The UK just proved it hasn’t learned Iran and Ukraine war lessons

Trump's America at 250: The collapse of a superpower?

The US celebrates its 250th anniversary of Independence Day on July 4th. As the nation hits this major milestone, what is the actual state of the superpower under President Donald Trump? In this special episode, co-host and senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan takes a bird's-eye view of her home country and explores how it is viewed abroad. Drawing on nearly two decades of reporting from the frontlines of US foreign policy - from the rise of authoritarian China to the fires of the Middle East - she joins Roland Oliphant to examine its superpower status and whether the American Dream is still a reality or just a mirage. Plus, reports that the US stepped in to block an Israeli plot to assassinate Iran’s top peace negotiators and IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi makes a rare public appearance as the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei begins today. Highlights * Sophia Yan on America at 250: The collapse of a superpower? * US stops Israel ‘plot’ to kill Iran's top negotiators CONTRIBUTORS: Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk] CONTENT REFERENCED: Inside the crumbling court of King Donald https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/03/inside-the-crumbling-court-of-king-donald/ Producer: Max Bower Video Producer: James England Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh 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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

MAGA vs Neocons: How the Iran war split the American right

The US-Iran war has paused, but it has lit a fire under an ideological civil war inside the American right. As Donald Trump prepares to mark America’s 250th birthday on July 4th, today’s episode of Iran: The Latest hosts a high-stakes foreign policy grudge match.  First, John Bolton, former National Security Advisor, delivers a scathing critique of Trump's premature exit from the conflict. Bolton argues that Washington "stopped too soon” and that Israel is a key ally that the US must continue to protect militarily from Tehran.  Then, Curt Mills, Executive Director of The American Conservative, fires back from the MAGA right. Mills claims Trump’s base feels a deep sense of betrayal over a war that directly violated core campaign promises and argues the conflict was fought entirely at the behest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Plus, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen since the start of the war. Will he finally show his face this weekend at the funeral of his father, the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei?  Highlights * John Bolton: ‘The war stopped too soon’ * Curt Mills: ‘This war was at the behest of Israel’ CONTRIBUTORS: Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant John Bolton, former National Security Adviser @AmbJohnBolton Curt Mills, executive director The American Conservative magazine @CurtMills WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk] Producer: Elliot Lampitt Video Producer: Max Bower Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh Studio Operator: Ed Gould 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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Ships bash through Strait of Hormuz warzone as US-Iran peace talks grind to a halt

As US-Iran peace talks flounder in Qatar, stranded ship captains are taking matters into their own hands to escape the Strait of Hormuz warzone.  On today’s episode, Roland Oliphant talks to former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe about how "free for all" is unfolding in the Gulf, with commercial vessels losing patience and risking Iranian fire to get out. They look at the credibility of Iranian claims of a grounded cargo ship, how the US Navy is bearing up, and why Iran may not have laid any mines so far - but could do soon.  Plus, a deep dive into the furious political fallout over the UK's new Defence Investment Plan. Commander Sharpe delivers a scathing assessment of the decisions shaping a "hybrid navy," explaining why it is absolute madness to mothball the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers in favor of uncrewed drones. CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Tom Sharpe, former Royal Navy commander and columnist @TomSharpe134 WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk] CONTENT REFERENCED: One thing we cannot do is return to business as usual in the Strait of Hormuz https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/25/strait-hormuz-gulf-oil-fertiliser-ships-royal-navy-us/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/25/strait-hormuz-gulf-oil-fertiliser-ships-royal-navy-us/] A navy without destroyers can work, but not like this https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/01/a-navy-without-destroyers-can-work-but-not-with-this-budget/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/01/a-navy-without-destroyers-can-work-but-not-with-this-budget/] Producer: Rachel Porter 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/ Highlights * ‘Free for all’ in Strait of Hormuz warzone as captains run the gauntlet * US-Iran peace talks grind to a halt in Qatar ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The UK just proved it hasn’t learned Iran and Ukraine war lessons

As the US and Iran meet in Qatar, the UK has unveiled £15 billion in defence spending - but is it all a giant “fudge” to avoid humiliation by Donald Trump at next week’s Nato summit?  Announcing the Defence Investment Plan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer boasted it meant the UK is spending 4.2% of GDP on wider security. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey talks to Ukraine: the Latest host and defence associate editor Dom Nicholls about why the numbers don’t add up.  Plus, they unpack the UK’s high-stakes gamble on exquisite uncrewed autonomous aircraft and vessels and why the UK is ignoring the vital lesson from wars in Ukraine and Iran: expensive tech cannot replace raw mass. CONTRIBUTORS: Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Dom Nicholls, Ukraine: the Latest host and defence associate editor @DomNicholls  WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk] CONTENT REFERENCED: Gulf plans to cut the US out of Iran deal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/30/gulf-states-plan-to-cut-the-us-out-of-iran-deal/ Iran says frozen $6bn will soon be returned as part of peace deal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/29/iran-frozen-assets-us-sanctions-peace-deal/ Producer: Max Bower and Rachel Porter 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 * Starmer ‘fudges’ defence spending to avoid Trump clash at Nato. Will it work? * The plan that proves the UK hasn’t learned the mass drone lesson from Iran and Ukraine ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

US hammers Iran after Strait of Hormuz shipping attacks

Tit-for-tat violence between Iran and the US erupted over the weekend as missiles and drones flew in both directions across the Strait of Hormuz. On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, we break down a dangerous weekend of military escalation that has left the fragile 60-day interim peace agreement hanging by a thread. Host Venetia Rainey is joined by Bahraini political analyst Ahmed Khuzaie to dissect Iran’s widening campaign of violence and give the Gulf view on who should be allowed to control the vital Hormuz waterway. He explains why there is no trust in Tehran sticking to its side of any deal and how some Gulf states would like to see Donald Trump return to war - but a more decisive and better planned one.  Plus, Israel and Lebanon have signed a peace deal too. But as fighting continues with Iranian proxy Hezbollah, is it even worth the paper it’s written on? Highlights * US hammers Iran after Strait of Hormuz shipping attacks * Why some Gulf states would like to see Donald Trump return to war CONTRIBUTORS: Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Ahmed Khuzaie, Bahraini analyst @AhmedAlkhuzaie WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk] CONTENT REFERENCED: Trump’s flimsy Iran deal comes back to haunt him https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/29/trumps-flimsy-iran-deal-comes-back-haunt-him/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/29/trumps-flimsy-iran-deal-comes-back-haunt-him/] Iran and US agree to halt attacks https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/28/iran-missile-strikes-new-hormuz-demand-bahrain-kuwait-trump/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/28/iran-missile-strikes-new-hormuz-demand-bahrain-kuwait-trump/] Israel agrees to partial Lebanon withdrawal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/26/israel-agrees-to-partial-lebanon-withdrawal/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/26/israel-agrees-to-partial-lebanon-withdrawal/] Producer: Max Bower  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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.