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
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.
41 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 52min
Two weeks in: A US Marine on Iran’s plan to win
Jonathan Hackett, former US Marine special-ops intelligence officer, offers tactical military perspective. Akhtar Makoii, Telegraph correspondent in Tehran, shares on-the-ground reporting. David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator, analyzes regional strategy. They discuss Iran’s missile campaign, Strait of Hormuz disruption, covert Israeli operations, regime survival strategies, and how protests and regional actors shape the conflict.
36 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 39min
‘Strategically appalling’: Britain’s greatest military expert on Trump’s Iran war
Sir Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies and leading military historian, gives a blunt strategic verdict on the US campaign in Iran. He critiques poor planning and risk assessment. Topics include oil disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, tactical wins versus strategic failure, lessons (not) learned from Iraq, escalation risks, and the wider geopolitical winners and losers.
23 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 44min
'I hate Trump but I support his war': why some Iranians celebrate this conflict
Sahar Zand, Iranian-British investigative journalist sharing firsthand messages from inside Iran. Paul Nuki, Global Health Security Editor reporting from Beirut on humanitarian and health impacts. They discuss why some Iranians celebrate strikes as aimed at the regime, censorship and young people's surprising reactions. Then the conversation shifts to Lebanon: civilian toll, mass displacement and regional escalation.
36 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 35min
World War 3? How Russia and China could be dragged into the Iran conflict
Clionadh Raleigh, CEO of ACLED and conflict-data expert, unpacks how the Iran war is spreading across the region. She discusses risks of great-power entanglement with Russia and China, the scale and tempo of strikes, Kurdish forces on the Iraqi border, and scenarios that could reshape Iran’s future. Short, sharp, and data-driven insights on a fast-moving conflict.
27 snips
Mar 9, 2026 • 48min
Why Iran's new supreme leader could intensify the war
Sascha Bruchmann, IISS research fellow on defence and Gulf security, provides expert analysis. He discusses Gulf states facing drone and missile attacks. He unpacks regional air defences, interceptor stock concerns and the strategic logic behind strikes on oil and desalination infrastructure. He also outlines risks to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and how neighbouring countries are reacting.
