Iran: The Latest

US President Donald Trump has backed Benjamin Netanyahu after a strong election result for the Israeli leader that is likely to lead to the imminent resumption of war with Iran even as Gulf states push for peace talks.

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin and global health security editor Paul Nuki in Tel Aviv about the why Bibi beat back his rival Gadi Eisenkot, how the Arab parties could become kingmakers, and the importance of Trump’s intervention ahead of voting. Amid growing momentum behind a Qatari peace deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, they explain why Israeli military action against remaining IRGC targets is inevitable, whatever Trump does with the war.

Plus, what the election result means for the region as Lebanese proxy Hezbollah rearms with the help of Iranian cash, Yemen’s Houthis attack a major oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, and tensions in the West Bank are on a knife edge.

Highlights
Trump backs Bibi as Israel readies for new Iran strikes
Yemen’s Houthis attack a major oil refinery in Saudi Arabia

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent @HenryBodkin
Paul Nuki, global health security editor @PaulNuki

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Netanyahu’s fate now rests in the hands of his enemies
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/28/israel-election-netanyahu-fate-in-the-hands-of-enemies/

Israel’s plan for ‘decisive victory’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/25/israels-plan-for-decisive-victory/

We’re ready to ditch two-state solution, says Arab-Israeli election kingmaker
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/18/were-ready-to-ditch-two-state-solution-says-arab-kingmaker/

The CIA, civil war and the total collapse of Israel
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/23/cia-civil-war-total-collapse-israel-haredi-ultra-orthodox/

Israel closes West Bank after shoot-out days before election
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/23/israel-closes-west-bank-after-shootout-before-election/

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

Producers: Joleen Goffin and 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/
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This Israeli election is the most strategically consequential in the country’s history, with record turnout as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns voters to pick him or die.

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant talks to former Israeli defence intelligence analyst and INSS fellow Danny Citrinowicz about why Netanyahu is reported to have pushed Donald Trump to restart the Iran war early so he could delay the election. When the US said no to avoid pushing up oil prices any further, leaks suggest the Israeli leader tried to find another way to provoke Tehran, only to be stopped by the IDF chief of staff.

They discuss the domestic and regional stakes for the country’s first wartime vote since Oct 7, and why the chances of renewed strikes against Iran are highly likely whether Bibi wins or loses.

Plus, two British men are charged over a suspected Iranian intelligence plot targeting RAF Fairford, a vessel catches fire off the coast of Iraq, and Iran warns it will target South Korean shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Highlights
Netanyahu ‘pushed Trump for Iran strikes’ to delay first wartime Israeli election
‘Elect me or die’: Netanyahu’s Israel election threat as Iran war looms large

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Danny Citrinowicz, senior fellow at Institute for National Security Studies @citrinowicz

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Two men charged over suspected RAF Fairford terror plot
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/27/two-men-charged-over-raf-fairford-terror-plot/
Victory or prison: Bibi’s last stand
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/27/netanyahu-israeli-election-eisenkot-likud-iran/
Netanyahu ‘pushed for strike on Iran before Israeli election’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/27/netanyahu-pushed-for-iran-strike-before-israel-election/

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

Producers: Joleen Goffin and 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.

Donald Trump has threatened to restart the war with Iran with “another little Operation Epic Fury”, even as US intelligence exposes advanced Iranian plots targeting American personnel across the Middle East.
On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant look at why the US and Israel are delaying strikes until after the midterm and parliamentary elections. Sascha Bruchmann, Research Fellow at the IISS in Bahrain, breaks down why the region is changing forever and the Gulf’s military posture as leaders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey visit Iran for an emergency summit.
Plus, former President Barack Obama weighs in on the Iran war, the Tehran-backed Houthi forces launch ballistic missiles at Riyadh’s main airport, why war resilience is about more than stockpiling.

Highlights
Trump vows a ‘little Operation Epic Fury’ against Iran
Tehran plots to target American personnel across the Middle East

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Sascha Bruchmann, IISS Defence and Military Analysis Research Fellow

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Obama accuses Trump of ‘chaos, cruelty and corruption’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/25/obama-accuses-trump-chaos-cruelty-corruption/
US withdraws diplomats from Saudi Arabia
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/22/us-withdraws-diplomats-from-saudi-arabia/

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

Producers: Joleen Goffin and 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 is preparing for a protracted war with Iran as Donald Trump’s UN ambassador, Mike Waltz, warns the US Navy can maintain its maritime blockade on Iranian ports indefinitely.

With Iranian seaborne oil exports falling toward zero, Washington is tightening its economic pressure campaign to force concessions on Tehran’s nuclear program.

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, host Roland Oliphant is joined by The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair. They unpack the escalation across the Middle East as Saudi air defenses intercept a Houthi ballistic missile over Riyadh, European and Middle Eastern foreign ministers convene in Istanbul, and the environmental cost of the war as UAE temporarily closes a beach due to dangerous contamination by a spill from a tanker.

Plus, oil prices surge to a five-month high amid fears of fresh US-Israeli strikes, and Benjamin Netanyahu orders a total lockdown of the West Bank just days before Israel's general election.

Highlights
US Navy prepares for indefinite Iran blockade as oil revenues hit zero
Houthis target a ballistic missile at Riyadh as regional allies convene in Istanbul

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Israel closes West Bank after shoot-out days before election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/23/israel-closes-west-bank-after-shootout-before-election/
The testimony of 24 soldiers has put the Gaza toll at the heart of Israel’s election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/21/naza-film-israel-netanyahu-election/?recomm_id=d05acaf9-6799-4c4c-b651-e0e86e1d4d0b

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

Producers: Peter Shevlin and Max Bower
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: 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.

Further details have emerged regarding US-Israeli plans for a joint military campaign against Iran after the midterm elections. Following sightings of Israeli Air Force jets flying up to the Iranian border on Monday, plans for a three-day military blitz on Iran’s nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure were revealed to the New York Times.

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps about whether a renewed campaign can force Tehran’s hand or if it will trigger a devastating cycle of retaliation across Gulf energy fields. They examine the collapse of Iran’s shadow tanker fleet, escalating Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia, and whether expanding cyber warfare and drone technology mean the West is already entangled in a broader global conflict.

Plus, what would be the global impact of Iranian attacks on undersea cables in the Persian Gulf, and why Russian trawlers are spying on critical British subsea infrastructure.

Highlights
Iran’s ‘shadow fleet’ has run out of oil after a monthslong US blockade.
How conflicts around the world are inextricably linked and are AI cyber attacks dragging the West into global war?

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Peter Apps, global defence commentator for Reuters @pete_apps
WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:
US and Israel practise fresh strikes on Iran’s border https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/22/us-and-israel-practise-fresh-strikes-on-irans-border/
US withdraws diplomats from Saudi Arabia https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/22/us-withdraws-diplomats-from-saudi-arabia/
Netanyahu pushes for new strikes against Iran before Israeli election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/21/netanyahu-wants-new-strikes-on-iran-before-israel-elections/
Iran threatens to cut Hormuz internet cables https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/20/iran-threatens-cut-hormuz-internet-cables/
Exclusive: Putin sends fishing trawlers to spy on Britain https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/21/exclusive-putin-sends-fishing-trawlers-to-spy-on-britain/

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

Producers: Peter Shevlin and 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.