Iran: The Latest

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• What Trump's angry call with Netanyahu means for the Iran war 02.06.2026 33мин

  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 quits US talks, vows escalation after Israel orders Beirut strikes 01.06.2026 47мин

  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.
• Trump lifts Hormuz naval blockade & inside Iran’s ‘idiot’ proxy army 29.05.2026 47мин

  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.
• ‘Ceasefire violated’: US fury after Iran targets Kuwait base 28.05.2026 41мин

  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 demands $24bn to sign US peace deal - will Trump accept? 27.05.2026 35мин

  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.
• US ‘blows up’ Iran mine-laying ships as Trump chases ‘bum deal’ 26.05.2026 39мин

  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.
• How the tank is evolving to survive the century of the drone 25.05.2026 44мин

  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.
• First Venezuela, then Iran. Is Cuba next on Trump’s hit list? 22.05.2026 45мин

  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.
• Trump, Iran and the $150,000 Strait of Hormuz toll 21.05.2026 30мин

  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 warns Trump: ‘We’ll take war global if you bomb us again’ 20.05.2026 38мин

  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.
• US's Call of Duty vs Iran’s Lego videos: who is winning the online war? 19.05.2026 40мин

  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.
• Gulf gets laser-guided missiles to fight drones & Iran executions soar 18.05.2026 43мин

  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.
• Why China’s promise of no arms to Iran will do little to end the war 15.05.2026 36мин

  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.
• High stakes at Beijing summit as Xi and Trump talk Taiwan and Iran 14.05.2026 49мин

  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.
• Iran’s hardliners will not listen to anyone - even China’s Xi Jinping 13.05.2026 32мин

  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.
• Trump says US-Iran ceasefire ‘on life support’: can Xi Jinping revive it? 12.05.2026 32мин

  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.
• Netanyahu says war not over as US and Iran veto rival peace proposals 11.05.2026 34мин

  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.
• ‘Love tap’ or ‘reckless adventure’? US and Iran trade fire and blame 08.05.2026 42мин

  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.
• ‘Trump could reopen Hormuz if he dared, I’ve done it’: a rear admiral speaks out 07.05.2026 47мин

  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.
• The end of Operation Epic Fury & why Trump is pulling troops from Germany 06.05.2026 21мин

  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.