what progress will be made.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is pressuring Nato to come up with a solution to the Strait - and fast. Venetia Rainey talks through the latest updates and news from across the region today.

Plus, could this ceasefire be a tactical pause to allow US forces to regroup? If you want to know America’s real intentions in the coming weeks, just watch the cargo and refuelling planes, says ex-British Army officer Robert Campbell.

He also reflects on his experiences serving in the Israeli army in southern Lebanon during the 1990s and explains why there is “no quick fix” to get rid of Hezbollah.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Robert Campbell, former British Army officer

CONTENT REFERENCED:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/04/10/why-the-tehran-tollbooth-will-never-work/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/09/netanyahu-fails-to-deliver-new-reality-promised-israel-iran/

Producer: Max Bower

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

Listen to Iran: The Latest:YOUTUBE | APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | AMAZON

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump’s Iran ceasefire on brink of collapse & how Ukraine is helping the Gulf Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

Will Israel’s war to eliminate Hezbollah in Lebanon collapse the fragile US-Iran ceasefire?

Tehran has accused Israel of violating the terms of its deal with Donald Trump by launching a massive military operation against its Lebanese proxy on Wednesday afternoon, killing more than 250 people with strikes on more than 100 targets in the space of 10 minutes. Today, Hezbollah has responded by firing a barrage of rockets at northern Israel.

Iran and Europe want Lebanon to be included in the ceasefire, but Israel and the US say it’s a separate theatre of the war. Venetia Rainey talks through the latest updates and what it could mean for the upcoming peace talks in Pakistan.

Plus, as Keir Starmer tours the Gulf, countries in the normally stable region are reeling from more than 40 days of war.

Qatar-based IISS research fellow Sascha Bruchmann and Bahraini political consultant Ahmed Alkhuzaie discuss the Gulf’s scepticism of the ceasefire, why a counter-force in the Strait of Hormuz is essential, and how Ukraine is helping tackle the Iranian drone threat.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Ahmed Alkhuzaie, Bahraini political consultant @AhmedAlkhuzaie

Sascha Bruchmann, IISS research fellow

Producer: Max Bower

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

Listen to Iran: The Latest:YOUTUBE | APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | AMAZON

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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