Iran vows 'crushing blows' against US as China’s secret nuclear expansion revealed

Donald Trump has told reporters at the UN General Assembly he faces a critical decision: strike a deal with Tehran or "annihilate the Islamic Republic," while Masoud Pezeshkian insists Iran’s nuclear program will proceed.On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest Sophia Yan and Roland Oliphant examine the escalating military picture across the Red Sea and the high-stakes diplomacy in New York. As Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian takes the UN stage, Iranian forces warn they are prepared to deliver "crushing blows" against US threats. Meanwhile, AP reports reveal Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers are directly guiding Houthi forces on the ground in Yemen.Plus, as Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Washington today for a high-profile state visit, geospatial intelligence analyst Renny Babiarz breaks down a Telegraph investigation into Xi’s secret expansion of seven nuclear weapons sites across China and what Beijing's ‘breathtaking’ nuclear breakout means for global security.HighlightsPezeshkian demands ‘no limitations’ to the expansion of Iran’s nuclear capabilitiesExpert on geospatial intelligence warns of the ‘breathtaking scale’ of China’s secret nuclear expansion CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanRenny Babiarz, geospatial intelligence analyst and vice president at AllSourceAnalysis @RennyBabiarz WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Revealed: Xi's nuclear weapons expansion at seven secret sites https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/china-secret-nuclear-weapon-sites-xi/ Trump is making a fool of himself over Iran https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/22/trump-making-fool-of-himself-over-iran/ Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Peter Shevlin Video Producer: Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive 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 [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 told the UN General Assembly that he is deciding between a fresh agreement with Iran and driving the regime “into hell”, after Tehran reportedly offered a seven-day deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey looks at apparent growing momentum towards a deal as world leaders from across the Middle East gather in New York. After Trump vowed once again to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, former nuclear weapons inspector David Albright breaks down how Tehran is using the lull in fighting to rebuild and fortify key capabilities at Parchin and Pickaxe Mountain. Plus, Britain is sending a single RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft to assist Saudi Arabia in its fight against the Houthis after Trump reportedly cancelled planned air strikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed militants at the last minute. HighlightsTrump deciding between Iran deal or driving regime ‘into hell’ A nuclear weapons inspector on how Iran is rebuilding its capabilitiesCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyDavid Albright, president Institute for Science and International Security @DAVIDHALBRIGHT1WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Burnham sends RAF to help defend Saudi Arabiahttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/09/21/trump-to-challenge-burnham-uk-defence-spending/David Blair: Burnham is walking into the lion’s den with nothing to offer Trumphttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/21/burnham-nothing-to-offer-trump-special-relationship/Saudi Arabia turns to UK for help as Houthi offensive threatens Suez Canalhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/15/saudi-arabia-turns-uk-help-houthi-offensive-suez-canal/Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter Shevlin Researcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive 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 [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.

A Houthi ballistic missile struck an Aramco jet-fuel depot near Riyadh’s international airport, a major escalation in the war between Yemen’s Iran-backed militants and Saudi Arabia.  On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Bahraini analyst Ahmed Khuzaie about Turkey and Pakistan’s vows of military support for Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Defence Pact after Donald Trump refused to provide US assistance. They also discuss the dilemma for Egypt as the rise of Iranian-backed Islamist factions in Sudan’s civil war threatens to pile additional pressure on the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.Plus, what Gulf leaders at the UN General Assembly want from Trump as he weighs whether to restart the war, and new satellite images show Iran rapidly rebuilding and fortifying a nuclear-linked facility at Parchin. HighlightsHouthis strike Riyadh jet-fuel depot as Turkey, Pakistan vow Saudi Arabia supportIRGC fortifies and rebuilds key nuclear-linked siteCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyAhmed Khuzaie, Bahraini analyst @AhmedAlkhuzaieWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Saudi Arabia confirms Houthi missile attack on capitalhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/19/riyadh-sounds-first-air-raid-alerts-since-houthi-escalation/Pakistan hints at joining war on Houthishttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/18/iran-saudi-arabia-mecca-joint-defence-gulf/Trump considering ‘blowing up entire nation’ of Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/20/trump-considering-blowing-up-iran/Satellite images show Iran rapidly rebuilding nuclear facilityhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/18/satellite-images-iran-rapidly-rebuilding-nuclear-facility/ISIS: Iran is Rapidly Reconstructing Taleghan 2https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/iran-is-rapidly-reconstructing-taleghan-2Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter Shevlin Researcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio 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 [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 once again threatened to "annihilate" the Iranian regime, saying he faces a major decision on how to proceed with the Iran war but will consult with his Gulf allies at the UN General Assembly next week first. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe about whether Trump will execute his strike threat given Washington appears to lack the risk appetite for further military escalation. They unpack how the US and Saudi Arabia are smuggling millions of barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz to keep prices down, and what it says about the crippled Iranian military’s inability to police the narrow waterway. Plus, satellite imagery reveals China is upgrading its military base in Djibouti near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Yemen’s Houthis claim their first fatality in this round of strikes on Saudi Arabia, and what a looming US naval drawdown in the Gulf means for Western security.HighlightsTrump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran as China upgrades Djibouti military baseInside the Strait of Hormuz dark route: ship-to-ship transfers and US escortsCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantTom Sharpe, former Royal Navy commander @TomSharpe134WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Daniel DePetris: Iran is proving it can push America out of the Middle Easthttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/18/iran-war-proving-push-america-out-middle-east/Pentagon exposes mass US aircraft losses and base damage from Iran warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/17/pentagon-exposes-mass-us-aircraft-losses-and-base-damage-fr/CSIS: China Upgrades Its Military Base in Djiboutihttps://features.csis.org/hiddenreach/china-djibouti-base-upgrade/Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: David Dargahi Video Producer: Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive 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 [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.

A landmark Pentagon report has exposed the devastating cost of the Iran war for the US military: 59 aircraft damaged or destroyed, bases struck across the Middle East, and critical missile stockpiles depleted for up to 5 years.On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to former Defense and State Department insider Kori Schake, now a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. She unpicks how the report lays bare the underpreparedness of Donald Trump’s administration for Iran’s precision missile attacks on key US assets. They also discuss how the toll of the war has created a critical window of vulnerability that China could exploit in the Pacific if it wanted to seize Taiwan. Plus, Anthropic’s new threat report reveals how Iran and the Houthis are using Claude AI to finetune weapons and target the US Navy, Trump goes behind Saudi Arabia’s back to make a secret deal with the Yemeni militants over the Red Sea, and will Pete Hegseth be impeached?PIC CREDIT: CBS HighlightsPentagon exposes mass US aircraft losses and base damage from Iran warTrump makes secret deal with the Houthis over the Red SeaCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyKori Schake, director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute @KoriSchakeWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Houthis claim to have shot down Saudi fighter jethttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/16/houthis-claim-downing-of-saudi-fighter-jet/Akhtar Makoii: Four ways the Houthis became a major military powerhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/17/four-ways-houthis-major-military-power-yemen-iran-weapons/US committed war crimes in Iran school strike, say UN expertshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/09/17/us-committed-war-crimes-iran-school-strike-experts/CBS: New photos show widespread damage at U.S. positions caused by Iranian missile, drone attackshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-photos-damage-u-s-kuwait-saudi-arabia-iran-drone-missile-attacks/LEAD INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT ON OPERATION EPIC FURYhttps://media.defense.gov/2026/Sep/09/2003993626/-1/-1/1/OEF_Q3_JUN2026_FINAL_508%20SECURE.PDFAnthropic: Detecting and countering misuse of AI - September 2026https://www-cdn.anthropic.com/e50be2e51e7695dc4b1366a37a245a597377d3b5/Anthropic-Detecting-and-countering-091026.pdfWinner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Peter Shevlin Video Producer: Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive 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 [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.

Saudi Arabia claimed that Yemen’s Houthis tried to attack the holy city of Mecca, and the Iran-backed militia claims to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Yemen, as fighting by the Red Sea continues. On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks with Maziar Bahari, editor of IranWire, to dive into the bleak daily reality inside Iran. They discuss how regime corruption, the mounting costs of war amid a maritime blockade on oil exports, and Donald Trump’s sanctions have plunged Iran into its most severe economic crisis in recent history. Today also marks four years since Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being arrested in Tehran for not wearing her hijab properly. Bahari reveals how the regime is now quietly backing down on core ideological mandates such as the hijab to survive.Plus, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces impeachment articles over unauthorised strikes on Iran, Israel is about to get a $2.8bn arms package, and China calls on the US and Iran to restart peace talks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. HighlightsWhy the Iranian regime is relaxing its hijab enforcement laws in order to surviveYemen’s Houthis target Mecca and down Saudi jetCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantMaziar Bahari, editor of IranWire @maziarbahariWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Iran is trying to break Trump’s stranglehold by hitting him where it hurts https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/15/iran-is-trying-to-break-trumps-stranglehold/ US mulls diesel export ban as prices skyrocket https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/09/15/us-mulls-diesel-export-ban-as-prices-skyrocket/ Woman, Life, Freedom: How a Protest Movement Changed Iran https://iranwire.com/en/features/133949-woman-life-freedom-how-a-protest-movement-changed-iran/ Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Peter Shevlin Video Producer: Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive 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 [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.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia have exchanged further strikes, amid signs that Tehran is ramping up the war against Riyadh to compensate for a stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz. On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks with Arabist and Yemen expert Dr. Elisabeth Kendall (mistress of Girton College) to explain why the Houthis and Iraqi militias are part of a new Iranian Axis of Resistance. They also discuss how Saudi leader Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) is facing an existential crisis following devastating pipeline attacks and escalating violence, with missile alerts sounding as far as Jeddah. Following Donald Trump’s refusal to help, Saudi Arabia has called on the UK and Egypt while Iran turns to China. Who will step in?Plus, how Iran helped the Houthis to evolve into a formidable fighting force and the US pushes back against the IRGC’s fake news about sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. HighlightsIran activates Yemen Houthi ‘ace card’ amid Strait of Hormuz stalemateSaudi Arabia turns to UK for help after ‘shocking’ Trump-Houthi callCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyElisabeth Kendall, mistress of Girton College, University of Cambridge @Dr_E_KendallWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-september-14-2026/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/09/14/proscribing-houthis-bring-energy-bills-down-burnham/Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Elliot Lampitt Video Producer: Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive 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 [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.

A strike from militants in Iraq has knocked out Saudi Arabia’s vital East-West oil pipeline, as Donald Trump reveals Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels called him asking the US not to get militarily involved. On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Roland Oliphant talks to chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair to break down how Saudi Arabia has been left in a tricky place amid a lack of allies to help it deal with the lightning Houthi offensive to seize control of the Red Sea. As oil prices continue to rise and Houthis bomb a Saudi air base, the latest news suggests the war is escalating across the Middle East with unintended consequences. Plus, a deadly IRGC gun battle with Baluchi militants, a rogue Iranian hardline faction reportedly launched strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz to sabotage summer peace talks, and a US Air Force pilot describes how he was downed behind enemy lines back in April.HighlightsIraq-based strikes close key Saudi East-West oil pipelineTrump says Houthis ‘asked US not to bomb them’CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:IRGC soldiers gunned down in street clashes in Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/14/irgc-soldiers-gunned-down-in-street-clashes-in-iran/Houthis give Trump yet another Middle East headachehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/12/houthis-give-trump-yet-another-middle-east-headache/Tom Sharpe: The Houthis are back and it’s a problem for everyone, not just the UShttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/12/houthis-red-sea-perim-chokepoint-oil-shipping-war/The shock Houthi mission to strangle global oilhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/12/the-shock-houthi-mission-to-strangle-global-oil/How Iran’s hard-liners blew us the US peace deal https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/world/middleeast/iran-hard-liners-sabotaged-peace-deal.htmlUS airman tells of 50 hours behind enemy lines with broken backhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/14/us-airman-tells-of-50-hours-behind-enemy-lines-broken-back/Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter ShevlinResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive 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 [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 admitted the US-Iran war will last beyond the November midterm elections - some think it will last well into 2029 - with Republicans now facing the possibility of losing the House and the Senate as oil prices surge towards $110/barrel.On today’s bonus episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey chats to Washington correspondents Connor Stringer and Benedict Smith about Trump’s spectacular gamble to convince Republicans the Iran war is not a big deal at the Republican Midterms Convention. From threatening strikes on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site to offering voters an unprecedented $5,000 cash dividend if they vote Republican, his speech was “vintage Trump”. Plus, is Iran interfering in the US midterms to boost the Democrats?HighlightsTrump insists economic pain ‘worth it’ to stop Iran from getting nuclear weaponInside the colourful Republican Midterms ConventionCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyConnor Stringer, chief Washington correspondent @connorstringerBenedict Smith, Washington correspondent @bsmithjournoWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:The answer to Trump’s midterm woes? Make the campaign all about himhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/09/10/trump-republican-midterms-convention-address-analysis/‘Common sense’ Democrat praises Trump at Republican midterm conventionhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/09/10/democrat-john-fetterman-praises-trump-republican-convention/Trump: I’ll give $5,000 to every American if we win midtermshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/09/10/trump-convention-speech-promise-5000-dollars-midterms-win/Rubio and Vance ‘think Iran war could last beyond the end of Trump’s term’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/09/10/white-house-iran-war-trump-term/Trump makes his last standhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/09/11/republican-party-convention-midterms-trump-last-stand/Trump’s Top Advisers Confront Possibility That Iran War Lasts Through End of Termhttps://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trumps-top-advisers-confront-possibility-that-iran-war-lasts-through-end-of-term-5f4e23d7Silver Bulletin: https://www.natesilver.net/p/trump-approval-ratings-nate-silver-bulletinRace to the White House: https://www.racetothewh.com/Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Max Bower Video Producer: Peter ShevlinResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive 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 [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.

“The inability or unwillingness of the Trump administration to connect the dots on what is going on, from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, is a reflection of the lack of really good deep strategic thinking.”On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey is joined once again by former Commanding General of US Army Europe, Gen Ben Hodges, to discuss the US-Iran war as it nears the 200-day mark.The Iran-backed Houthis have seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline including the strategic Perim Island, giving them control of the vital Bab al-Mandeb Strait. And despite pleas from Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to intervene as oil prices surge toward $110/barrel, Donald Trump has refused to launch strikes, offering up intelligence assistance instead. Gen Hodges analyses the strategic drift that has marked the war, the Pentagon and US policy in the Middle East. Plus, why mass lie-detector tests and personnel purges signal China-style paranoia inside the Pentagon, what news of damage to US fighter jets in Jordan says about US military preparedness, and the hard lessons from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars 25 years on from the 9/11 attacks.HighlightsTrump refuses Saudi plea for strikes as Houthis seize Red SeaUS Gen Ben Hodges on the US-Iran war, Pentagon chaos and 9/11CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyGen Ben Hodges, former Commanding General US Army Europe @general_benWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump refuses MBS pleas to stop Houthis’ rapid advancehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/11/trump-refuses-mbs-pleas-to-stop-houthis-rapid-advance/Rubio and Vance ‘think Iran war could last beyond the end of Trump’s term’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/09/10/white-house-iran-war-trump-term/Pentagon forces staff to take lie detector tests over Iran war leakshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/09/05/pentagon-lie-detection-polygraph-tests-military-iran-leaks/RUSI UK Security in a Post Aid World: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/projects/uk-security-post-aid-worldWinner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Peter Shevlin Video Producer: Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive 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 [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.