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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:

How Israel has reshaped the Middle East + Dalai Lama takes on China Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets American President Donald Trump to try to hash out a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, a new Middle East is emerging from the ashes of years of war. Iran's nuclear programme has been bombed, Syria's new leader is re-establishing diplomatic relations with the West, and the Gulf is considering normalising relations with Israel.

Roland talks to journalist Adrian Blomfield about how people across the region feel about these tectonic shifts and why Israel is emerging as the winner.

Plus, veteran interviewer Mick Brown reflects on the significance of the Dalai Lama's recent announcement on his reincarnation and why Beijing is furious.

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

Trump wants a new armada. Can America still build one? Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

Last week, the Pentagon unveiled a jaw-dropping $47.3 billion plan to supercharge its fleet with 19 brand-new battleships. That’s right—nineteen. Up from a paltry five last year. And let’s not kid ourselves: this isn’t just about flexing maritime muscle, it’s a direct message to China—loud and clear.

Enter Commander Tom Sharpe, a man who’s not only been there and done it, but practically wrote the manual. A retired Royal Navy heavyweight who’s commanded four warships and earned an OBE for saving HMS Endurance from a catastrophic flood, Sharpe joins us to tear into what this seismic shift really means.

Are we gearing up for World War Sea? Has the age of battleship brinkmanship returned? Expect sharp analysis, no-nonsense truth bombs, and a few jaw-dropping tales from the frontlines of naval warfare.

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

Embed with UK's elite paratroopers on the Swedish island ready for war with Russia Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

In this bonus episode, something a bit different: a special dispatch from the Swedish island that has become a Nato bulwark against Russian aggression in the Baltic Sea.

Although all troops were removed in 2005, Gotland Island has since been remilitarised and is now home to the Swedish Armed Forces’ newest outfit: the Gotland Regiment.

The troops are charged with protecting this hugely strategic Baltic outpost from Russia - and they are clear-eyed about the threat Moscow once again poses in northern Europe.

Venetia Rainey takes us inside some of Sweden's trademark CV90s, chats to the regiment's commander about the challenges of defending the island, and embeds with elite British paratroopers practicing recapturing the territory from Moscow.

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

Chinese naval drills put Indo-Pacific on edge plus inside Gaza's 'killing fields' Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

For several weeks, two Chinese aircraft carrier battle groups have been conducting unprecedented drills in the Western Pacific, sailing further from Beijing than ever before.

What message is China trying to send to the world and what can we learn about its Navy’s capabilities? Venetia chats to RUSI's Philip Shetler‑Jones, who specialises in Indo-Pacific security.

Plus, a rare journey through Gaza with UNICEF's chief spokesman James Elder and a look at an explosive story accusing Israeli soldiers of firing on unarmed Gazan civilians at aid sites they describe as "killing fields".

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

How Trump took us to the brink of World War 3 and back again Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

This week in Trumpland: Trump bombed Iran on Saturday, declared its nuclear programme "obliterated" by Sunday, shrugged off Iranian missile strikes on Monday, and by Tuesday had single-handedly forced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel—only for it to nearly collapse hours later. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he turned up at the NATO summit in The Hague and strong-armed allies into a staggering 5% defence spending target, all while barely mentioning Ukraine.

Was this the art of the deal or the brink of disaster? Venetia Rainey speaks to Brussels correspondent Joe Barnes for the inside track on NATO, and we ask KT McFarland, former Deputy National Security Advisor, the question gripping America: are we safer today, or just one bad call away from another endless war?

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

Inside Trump's Iran attack and why Tehran can still build a nuclear bomb Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

The United States has just pulled off one of the most audacious bombing campaigns of the 21st century — attacking Iran’s nuclear sites in a stunning show of military might. The Pentagon is calling it a surgical strike. Donald Trump? He’s calling it a “obliteration.” Either way, it’s one hell of a moment in global history.

But this didn't come out of nowhere. This is part of a full-blown war that started just ten days ago, when Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran. Since then, it’s been chaos. Missiles flying back and forth, and now — the world’s most powerful military dropping bunker-busting bombs with chilling precision. And while Israeli officials are tight-lipped about regime change, Trump certainly isn’t. Last night on Truth Social he posted: “If the current Iranian regime is unable to make Iran great again, why wouldn’t there be regime change?” Then he added “MIGA” — yes, Make Iran Great Again. Subtle, it is not.

To cut through the spin and propaganda, Venetia speaks with Dr Shany Mor a Senior Research Fellow at the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, Darya Dolzikova from RUSI and co-host Roland Oliphant.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/20/replace-khamenei-leader-of-iran/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/22/trump-stealth-bombers-mission-obliterate-iran-nuclear/

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

"A taste of their own medicine" - how Israel's neighbours look at its war with Iran Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

Israel and Iran are trading missiles. A hospital’s been hit. Thirty injured. Israel’s fired back — hard — targeting Iran’s nuclear sites. Inside Iran? Chaos. Power’s out. Hackers hijack state TV, urging revolt. And Donald Trump? He’s green-lit Pentagon war plans — but is holding fire. For now.

We’ve got The Telegraph’s best on the ground: Sophia Yan in Beirut, Paul Nuki in Tel Aviv, and David Blair in the studio. Lebanon’s on edge. Israel’s braced. And the big question — will Trump strike? Or let Israel go it alone? The team also debates the broader stakes: Can Israel halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions without American help? Could the regime in Tehran collapse? And what happens if Hezbollah stays silent? With so many moving parts, this episode dives deep into the decisions and dangers shaping what may become the defining war of the decade.

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

Is Trump about to topple the Iran regime? Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

In a bumper, bonus edition of Battle Lines, we are talking to Iranians themselves, those both inside and outside the country, pro and anti regime, to get a sense of how the nation is responding to these missile strikes, what the war could mean for both the regime and ordinary people, and what comes next.

Emotions on the ground and among the diaspora are running high, and the stakes are even higher. Israeli strikes have hit targets across the country, in populated parts of Tehran and other cities. Huge traffic jams have formed as people have tried to flee the capitol. There are petrol shortages and shops are closed. Iran hasn't seen this kind of attack since the war with Iraq in the 1980s.

Fereshteh Sadeghi is a freelance Iranian journalist based in Tehran, who considers herself a supporter of the regime. She shares the conversations she's had on the streets of her city about this war. Giving a very different perspective, we hear from Holly Dagres, author of The Iranist, a foreign policy newsletter for Iran watchers.

Plus we hear from Ali Vaez, the Iranian born Director of the Iran programme at Crisis Group,who tells us why the diplomacy had fallen apart so suddenly and dramatically, and whether there is any hope it could restart. And author of What Iranians Want, historian Arash Azizi, joins us to attempt to explain exactly that; what do the Iranian people want?

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

The missile war: Iran's nuclear bunkers and Israeli air power Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

It’s day four of Israel’s relentless bombing campaign against Iran, and the death toll is spiralling. Iran says 224 of its citizens are dead. Israel reports 24 lives lost and over 500 injured in a barrage of Iranian retaliatory strikes. And this war is only just getting started. The Israeli airstrikes have gone far beyond nuclear sites. Government buildings, intelligence headquarters, the ministries of justice and foreign affairs—obliterated. Tehran is being shaken to its core. Is this really just about nukes? Or are we watching an attempt to bring the regime to its knees?

On the streets of Israel, the mood is grim but defiant. Iranian missiles have struck Tel Aviv and other cities hard. So how much more can Israel’s famed Iron Dome take? We speak to The Telegraph's man in Jerusalem, Henry Bodkin, who’s been reporting from the sites of the Iranian attacks. His frontline insights give us a chilling look at the damage—and the determination of a country under fire.

Then we hear from two men who know what they’re talking about. David Albright has spent years analysing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He tells us how close they really are to the bomb—and whether Israeli jets can stop it. And Frank Ledwidge, former intelligence officer and expert on air campaigns, tells us why this war will drag on, and what Israel’s real endgame might be.

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

The battle for LA: How Donald Trump's Californian crackdown could define his presidency Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

This episode was recorded before the strikes on Iran — a major development we’ll be discussing in detail in Monday’s episode.

Los Angeles has descended into chaos. A wave of ICE immigration raids has sparked mass protests, violent clashes with police, and nights of looting, fires, and fear. Now, President Trump has overridden Governor Gavin Newsom using a little-known legal loophole to send in the National Guard — and Marines are on the way.

The move has ignited a fierce political battle between California and the White House, raising questions about federal power, state rights, and the limits of presidential authority.

The Telegraph’s U.S. correspondent Susie Coen has spent the week in LA, documenting the unrest and capturing the mood of a city on the edge. And LA author Ryan Gattis joins us to reflect on how today’s turmoil compares to the 1992 riots — and what history tells us about what comes next.

https://linktr.ee/BattleLines

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

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

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