Iran: The Latest

Iran has attacked another vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, just a day after Donald Trump threatened to bomb US ally Oman if it “gets in the way” of comatose US negotiations with Tehran.

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey is joined by chief Washington correspondent Connor Stringer to discuss Trump’s escalating frustration over the lack of a Strait of Hormuz deal and why he is hoping Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent might have a solution to the war as oil prices start to rise again.
Plus, a secret backchannel between Washington and the IRGC via Iraqi Kurdistan, why Trump hasn’t endorsed Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli election, and Yemen’s government fights back against Iranian proxy group the Houthis.

Highlights
One casualty after Iran strikes ship in Strait of Hormuz
Trump threatens to bomb Oman for ‘misbehaving’

CHAPTERS
00:00 - Iran strikes ship in Strait of Hormuz
01:58 - Trump threatens to bomb US ally Oman
04:35 - Oil spikes to $90 as US treasury yield surges
06:05 - Secret US backchannel to IRGC exposed
09:55 - US launches economic siege as Iran strategy shifts
11:50 - Iran vows Strait of Hormuz stays blocked
15:15 - Yemen army launches 130+ strikes on Houthis
16:45 - Trump sends Kushner and Blair to disarm Hamas
23:20 - UN Security Council declared "not fit for purpose"
25:20 - Trump's bid to replace UN chief with FIFA boss

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Connor Stringer, chief Washington correspondent @connorstringer

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump threatens to bomb Oman over Iran deal
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/17/trump-threatens-to-bomb-oman-over-iran-deal/

Trump orders Bessent to cripple Iran’s economy
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/08/12/trump-scott-bessent-end-iran-war/

Ukraine: the Latest: https://linktr.ee/UkraineTheLatest

Axios: Inside Trump's secret backchannel to Iran's Revolutionary Guard
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/16/iran-backchannel-trump-gabbard-barzani-war

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: Joleen Goffin
Video Producer: Max Bower
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Andy Watson
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey

► 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-us-war/

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As the US-Iran ceasefire officially expires and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, is Donald Trump considering using nuclear weapons to break the war stalemate?

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss why US politician Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bizarre nuclear claim may be less crazy than it first appears and how an underground nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain could be the potential target. They also look at the state of the war 60 days on from the ill-fated Memorandum of Understanding peace deal and why Iran is more bullish than ever.

Meanwhile, US envoy Jared Kushner is in Israel to talk to Benjamin Netanyahu about Trump’s Gaza peace deal after meeting with Hamas’ leader in Egypt. Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin in the West Bank explains why and discusses his dispatch from the West Bank amid a rise in military operations and settler “terrorism”.

Plus, Iran’s missing pilots, the Houthis strike again in the Red Sea and why the Iran war has prompted Trump to scale back key US-South Korea military drills.

Highlights
US ‘weighing nuclear attack on Iran’, claims Marjorie Taylor Greene
Why Trump has scaled back key US-South Korea military drills

CHAPTERS:
00:00:04 - Iran War 60-Day Peace Deal Deadline Expires
00:01:19 - Strait of Hormuz Transit Collapses Amid MoU Failure
00:05:42 - White House Contemplates Nuclear Options for Deep Iranian Bunkers
00:10:05 - Special Forces Operation Options Considered for Enriched Uranium
00:13:40 - US Pentagon Shifts Toward Tactical Nuclear Weapons Strategy
00:15:38 - Trump Reduces Freedom Shield Joint Military Drills with South Korea
00:19:22 - Iran Mystery Sukhoi Su-24 Air Strike on US Base in Qatar
00:20:47 - Middle East Escalation: Kurdistan Drone Strikes & Red Sea Attacks
00:24:47 - Jared Kushner & Tony Blair Lead Gaza Decommissioning Peace Talks
00:30:45 - West Bank Dispatch: Settler Siege and IDF Refugee Camp Raids

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkin

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:
The beaten and bruised ‘political pawns’ caught up in Israel’s election
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/17/beaten-and-bruised-political-pawns-israeli-election/

Israeli settlers in West Bank siege are terrorists, US says
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/14/us-denounces-israeli-settlers-as-terrorists-west-bank-siege/

Israeli army surrounds last Christian town in West Bank
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/12/israeli-army-surrounds-last-christian-town-in-west-bank/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: Joleen Goffin
Video Producer: Max Bower and Elliott Daly
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Andy Watson
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey

► 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 US-Israel-Iran war has led to black rain and oil spills in the Strait of Hormuz - is the country facing an environmental crisis because of Donald Trump?

In this weekend bonus edition of Iran: The Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks with Kaveh Madani, the award-winning director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health and also an exiled Iranian politician. They examine the live impact on the ground of the conflict, from power outages to water shortages.

Plus, Tehran was on the brink of being evacuated due to a major drought last year, so what happened? Kaveh explains how Iran narrowly escaped a major catastrophe and the wild war-related conspiracy theories going around to explain it.

Highlights
Iran faces Strait of Hormuz oil spills, power outages and black rain
The escalating war damage to the Iranian environment

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Kaveh Madani, director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health @KavehMadani

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Listen to the previous interview with Kaveh Madani: ‘Worse than war with Israel’: Why Iran’s regime is on edge
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11/10/worse-than-war-with-israel-why-irans-regime-is-on-edge/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower
Video Producer: Peter Shevlin
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Andy Watson and Chris January
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey

► 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 US has deployed a fresh aircraft carrier to the Middle East, vowing an "indefinite" naval blockade of Iran until the Strait of Hormuz is reopened - but China has other ideas.

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Sophia Yan speaks with Alicia Kearns MP, shadow minister for national security and former chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. Fresh from a trip into the heart of the Pentagon, she explains how Iran's regime is withstanding the pressure of the war thanks to financial and technological assistance from Beijing.

Plus, the “active and pernicious” Iranian intelligence service you’ve never heard of, why Donald Trump is guilty of historical revisionism when it comes to Nato, and whether the US is ready for the growing risk of a three-theatre conflict involving China and Taiwan.

HIGHLIGHTS
US deploys fresh warship and vows indefinite Iran blockade
How China is helping Iran win the war against the US

CHAPTERS
00:00 US vows indefinite blockade in Strait of Hormuz
01:55 GOP disquiet inside Pentagon over Trump’s Iran strategy
03:00 Confronting the Pentagon on Trump's NATO revisionism
05:32 The Three-Theater War: Russia, Strait of Hormuz, and Taiwan
08:36 China becomes Iran’s 'ventilator' against US sanctions
11:00 Xi Jinping’s naval show of force in Taiwan Strait
17:50 MOIS: The lethal Iranian intel agency operating in the UK
21:17 How Britain must dismantle Iranian hitmen & propaganda
29:40 Iranian assassination threats against Trump
37:38 Russian shadow fleet tanker explosion off Oman

CONTRIBUTORS:
Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Alicia Kearns, MP and shadow minister for national security @aliciakearns

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Alicia Kearns: Labour must shut down Iranian assets operating in Britain
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/01/labour-must-shut-down-iranian-assets-operating-in-britain/

US navy sailor jumps overboard after 250 days at sea
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/13/us-navy-sailors-jump-overboard-after-nine-months-at-sea/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower
Video Producer: Peter Shevlin
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Andy Watson
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey

► 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.

As Donald Trump’s Iran war drags on and hostilities continue in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, global energy markets are being reshaped - not by OPEC or the US, but by China.

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey talks to world economy editor Ambrose Evans-Pritchard about how Beijing has weaponised its internal oil demand to keep oil prices stable and bypass Saudi Arabia, even as US Strategic Petroleum Reserves have plunged to their lowest level since 1983. Why have oil prices remained largely stable and are those figures masking underlying economic turmoil?

Plus: how the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is pushing Iraq to the brink of total economic collapse and the worrying news of a recent Pew Survey measuring attitudes towards the US vs China.

Highlights

Iran war drains US strategic petroleum reserves to 40-year low
How Beijing has kept oil prices stable and bypassed Saudi Arabia

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, world economy editor

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Trump’s eternal March of Folly on Iran
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/07/31/trumps-eternal-march-of-folly-on-iran/

Trump targets Iran’s economy as military campaign falters
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/08/12/trump-scott-bessent-end-iran-war/

Iran war threatens to cripple growth, Treasury warns Burnham
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/08/12/iran-war-threatens-to-cripple-growth-treasury-warns-burnham/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Producer: Peter Shevlin
Video Producer: Max Bower
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Andy Watson
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey

► 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.