Iran: The Latest

The conflict between Iran and the US has intensified sharply as President Trump delivers on his promise to strike “very hard,” launching a massive wave of attacks against IRGC command centres and drone facilities. Further afield, a drone strike on a US-owned gas tanker in Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta has now dragged the conflict into a new, volatile theatre, raising urgent questions about the reach of Iran’s drone warfare.

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Sophie O’Sullivan speaks to David Blair, The Telegraph’s Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, about the reality of the US military’s 14-day strike plan, the tactical risks of widening the war to the Mediterranean, and why Saudi Arabia is now pushing for urgent de-escalation.

Plus, Sophie and David discuss the Iraqi government’s furious response to the strikes, examine why US troops in the Middle East may soon be forced to surrender their mobile phones to maintain operational security, and analyse the latest developments in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Highlights
Trump prepares 14-day strike plan: Will this blitz effectively dismantle Iran’s capabilities?
US tanker struck in Egypt: Is the conflict spreading to the Mediterranean?
Security risk: US troops in the Middle East may be forced to surrender phones for security.

CONTRIBUTORS:
Sophie O’Sullivan, journalist and Ukraine: the Latest producer
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/30/trumps-general-draws-up-plans-for-14-days-of-iran-strikes/?recomm_id=1b169994-a91c-4c17-aad7-04111941eb17

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/29/iran-us-war-latest-israel-trump-strikes-strait-of-hormuz/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/20/us-prepares-all-out-war-iran-sending-more-jets-middle-east/

ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

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.

The conflict between Iran and the US has entered a volatile new phase as Saudi Arabia joins American forces in striking Tehran’s proxies across Iraq. The move comes after drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities alongside Tehran’s surprise missile barrage against US positions in Jordan, the first unprovoked attack by Iran since the war began. Is Riyadh’s public military intervention a decisive check on Iranian expansionism, or has the regional firestorm spiralled beyond diplomatic control?

On Wednesday’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Sophie O’Sullivan speaks to David Blair, The Telegraph’s Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, about the strategic implications of Saudi Arabia’s involvement and what the 3.8 per cent spike in global oil prices signals for the international market.

Plus, Arthur Scott-Geddes and Sophie discuss the deepening military collaboration between Tehran and Beijing, examine the fallout from the high-stakes Trump-Netanyahu meeting in Washington and ask why Iran has definitively rejected Oman’s latest proposal to stabilise shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Highlights
Saudi Arabia joins US strikes: A strategic shift or a dangerous gamble?
Tehran’s unprovoked missile barrage hits US bases in Jordan
China arms Iran: The deal that could change the war’s trajectory

CONTRIBUTORS:
Sophie O’Sullivan, journalist and Ukraine: the Latest producer
Arthur Scott-Geddes, deputy editor Global Health Security @ascottgeddes
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/27/trump-us-more-weapons/

ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

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.

Seventeen days into the conflict between the US and Iran, the frontline is expanding as drone attacks continue to test the ceasefire and new flashpoints emerge in the Red Sea. Is the Houthi blockade of critical shipping lanes a calculated attempt to mirror Iran’s strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, or a desperate move to force concessions from Saudi Arabia?

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Arthur Scott-Geddes speaks to Memphis Barker, The Telegraph’s Senior Foreign Correspondent, about the reality of these escalating tactics and what they mean for the global oil market. They discuss the significance of Donald Trump’s high-stakes meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu today, and how the conflict is forcing nations as distant as Australia to fundamentally rethink their national energy security.

Plus, Ben Farmer, our Africa Correspondent, joins the conversation to explain the unexpected and worrying resurgence of piracy off the coast of Somalia as a direct side effect of the war.

Highlights

Tactical diplomacy or a critical missile shortage?
What the Israeli Prime Minister is demanding from Washington
Why the markets are reacting to the halt in hostilities

CONTRIBUTORS:
Arthur Scott-Geddes, deputy editor Global Health Security @ascottgeddes
Memphis Barker, Senior Foreign Correspondent @memphisbarker
Ben Farmer, Africa Correspondent @benfarmerDT

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Somali pirates are back, fuelled by Iran war. By Mohamed Gabobe and
Ben Farmer: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/d08ca6627b5840c0

Iran’s deadliest kamikaze drone yet sends a message to Trump. By Akhtar Makoii: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/28/iran-new-kamikaze-drone-stealthier-faster-deadlier/

Trump caught between Zelensky’s wish for peace and Netanyahu’s thirst for war. By Joe Barnes and Connor Stringer: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/27/trump-caught-between-zelenskys-wish-for-peace-and-netanyahu/

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.

The US has halted its air strikes on Iran, creating a sudden pause in a conflict that has raged for nearly two weeks. Is this a strategic move to allow for diplomacy, or has the American military been forced to back down by a critical shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles?

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Arthur Scott-Geddes speaks to David Blair, The Telegraph’s Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, about the reality of the situation in Washington and the potential fallout across the region. They discuss the growing concerns over dwindling US munition stocks, the impact of the pause on global oil prices, and what Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping to secure in his upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump.

Plus, the team analyses a surprising new front in the war: Ukraine’s brazen strike on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea, and what message Kyiv is trying to send to the White House.

Highlights

Tactical diplomacy or a critical missile shortage?
What the Israeli Prime Minister is demanding from Washington
Why the markets are reacting to the halt in hostilities

CONTRIBUTORS:
Arthur Scott-Geddes, deputy editor Global Health Security @ascottgeddes
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

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

TL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026

Producer: Max Bower
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: James England
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.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met US President Donald Trump in Washington this week with a historic proposal: end the war between Lebanon and Israel, force an Israeli withdrawal from the south, and disarm Iran’s proxy group Hezbollah. Could it work?

On today’s bonus episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Lama Amine, arts director at local charity Seenaryo, about the reality for civilians caught up in the conflict in Lebanon, how people are worried the latest escalation in Iran will spillover, and why Hezbollah would just be replaced by a similar group if it was disarmed.

Plus, first-person accounts of what it’s like to live under the shadow of war. Excerpts from pieces written for Seenaryo by Syrian refugee Eman Fisal Almodhi, read by Irish actor Jessie Buckley, and a WhatsApp conversation between Lebanese women displaced in south Lebanon, read by British-Lebanese-Palestinian actor Sirine Saba.

Highlights
Trump’s Lebanon dilemma: Why Israel can't win this war
Voices from Lebanon on life under the shadow of war

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Lama Amine, director of arts at Seenaryo

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Lebanon’s leader seeks Trump’s help to end occupation and insurrection
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/21/lebanons-leader-seeks-trumps-help-end-occupation/

ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts 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.