Iran navy chief killed & why the war 'was based on a lie'

Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has already pushed up oil prices. But is a bigger global economic disruption yet to come? And how long will it last?The Telegraph’s World Economy Editor Ambrose Evans-Pritchard joins Roland Oliphant to explain why the Iran conflict is sending shock waves around the world - and not just in the oil market. From fertiliser to helium to sulphur, the block on shipping through the Strait carries other key commodities used by the tech industry, hospitals and farmers. Ambrose explains how the war will almost certainly cause a global food shock in 2027. They also discuss how Russia and China are benefitting from the Iran war and why the Houthis in Yemen remain the dog that hasn’t barked - but could make things even worse than they are now.Plus, Roland Oliphant and senior foreign correspondent Sohia Yan analyse the latest news from the Iran war, including Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts at peace talks with Tehran, the US Navy’s first ever use of unmanned surface boats and why AP is now calling Israel’s attack on Lebanon an invasion. CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanAmbrose Evans-Pritchard, world economy editor CONTENT REFERENCED:Roland Oliphant: Trump needs troops to seize the Strait of Hormuz. These are his optionsAmbrose Evans-Pritchard: China has already won the Gulf WarAmbrose Evans-Pritchard: The longer Trump’s war drags on, the worse the coming global food crisisProducer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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.

Will Israel’s assassination of the IRGC’s naval chief lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz?Hosts Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey analyse the latest news from the Iran war, from the killing of navy commander Alireza Tangsiri to Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran is “begging” for a deal. With thousands of US troops en route to the Middle East, the stakes are high. Among them are the 82nd Airborne Division; acting Defence Editor Tom Cotterill explains what sort of missions this elite group of paratroopers might be able to execute.Plus, former UK ambassador to Iran Sir Richard Dalton gives his insights into why striking a deal with the regime will be so difficult and how he thinks the war is based on a lie around Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantTom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillXSir Richard Dalton, UK’s former ambassador to IranCONTENT REFERENCED:What 2,000 US paratroopers could do in Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/25/what-2000-us-paratroopers-could-do-iran-war-america-trump/Trump denies it – but two wars are becoming onehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/26/converging-wars-leave-europe-panicked-and-putin-emboldened/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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.

Donald Trump has set out a 15-point Iran peace plan, but is he serious about ending the war?With news that another 2,000 elite American troops are en route to the Middle East, Tehran has its doubts - particularly as they’ve been here twice before with Trump. The Telegraph’s senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan joins Venetia Rainey to talk through how realistic the proposal is and how it’s being viewed in Iran. They also discuss Turkey’s role as a potential mediator and the impact of the conflict on China. From the Telegraph’s US bureau, editor Lottie Tiplady-Bishop explains why Vice President JD Vance is now involved in peace negotiations and how boots on the ground is a red line for Trump’s MAGA base. Plus, how is the Iran war being viewed by ordinary Americans? Reporter Natasha Leake takes the temperature on the streets of Washington DC.CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineySophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanLottie Tiplady-Bishop, associate US news editor @lottietipbishopNatasha Leake, US reporter @NatashaLeakeCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump hands Iran 15-point plan to end warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/25/donald-trump-iran-war-15-point-plan-nuclear-missile/‘Where the hell is JD Vance?’: Why Trump’s VP is missing in actionhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/10/jd-vance-trump-iran-war-missing/JD Vance met with Trump security official who quit over Iran warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/18/jd-vance-met-joe-kent-quit-iran/Donald Trump said he would be the president of peacehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/20/trump-promised-peace-then-he-started-war/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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.

After four weeks of war with Iran, is Donald Trump calling it quits? The US president claims he is in advanced talks with a highly placed regime insider on a peace deal that would end Iran’s nuclear ambitions, reopen the strait of Hormuz, and give the country’s leadership a reason to make up with the rest of the Middle East. Pakistan and Egypt say they have brokered a meeting between US Vice President J D Vance and an Iranian delegation in Islamabad later this week. But who is the mystery Iranian negotiator? Does Iran have any reason to stop fighting now? And if peace is about to break out, why is the Iran war on the battlefield accelerating? Meanwhile, amid a bruising war with Israel, Iran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah is finding itself increasingly isolated. Roland Oliphant is joined by David Blair, the Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator, and Lina Khatib, associate fellow for the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House.CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtLina Khatib, associate fellow Chatham House @LinaKhatibUKCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump may have blinked, but his war of necessity will grind onhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/23/iran-war-no-end-in-sight/Iran now has a clear path to victoryhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/24/iran-now-has-a-clear-pathway-to-victory/Producer: Elliot LampittExecutive 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.

Could US Marines seize Kharg Island and reopen the Strait of Hormuz?President Donald Trump has U-turned on his threat to bomb Iranian energy infrastructure after announcing a five-day moratorium and peace talks underway. But the Strait of Hormuz problem remains. Iraq veteran, Ohio State University military historian and former US Colonel Peter Mansoor joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant to discuss the hard power options open to Trump, from taking an island in the waterway to invading the mainland coastline. He also talks about the option of conducting special raids to seize enriched uranium to hobble Iran’s nuclear programme and explains why the war risks becoming a quagmire for the West akin to what he saw first-hand in Iraq.    Plus, The Telegraph’s acting defence editor Tom Cotterill explains what we know about the hugely significant Iranian ICBM attack on Britain’s Diego Garcia base and how worried the UK and Europe should be of repeat incidents. CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantTom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillXPeter Mansoor, chair military history Ohio State University CONTENT REFERENCED:Telegraph View: Britain must do what it can to open the Strait of Hormuzhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-must-do-what-it-can-to-open-the-strait-of-hormuz/Britain ‘defenceless against Iranian missiles’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-defenceless-against-iranian-missiles/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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.

Thousands of US Marines and sailors are heading towards Iran - does this mean boots on the ground? Venetia Rainey is joined by Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps to discuss the war three weeks in, how to open the Strait of Hormuz and whether as part of it, Trump will order troops to take Kharg Island. They also discuss whether this counts as a world war and why this conflict is likely deterring China from taking Taiwan by force for at least another few years. Plus, how is Iran still able to inflict so much damage on its neighbours? University of Oslo missiles expert Fabian Hoffman explains why Iran’s launchers may run out before its missiles do and how much longer interceptor stocks in the Gulf and Israel could last. CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyPeter Apps, Reuters defence columnist @pete_appsFabian Hoffman, University of Oslo @FRHoffmann1Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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.

Has Israel gone rogue with the attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field?The bombing triggered a furious response from Tehran and led to a further escalation in the energy crisis caused by the US and Israeli war with Iran.President Donald Trump says the US did not know about it but Israeli officials say it was coordinated. The Telegraph’s Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant to explain why the attack is consistent with Israel’s war goals and how tactics are potentially being prioritised over strategy.Henry also discusses his reporting from northern Israel where troops are readying for an expanded ground invasion of Lebanon to root out Hezbollah and why talk of a buffer zone there may not match up with the threat.Plus, senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan joins to discuss her time on the ground in Iraq and why things there are much worse than being reported. She also shares her thoughts on how Turkey is so far staying out of the conflict and why Iranian Kurds are pushing the US to let them invade.CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent @sophia_yanHenry Bodkin, Jerusalem Correspondent @HenryBodkinCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump’s three options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/18/trump-three-options-reopening-strait-hormuz/Missiles and drones chase Americans out of Iraqhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/15/missiles-and-drones-chase-americans-out-of-iraq/?recomm_id=faf315cd-c56c-4a5d-a833-90e89545db06Tehran won’t fall without a ground offensive, says Kurdish leaderhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/18/tehran-iran-war-ground-offensive-kurdish-leader-khabat/?recomm_id=35c185da-6605-4d40-aa0e-d19bf63781b0Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive 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.

When an Iranian primary school was bombed on the first day of the war, killing dozens of children instantly, it spawned a cycle of denials, conspiracy theories and online speculation. Nearly three weeks on, it’s clear that an American Tomahawk missile was responsible for the deadliest attack of the conflict so far. The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs analyst Roland Oliphant and OSINT expert Gareth Corfield join Venetia Rainey and Arthur Scott-Geddes to go through all the evidence and explain why it matters.  Plus: Israel is upping its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, with strikes on central Beirut, troops invading from the south and flyers invoking the threat of Gaza.  The Telegraph’s global health security editor Paul Nuki joins from Beirut to discuss the latest news on what’s been targeted, the displacement crisis and attempts at peace talks. He also outlines three scenarios for how the war in Lebanon may unfold in the weeks to come. CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyArthur Scott-Geddes, co-host @ascottgeddes Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantGareth Corfield, transport editor @GazTheJournoCONTENT REFERENCED:A girls’ school in Iran was blown up. Here’s what locals say happenedhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/girls-school-iran-blown-up-locals-say-happened/The evidence that shows a US missile hit an Iranian girls’ schoolhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/evidence-shows-us-missile-hit-iranian-girls-school/The top US intelligence official who turned on Trump over Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/17/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-right-hand-man/Producer: Louisa WellsExecutive 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.

Ali Larijani, Iran’s security chief, is believed to have been assassinated today by Israel in what could be a huge blow to the Iranian regime.Roland Oliphant is joined by Akhtar Makoii to explain who Larijani was and why his death could be more significant for Tehran than Khamenei’s amid the ongoing US war.Plus, Roland speaks to opposition figure Ali Safavi, part of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The NCRI is essentially Iran’s anti-monarchy opposition group and is led by the highly controversial People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) - previously designated as terrorists. MEK supporter Safavi argues that an armed uprising rather than a war is needed to overthrow the Islamic Republic. He also discusses the MEK’s chequered history, the Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, and the enormous divisions among Iranian diaspora opposition groups. CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantAkhtar Makoii, foreign correspondentAli Safavi, National Council of Resistance of Iran @amsafaviCONTENT REFERENCED:Larijani’s death is more significant than that of supreme leaderhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/17/ali-larijani-killing-hits-iran-more-than-ayatollah-death/Producer: Sophie O'SullivanExecutive 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.

No one knew how Iran’s new supreme leader survived the 30 bombs dropped on his father’s compound. Until now. The Telegraph’s foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii has obtained exclusive audio from an IRGC meeting that explains how Mojtaba Khamenei escaped the deadly US-Israeli strikes that killed his father, wife, sister, and other relatives on the first day of the Iran war. It also sheds new light on why he was chosen as Ali Khamenei’s successor. Plus: how do you reopen the Strait of Hormuz and what can the UK really do to help Donald Trump? Jack Watling, senior research fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, joins Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey to discuss the military options and why even they might not be enough. They also talk about how China might be looking to take advantage of this conflict and the impact of the Iran war on Indo-Pacific security. Watling’s new book, Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World, is out this week and is published by Macmillan. CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantVenetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyAkhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoiiJack Watling, senior research fellow RUSI @Jack_WatlingCONTENT REFERENCED:Mojtaba Khamenei escaped death by seconds, leaked audio revealshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/16/exclusive-mojtaba-khamenei-escaped-death-leaked-audio/Trump wants Britain to send a warship to the Gulf. Starmer has sent eight sailorshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/15/trump-wants-starmer-warship-gulf-sent-eight-sailors/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.