Iran: The Latest

As Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi lock down a 60-day roadmap to end the war, Tehran has walked away with immediate waivers on its oil and petrochemical exports. Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant go behind the scenes at the high-stakes negotiations in Switzerland, including nuclear negotiations and the rumors of an Iranian walkout.

Meanwhile, the fallout from Washington’s fury with his closest European allies over their Iran war “betrayal” has ramped up after Donald Trump publicly rebuked Italy’s Giorgia Meloni over her refusal to help him. They also analyse the resignation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and how his indecision over allowing the US to use UK bases to strike Iran was indicative of his premiership’s failings.

Plus, how the Iranian football team’s gritty 0-0 World Cup draw against Belgium turned into a propaganda stunt for the regime to invoke the ghosts of the schoolchildren killed in Minab at the start of the war.

Highlights

US and Iran set up Hormuz crisis hotline as oil sanctions lifted
How Trump lost his final European allies, from Meloni to Starmer

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

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Iranian leader criticises his negotiators in secret letters
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/22/iran-us-war-mojtaba-khamenei-mahmoud-nabavian-middle-east/

Inside the Hezbollah tunnels where peace will be made or broken
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/21/inside-hezbollah-tunnels-where-peace-will-be-made/

Trump tears into Meloni over G7 picture row
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/20/donald-trump-berates-giorgia-meloni-g7-picture-row/

Producer: Max Bower
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & 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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Is Donald Trump’s US-Iran peace deal already falling apart?

Less than a day after the historic MoU was signed to end the war, fighting has been ongoing in Lebanon, with Hezbollah killing four Israeli soldiers and Benjamin Netanyahu unleashing a punishing wave of air strikes across southern Lebanon. A new ceasefire has today been agreed - but can it hold?

Sophia Yan and Venetia Rainey discuss the latest news and the significance of US Vice President JD Vance’s stark warning to Israel to “wake up and smell reality”.

Plus, New York Times journalist Yeganeh Torbati, co-author of Stolen Revolution, joins to discuss why Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is distancing himself from Trump's deal, and how the IRGC is using this diplomatic breathing room to prepare for a potential resumption of the war down the line.

Highlights

US forces Israel into Hezbollah ceasefire after stark warning
Is Donald Trump’s US-Iran peace deal already falling apart?

CONTRIBUTORS:
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent, @sophia_yan
Yeganeh Torbati, NYT journalist and co-author Stolen Revolution @yjtorbati

Producer: Max Bower
Executive Producers: Louisa Wells & Venetia Rainey

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Vance tells Israel: You can’t kill your way out of problems
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/06/18/jd-vance-israel-friends/

Stolen Revolution: Betrayal & Hope in Modern Iran
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/457807/stolen-revolution-by-torbati-bozorgmehr-sharafedin-and-yeganeh/9780241744017
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Donald Trump has signed a peace deal with Iran, but his critics are saying it’s a humiliation.

Roland Oliphant and David Blair go through the US-Iran deal line by line and give each side a score, from $300bn in payments to Iran to the reopening Strait of Hormuz to a ban on nuclear weapons. Among those critical of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is former vice president Mike Pence, who has called Trump an appeaser and accused him of handing a “lifeline” to the Iranian regime - is he right?

Highlights

4-2 to Tehran - the US-Iran peace deal gutted
How the MoU proves the US lost the war

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
How Trump’s ‘Operation Epic Disaster’ turned the world against America
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/06/18/iran-war-trump-us-credibility/

David Blair: Trump’s extraordinary deal is a survival plan for Iran
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/17/iran-deal-survival-plan-for-islamic-republic/

Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & 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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As details of the US-Iran 14-point peace deal leaks, Trump and other world leaders at the G7 summit today are singing its praises - but is it any good?

Venetia Rainey breaks down the proposed timeline in the Memorandum of Understanding that will see the war officially end, the Strait of Hormuz open up, sanctions on Iran lifted and something unspecified happen to Tehran’s enriched uranium.

One country is particularly unhappy: Israel. So how will Benjamin Netanyahu respond? Global health security editor Paul Nuki joins from Tel Aviv to deliver a blunt realpolitik assessment on why Trump is trying to make Israel the lightning rod for the fallout from his unpopular war.

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-Host and Executive Producer @venetiarainey
Paul Nuki, Global Health Security Editor @PaulNuki

CONTENT REFERENCED:
The 14-point Iran deal in full – and how it favours Tehran
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/17/the-14-point-iran-deal-in-full-how-it-favours-tehran/

War of broken promises leaves Israel weakened and despondent
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/16/broken-promises-israel-weakened-iran-trump/

IDF soldier ‘just wanted to kill’ my son
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/14/idf-soldier-just-wanted-to-kill-my-son/

Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & 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/

HIGHLIGHTS
Why Trump is throwing Israel under the bus over Iran war
‘Iran had its foot on the world’s throat. This deal is a way out’

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It’s become the crux of the US-Iran peace deal: is the Strait of Hormuz open or closed, free or with tolls?

Roland Oliphant speaks to Richard Meade, editor in chief of Lloyd’s List, explains the lingering uncertainties left from Donald Trump’s Middle East war keeping shipping executives up at night and placing ordinary sailors in danger.

Plus: as JD Vance insists the deal is “good for the American people”, Roland looks at the latest news, including the UK and France saying they are ready to help protect freedom of navigation in Hormuz and the politicisation of shipping from Iran to Russia.

Highlights

Why Trump's peace deal hinges on the Strait of Hormuz
Mini exodus' of ships as Vance insists peace deal is ‘good for US’

Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & 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.