Iran: The Latest

How did America manage to rescue two airmen after their plane was shot down over Iran?

In this bonus bank holiday episode, Venetia Rainey is joined by Jack Murphy, ex-US special forces who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, including as a Green Beret. He is now a journalist and military commentator and hosts The Team House national security podcast. He broke the story that the weapons systems officer (WSO) from the downed F-15E had been rescued alive after 36 hours stranded behind enemy lines.

Jack provides a unique insight into the dramatic double rescue mission - already being described as the most complex in American military history. He explains the initial search and rescue (CSAR) efforts, what the WSO would have been doing to survive on the ground, and why the US abandoned and blew up two multimillion-dollar aircraft at a remote desert airstrip.

Plus: what role is AI playing in the Iran war and beyond, in battlefields from Ukraine to Gaza?

The US military increasingly relies on an AI decision support system called Maven to help with targeting, intelligence assessments and troop deployments. Israel and Ukraine use similar technology. Proponents of artificial intelligence argue it makes warfare faster and more efficient - giving the West a key battlefield advantage in a time of rising conflict.

But critics say there are concerns over safety and low accuracy, and worry humans are increasingly being left out of the loop. Some of these concerns come from industry insiders such as AI company Anthropic, which is in a dispute with the Pentagon over the use of its system Claude for autonomous weapons.

Venetia Rainey is joined by Adam Wishart, the filmmaker behind new Channel 4 documentary, Click to Kill: the AI War Machine, and Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute and previously at OpenAI.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Jack Murphy, ex-special forces and host The Team House @JackMurphyRGR
Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist AI Now Institute @HeidyKhlaaf
Adam Wishart, director Click to Kill: the AI War Machine @adam_wishart

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Click to Kill: the AI War Machine on Channel 4

Producer: Rachel Porter
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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Why hasn’t the Iranian regime surrendered yet?

The Islamic Republic is at the centre of a war sending shock waves around the world, and despite being pummelled by the US and Israel, it remains defiant. The explanation lies in the country's ancient history and myths, which still permeate modern Iranian politics today.

For this special Easter edition, Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian history at the University of St Andrews, joins Roland Oliphant to take us all the way back to the empire of Cyrus the Great and the legendary heroes of Persian literature on a quest for the origins of the country.

Who are Iranians? Why do they think of themselves as a great power that can rival the West? And how has their long history shaped the regime at war with Donald Trump today?

Ansari explains how Iran is not as Islamic as the ayatollahs make out, why Iran adopted Shia rather than Sunni Islam, and how history and myth are used by both the regime and its opponents. Plus, perhaps most importantly, why the ancient Persians loved a drink.

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Ali Ansari, professor University of St Andrews @aa51_ansari

Pic credit: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949

Producer: Rachel Porter
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 [email protected]

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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Could US amphibious troops re-open the Strait of Hormuz?

In his first major speech on the Iran war, Donald Trump said America is on course to finish its military campaign in the next three weeks. But to do so, he will have to find solutions to both the Strait, and Iran's remaining stockpile of enriched uranium.

To discuss, Roland Oliphant is joined from Saudi Arabia by Andrew Milburn, a former US Marine Corps colonel and ex-deputy Commander of Special Operations Command Central (CENTCOM), the headquarters responsible for all American special operations in the Middle East.

He explains what operations the Marines could undertake in the Strait, why a potential plan to seize Iran’s uranium is do-able but dangerous, and why some in the Gulf are worried there could be a premature ceasefire.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Andrew Milburn, former US Marine Corps colonel and co-host of Eyes-On @andymilburn8

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 [email protected]

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/
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Could the UAE help solve the Strait of Hormuz stalemate caused by the Iran war?

The US is growing increasingly angry with its allies for refusing to help fully reopen the blocked waterway, which has led to soaring oil prices and dire economic warnings. From President Donald Trump threatening to pull out of Nato (a Telegraph exclusive) to Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth lambasting the UK, Washington’s ire is palpable.

Venetia Rainey runs through the latest updates from the Middle East, including Trump’s claim ahead of his big speech tonight that Iran has asked for a ceasefire, and a potentially game-changing report that the UAE is pushing for a coalition to help reopen the Strait by force.

Plus, Roland Oliphant and senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan speak to Iranian-American analyst and author of the Iranist newsletter, Holly Dagres. She explains why there haven’t been more protests and how the Islamic Republic is becoming a “zombie regime”.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Holly Dagres, Washington Institute analyst @hdagres

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Roland Oliphant: The four outcomes if Trump surrenders the Strait of Hormuz to Iran

Trump interview: I am strongly considering pulling out of Nato

Iona Cleave: Iranian fortress at the centre of the battle for Hormuz

Akhtar Makoii: How Iran plans to fight US troops if Trump invades

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 [email protected]

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

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After one month of the US-Iran war, who is winning and who is losing?

Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey step back to examine how much of US President Donald Trump’s original war goals have been achieved, from destroying Iran’s missiles, navy and regional proxies to regime change and preventing the development of nuclear weapons.

They also look at the role of Israel, the impact of attacks on the Gulf and the global economic shock caused by Iran’s closure of the vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz.

Plus, they discuss the depletion of global munition stocks after a month of air strikes, how the conflict has further frayed the Western alliance and what all that means for Ukraine and Russia.

If you’ve been struggling to keep up with the latest news from the Middle East conflict, this is an update and analysis of everything you need to know from March 2026.

CONTRIBUTORS:

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Why tens of millions face hunger and poverty in wake of Trump’s Iran war
American troops forced to withdraw from Middle East bases
RUSI: Over 11,000 munitions in 16 Days of the Iran War: ‘Command of the Reload’ Governs Endurance

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 [email protected]

► 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.