• ‘A full spectrum crisis’: how the Iran war went global
    Mar 27 2026

    Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has already pushed up oil prices. But is a bigger global economic disruption yet to come? And how long will it last?


    The Telegraph’s World Economy Editor Ambrose Evans-Pritchard joins Roland Oliphant to explain why the Iran conflict is sending shock waves around the world - and not just in the oil market.


    From fertiliser to helium to sulphur, the block on shipping through the Strait carries other key commodities used by the tech industry, hospitals and farmers. Ambrose explains how the war will almost certainly cause a global food shock in 2027.


    They also discuss how Russia and China are benefitting from the Iran war and why the Houthis in Yemen remain the dog that hasn’t barked - but could make things even worse than they are now.


    Plus, Roland Oliphant and senior foreign correspondent Sohia Yan analyse the latest news from the Iran war, including Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts at peace talks with Tehran, the US Navy’s first ever use of unmanned surface boats and why AP is now calling Israel’s attack on Lebanon an invasion.


    CONTRIBUTORS:


    Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

    Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

    Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, world economy editor


    CONTENT REFERENCED:


    Roland Oliphant: Trump needs troops to seize the Strait of Hormuz. These are his options


    Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: China has already won the Gulf War


    Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: The longer Trump’s war drags on, the worse the coming global food crisis


    Producer: Peter Shevlin

    Executive Producer: Louisa Wells


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    ► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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    34 mins
  • Iran navy chief killed & why the war 'was based on a lie'
    Mar 26 2026

    Will Israel’s assassination of the IRGC’s naval chief lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz?


    Hosts Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey analyse the latest news from the Iran war, from the killing of navy commander Alireza Tangsiri to Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran is “begging” for a deal.


    With thousands of US troops en route to the Middle East, the stakes are high. Among them are the 82nd Airborne Division; acting Defence Editor Tom Cotterill explains what sort of missions this elite group of paratroopers might be able to execute.


    Plus, former UK ambassador to Iran Sir Richard Dalton gives his insights into why striking a deal with the regime will be so difficult and how he thinks the war is based on a lie around Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.


    CONTRIBUTORS:


    Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

    Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

    Tom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillX

    Sir Richard Dalton, UK’s former ambassador to Iran


    CONTENT REFERENCED:


    What 2,000 US paratroopers could do in Iran

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/25/what-2000-us-paratroopers-could-do-iran-war-america-trump/


    Trump denies it – but two wars are becoming one

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/26/converging-wars-leave-europe-panicked-and-putin-emboldened/


    Producer: Peter Shevlin

    Executive Producer: 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


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    ► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES:

    Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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    38 mins
  • Delay tactic? Trump deploys paratroopers as he outlines Iran peace plan
    Mar 25 2026

    Donald Trump has set out a 15-point Iran peace plan, but is he serious about ending the war?


    With news that another 2,000 elite American troops are en route to the Middle East, Tehran has its doubts - particularly as they’ve been here twice before with Trump.


    The Telegraph’s senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan joins Venetia Rainey to talk through how realistic the proposal is and how it’s being viewed in Iran. They also discuss Turkey’s role as a potential mediator and the impact of the conflict on China.


    From the Telegraph’s US bureau, editor Lottie Tiplady-Bishop explains why Vice President JD Vance is now involved in peace negotiations and how boots on the ground is a red line for Trump’s MAGA base.


    Plus, how is the Iran war being viewed by ordinary Americans? Reporter Natasha Leake takes the temperature on the streets of Washington DC.


    CONTRIBUTORS:


    Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

    Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

    Lottie Tiplady-Bishop, associate US news editor @lottietipbishop

    Natasha Leake, US reporter @NatashaLeake


    CONTENT REFERENCED:


    Trump hands Iran 15-point plan to end war

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/25/donald-trump-iran-war-15-point-plan-nuclear-missile/


    ‘Where the hell is JD Vance?’: Why Trump’s VP is missing in action

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/10/jd-vance-trump-iran-war-missing/


    JD Vance met with Trump security official who quit over Iran war

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/18/jd-vance-met-joe-kent-quit-iran/


    Donald Trump said he would be the president of peace

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/20/trump-promised-peace-then-he-started-war/


    Producer: Peter Shevlin

    Executive Producer: 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/



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    37 mins
  • ‘Iran thinks it’s winning’: can US peace talks in Pakistan really end the war?
    Mar 24 2026

    After four weeks of war with Iran, is Donald Trump calling it quits?


    The US president claims he is in advanced talks with a highly placed regime insider on a peace deal that would end Iran’s nuclear ambitions, reopen the strait of Hormuz, and give the country’s leadership a reason to make up with the rest of the Middle East.


    Pakistan and Egypt say they have brokered a meeting between US Vice President J D Vance and an Iranian delegation in Islamabad later this week. But who is the mystery Iranian negotiator? Does Iran have any reason to stop fighting now? And if peace is about to break out, why is the Iran war on the battlefield accelerating?


    Meanwhile, amid a bruising war with Israel, Iran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah is on the brink of total collapse.


    Roland Oliphant is joined by David Blair, the Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator, and Lina Khatib, associate fellow for the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House.


    CONTRIBUTORS:


    Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

    David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

    Lina Khatib, associate fellow Chatham House @LinaKhatibUK


    CONTENT REFERENCED:


    Trump may have blinked, but his war of necessity will grind on

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/23/iran-war-no-end-in-sight/


    Iran now has a clear path to victory

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/24/iran-now-has-a-clear-pathway-to-victory/


    Producer: Elliot Lampitt

    Executive Producer: 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/

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    42 mins
  • ‘A forever mission': US colonel on Trump's Strait of Hormuz quagmire
    Mar 23 2026

    Could US Marines seize Kharg Island and reopen the Strait of Hormuz?


    President Donald Trump has U-turned on his threat to bomb Iranian energy infrastructure after announcing a five-day moratorium and peace talks underway. But the Strait of Hormuz problem remains.


    Iraq veteran, Ohio State University military historian and former US Colonel Peter Mansoor joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant to discuss the hard power options open to Trump, from taking an island in the waterway to invading the mainland coastline.


    He also talks about the option of conducting special raids to seize enriched uranium to hobble Iran’s nuclear programme and explains why the war risks becoming a quagmire for the West akin to what he saw first-hand in Iraq.


    Plus, The Telegraph’s acting defence editor Tom Cotterill explains what we know about the hugely significant Iranian ICBM attack on Britain’s Diego Garcia base and how worried the UK and Europe should be of repeat incidents.


    CONTRIBUTORS:


    Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

    Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

    Tom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillX

    Peter Mansoor, chair military history Ohio State University


    CONTENT REFERENCED:


    Telegraph View: Britain must do what it can to open the Strait of Hormuz

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-must-do-what-it-can-to-open-the-strait-of-hormuz/


    Britain ‘defenceless against Iranian missiles’

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-defenceless-against-iranian-missiles/


    Producer: Peter Shevlin

    Executive Producer: 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.

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    41 mins
  • US sends Marines to Strait of Hormuz & why Iran can still fire missiles
    Mar 20 2026

    Thousands of US Marines and sailors are heading towards Iran - does this mean boots on the ground?


    Venetia Rainey is joined by Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps to discuss the war three weeks in, how to open the Strait of Hormuz and whether as part of it, Trump will order troops to take Kharg Island.


    They also discuss whether this counts as a world war and why this conflict is likely deterring China from taking Taiwan by force for at least another few years.


    Plus, how is Iran still able to inflict so much damage on its neighbours? University of Oslo missiles expert Fabian Hoffman explains why Iran’s launchers may run out before its missiles do and how much longer interceptor stocks in the Gulf and Israel could last.


    CONTRIBUTORS:


    Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

    Peter Apps, Reuters defence columnist @pete_apps

    Fabian Hoffman, University of Oslo @FRHoffmann1


    Producer: Peter Shevlin

    Executive Producer: 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/

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    47 mins
  • ‘Drunk on assassinations’: What is Israel’s Iran war strategy?
    Mar 19 2026

    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

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/15/missiles-and-drones-chase-americans-out-of-iraq/?recomm_id=faf315cd-c56c-4a5d-a833-90e89545db06


    Tehran won’t fall without a ground offensive, says Kurdish leader

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/18/tehran-iran-war-ground-offensive-kurdish-leader-khabat/?recomm_id=35c185da-6605-4d40-aa0e-d19bf63781b0


    Producer: Peter Shevlin

    Executive Producer: 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/

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    42 mins
  • America’s biggest mistake in the Iran war so far & Israel's 'Gaza' threat to Lebanon
    Mar 18 2026

    When an Iranian primary school was bombed on the first day of the war, killing dozens of children instantly, it spawned a cycle of denials, conspiracy theories and online speculation.


    Nearly three weeks on, it’s clear that an American Tomahawk missile was responsible for the deadliest attack of the conflict so far. The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs analyst Roland Oliphant and OSINT expert Gareth Corfield join Venetia Rainey and Arthur Scott-Geddes to go through all the evidence and explain why it matters.


    Plus: Israel is upping its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, with strikes on central Beirut, troops invading from the south and flyers invoking the threat of Gaza.


    The Telegraph’s global health security editor Paul Nuki joins from Beirut to discuss the latest news on what’s been targeted, the displacement crisis and attempts at peace talks. He also outlines three scenarios for how the war in Lebanon may unfold in the weeks to come.


    CONTRIBUTORS:


    Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

    Arthur Scott-Geddes, co-host @ascottgeddes

    Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

    Gareth Corfield, transport editor @GazTheJourno


    CONTENT REFERENCED:


    A girls’ school in Iran was blown up. Here’s what locals say happened

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/girls-school-iran-blown-up-locals-say-happened/


    The evidence that shows a US missile hit an Iranian girls’ school

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/evidence-shows-us-missile-hit-iranian-girls-school/


    The top US intelligence official who turned on Trump over Iran

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/17/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-right-hand-man/


    Producer: Louisa Wells

    Executive Producer: 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/



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    46 mins