‘Drunk on assassinations’: What is Israel’s Iran war strategy?
Iran: The Latest
Guest introductions and focus areas
Hosts introduce Henry Bodkin and Sophia Yan and preview coverage from Israel, Iraq and Turkey.
Has Israel gone rogue with the attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field?
The bombing triggered a furious response from Tehran and led to a further escalation in the energy crisis caused by the US and Israeli war with Iran.
President Donald Trump says the US did not know about it but Israeli officials say it was coordinated. The Telegraph’s Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant to explain why the attack is consistent with Israel’s war goals and how tactics are potentially being prioritised over strategy.
Henry also discusses his reporting from northern Israel where troops are readying for an expanded ground invasion of Lebanon to root out Hezbollah and why talk of a buffer zone there may not match up with the threat.
Plus, senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan joins to discuss her time on the ground in Iraq and why things there are much worse than being reported. She also shares her thoughts on how Turkey is so far staying out of the conflict and why Iranian Kurds are pushing the US to let them invade.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Sophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent @sophia_yan
Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem Correspondent @HenryBodkin
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump’s three options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/18/trump-three-options-reopening-strait-hormuz/
Missiles and drones chase Americans out of Iraq
Tehran won’t fall without a ground offensive, says Kurdish leader
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producer: Louisa Wells
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