Iran: The Latest

As the Strait of Hormuz closure pushes US petrol prices past $4 a gallon and Donald Trump’s approval ratings hit rock bottom, the Republicans are increasingly worried the Iran war could create a “bloodbath” in the midterms.

In this bonus episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey is joined by chief Washington correspondent Connor Stringer to look at five ways the Middle East conflict is actively reshaping domestic US politics, from the economy to splits in the Democrats and Republicans to record spending pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC. Could Trump lose the House of Representatives because of the war?

Plus, how the November US midterm elections work, what’s a Super PAC, and the key primary races you need to know about.

Highlights
Why Trump could lose the House over the Iran war
‘It could be a bloodbath for the Republicans’

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Connor Stringer, chief Washington correspondent @connorstringer

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

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: Joleen Goffin and David Dargahi
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/

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‘If there were a university delivering degrees in strategic malpractice, Donald Trump would without a doubt graduate summa cum laude.’

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant gets a damning assessment of the US-Iran war from one of America’s most seasoned Middle East diplomats, Aaron David Miller. A former State Department analyst and negotiator across six Republican and Democratic administrations and now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Miller delivers a blunt verdict on Washington’s strategic failures.

As the Middle East conflict hits the six-month mark and the Strait of Hormuz remains officially closed, he explains why he can see no clear exit options for Trump. Despite Washington unleashing an "economic D-Day" and the "toughest sanctions in history," Tehran shows no sign of backing down.

Plus, why Secretary of State Marco Rubio is MIA and how a “serious retrenchment” of US forces in the Gulf is likely, amid news that some bases may not be fully rebuilt after the war.

Highlights
‘Trump would graduate summa cum laude in strategic malpractice'
Veteran US diplomat Aaron David Miller on the US-Iran war

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Aaron David Miller, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace @aarondmiller2

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

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: David Dargahi
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/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has vowed an ‘economic D-Day’ to crush Iran, amid news that the US military is stealthily getting oil out of the Strait of Hormuz despite Tehran’s attacks. Will US jets escorting tankers stop oil prices from rising further?

In today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Roland Oliphant talks to Matthew Savill, director of Military Sciences at the UK’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), to dissect the reality of Iran’s diminishing maritime leverage in the war, and how effective economic pressure will be on the Iranian regime.

Plus, Britain’s diminishing minehunting capabilities in the Middle East, why Iran views the UK as the ‘Little Satan’, and what it’s like to be attacked by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

Highlights
Donald Trump vows ‘economic D-Day’ to crush Iran
US military stealthily getting oil out of the Strait of Hormuz

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Matthew Savill, RUSI director of Military Sciences, @MTSavill

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump declares ‘economic D-Day’ against Iran
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/08/20/trump-declares-economic-d-day-iran-sanctions/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: David Dargahi
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/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UAE has dealt Iran a major blow by cutting off trade ties after accusing Tehran of firing two ballistic missiles towards the Gulf state. The missiles eventually landed outside territorial waters, but Abu Dhabi’s swift response could close down Iran’s key economic escape route.

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Sophia Yan unpacks the latest news from the Middle East war with Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of Technology Threats & Opportunities program at digital human rights group WITNESS. They discuss Iran’s state-backed cyber attacks against the West, how the Internet blackout has affected Iran’s economy and the unsophisticated AI around Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Plus, a new Iranian draft law that would criminalise speaking to foreign media, and news reports that Iran is assessing potential strikes against US military assets in Europe.

Highlights
UAE cuts Iran’s economic lifeline after ‘ballistic missile strikes’
How the Internet blackout has affected Iran’s economy

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 - UAE Imposes Trade Embargo Following Iranian Missile Attack
00:01:11 - Trump Denies Iran Talks as Hormuz Blockade Escalates
00:03:06 - Ground Reality: 90 Million Iranians Face Internal Warfare
00:06:04 - Khamenei Disappears: AI Deepfakes Fuel Regime Crisis
00:08:58 - US-Israel-Iran Conflict Drives Unprecedented AI Information War
00:11:50 - Regime Weapons-Grade Propaganda Targets US Political Divide
00:14:15 - White SIM Cards: How Elite Insiders Profit Off Internet Blackouts
00:22:27 - US DOJ Charges 17 Iranian Hackers Over Mass Cyber Theft
00:24:57 - Tehran Criminalizes Media Contact Under Zionist Law
00:33:50 - Regime Insider Warning: Iran Prepares Strikes on US Bases in Europe

CONTRIBUTORS:
Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of Technology Threats & Opportunities program at WITNESS @mahsaalimardani

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
US-Iran talks have stopped, says Trump
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/08/18/us-iran-talks-have-stopped-says-trump/

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: David Dargahi
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran has attacked another vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, just a day after Donald Trump threatened to bomb US ally Oman if it “gets in the way” of comatose US negotiations with Tehran.

On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey is joined by chief Washington correspondent Connor Stringer to discuss Trump’s escalating frustration over the lack of a Strait of Hormuz deal and why he is hoping Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent might have a solution to the war as oil prices start to rise again.
Plus, a secret backchannel between Washington and the IRGC via Iraqi Kurdistan, why Trump hasn’t endorsed Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli election, and Yemen’s government fights back against Iranian proxy group the Houthis.

Highlights
One casualty after Iran strikes ship in Strait of Hormuz
Trump threatens to bomb Oman for ‘misbehaving’

CHAPTERS
00:00 - Iran strikes ship in Strait of Hormuz
01:58 - Trump threatens to bomb US ally Oman
04:35 - Oil spikes to $90 as US treasury yield surges
06:05 - Secret US backchannel to IRGC exposed
09:55 - US launches economic siege as Iran strategy shifts
11:50 - Iran vows Strait of Hormuz stays blocked
15:15 - Yemen army launches 130+ strikes on Houthis
16:45 - Trump sends Kushner and Blair to disarm Hamas
23:20 - UN Security Council declared "not fit for purpose"
25:20 - Trump's bid to replace UN chief with FIFA boss

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Connor Stringer, chief Washington correspondent @connorstringer

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

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump threatens to bomb Oman over Iran deal
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/17/trump-threatens-to-bomb-oman-over-iran-deal/

Trump orders Bessent to cripple Iran’s economy
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/08/12/trump-scott-bessent-end-iran-war/

Ukraine: the Latest: https://linktr.ee/UkraineTheLatest

Axios: Inside Trump's secret backchannel to Iran's Revolutionary Guard
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/16/iran-backchannel-trump-gabbard-barzani-war

Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026

Audio Producer: Joleen Goffin
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-us-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.