Show Notes
Further details have emerged regarding US-Israeli plans for a joint military campaign against Iran after the midterm elections. Following sightings of Israeli Air Force jets flying up to the Iranian border on Monday, plans for a three-day military blitz on Iran’s nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure were revealed to the New York Times.
On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps about whether a renewed campaign can force Tehran’s hand or if it will trigger a devastating cycle of retaliation across Gulf energy fields. They examine the collapse of Iran’s shadow tanker fleet, escalating Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia, and whether expanding cyber warfare and drone technology mean the West is already entangled in a broader global conflict.
Plus, what would be the global impact of Iranian attacks on undersea cables in the Persian Gulf, and why Russian trawlers are spying on critical British subsea infrastructure.
Highlights Iran’s ‘shadow fleet’ has run out of oil after a monthslong US blockade. How conflicts around the world are inextricably linked and are AI cyber attacks dragging the West into global war?
CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Peter Apps, global defence commentator for Reuters @pete_apps WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk
CONTENT REFERENCED: US and Israel practise fresh strikes on Iran’s border https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/22/us-and-israel-practise-fresh-strikes-on-irans-border/ US withdraws diplomats from Saudi Arabia https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/22/us-withdraws-diplomats-from-saudi-arabia/ Netanyahu pushes for new strikes against Iran before Israeli election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/21/netanyahu-wants-new-strikes-on-iran-before-israel-elections/ Iran threatens to cut Hormuz internet cables https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/20/iran-threatens-cut-hormuz-internet-cables/ Exclusive: Putin sends fishing trawlers to spy on Britain https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/21/exclusive-putin-sends-fishing-trawlers-to-spy-on-britain/
Winner Podcast of the Year - London Press Club Awards 2026 Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026 Bronze Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026 Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026 The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Producers: Peter Shevlin and Max Bower Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh Studio Operator: Andy Watson Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey
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More from Iran: The Latest
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his military to plan a multi-day bombing campaign targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and power grids, as talks with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signal preparation for joint military action against Iran.
British RAF Typhoon fighter jets will be deployed to defend cities and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, following the Yemen-based militant group’s deadliest attack yet, a devastating assault that killed at least 70 people, all new recruits aged 18 to 20, at a training camp.
Houthi ballistic missile strikes kill 20 people in Yemen as Egypt considers sending military support to help Saudi Arabia counter Iranian threats in the Red Sea.
The Iran war has stretched the US Congress to breaking point and exposed Pete Hegseth’s leadership of the Pentagon as fundamentally lacking, according to an ex-tank commander who is neither a Republican nor a Democrat.
A new report exposes how pinpoint strikes by Iran and its proxies hit at least 84 Gulf infrastructure targets a total of 135 times, systematically disabling key infrastructure throughout the war.