Iran: The Latest
The Telegraph
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.Every Wednesday on Battle Lines: Global Health Security they’re joined by Arthur Scott-Geddes to look at the intersection between health and security, from bioweapons to warzone diseases to frontline medicine. You can watch these episodes here.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.Battle Lines: Global Health Security is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
10 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 34min
‘A full spectrum crisis’: how the Iran war went global
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, The Telegraph’s world economy editor, maps the global fallout of the Iran war. He outlines threats to oil, fertilizer and other Gulf feedstocks. Short supply chains, soaring prices and risks to global food security are highlighted. He also examines how Russia and China stand to gain and the peril of wider naval disruptions.
12 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 38min
Iran navy chief killed & why the war 'was based on a lie'
Sir Richard Dalton, former British ambassador to Iran and seasoned Middle East diplomat, offers candid analysis. He questions the nuclear-threat rationale behind the war. He explains back-channel diplomacy, Iran’s fractured decision-making, and the military and political limits to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
19 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 37min
Delay tactic? Trump deploys paratroopers as he outlines Iran peace plan
Lottie Tiplady-Bishop, US news editor at The Telegraph, explains domestic political stakes and electoral reactions. Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent, offers on-the-ground Middle East analysis and diplomacy insight. They discuss Trump’s 15-point Iran plan, recent paratrooper deployments, Turkey’s mediation potential, regional attacks and how Americans are reacting. Short, sharp and topical.
43 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 42min
‘Iran thinks it’s winning’: can US peace talks in Pakistan really end the war?
Lina Khatib, Chatham House MENA expert on regional politics. David Blair, The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator. They dissect secret peace-talk claims, who in Iran might be negotiating, and Pakistan and Egypt’s mediation. They also discuss control of the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s public posture and whether Hezbollah’s military and political power can survive the conflict.
37 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 41min
‘A forever mission': US colonel on Trump's Strait of Hormuz quagmire
Tom Cotterill, acting defence editor at The Telegraph, explains technical details of Iran’s missile strike on Diego Garcia. Peter Mansoor, retired US Army colonel and military historian, assesses hard power options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. They discuss missile capabilities, risks of island seizures and amphibious raids, special operations to seize enriched uranium, and why any military effort could become a prolonged quagmire.
41 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 47min
US sends Marines to Strait of Hormuz & why Iran can still fire missiles
Fabian Hoffman, University of Oslo missiles expert, explains Iran’s launcher limits and interceptor dynamics. Peter Apps, Reuters defence commentator, breaks down US Marine roles, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, regional strategy and the conflict’s effects on China-Taiwan calculations. Multiple short, punchy conversations on missile stocks, interception challenges and what seizing islands or protecting shipping would actually involve.
50 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 42min
‘Drunk on assassinations’: What is Israel’s Iran war strategy?
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent reporting from Turkey and northern Iraq, gives field updates on strikes, Kurdish forces and regional tensions. Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent, explains Israeli military moves, strategy and political calculations. They discuss the South Pars attack, energy fallout, daily strikes in Iraq, Kurdish demands for action, Turkish restraint and the Lebanon front.
42 snips
Mar 18, 2026 • 46min
America’s biggest mistake in the Iran war so far
Paul Nuki, Global Health Security Editor reporting from Beirut, outlines displacement, casualties and three scenarios for Lebanon. Gareth Corfield, transport editor and OSINT analyst, breaks down satellite imagery, debris and open-source evidence tying a Tomahawk to the school strike. They discuss rising strikes in Beirut, risks of a wider Lebanon war and how misinformation spread around the Minab attack.
25 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 42min
‘Huge void’ in Iran regime after security chief 'assassinated'
Ali Safavi, NCRI/MEK representative advocating organized opposition. He discusses the reported killing of Iran’s security chief and the leadership void it creates. He argues for armed uprising over dialogue with the regime. He defends the MEK’s history, outlines plans for a provisional government, and describes deep divisions among Iranian opposition groups.
21 snips
Mar 16, 2026 • 38min
Exclusive: Why Iran's new leader survived & how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
Akhtar Makoii, The Telegraph foreign correspondent who obtained leaked IRGC audio, reveals how Mojtaba Khamenei narrowly survived the strikes and why he rose to power. Jack Watling, RUSI land warfare expert and author, outlines military options to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and limits of force. They also discuss allied roles, mine-countermeasures, and wider regional risks including China’s maritime moves.
