Show Notes
The US is preparing for a protracted war with Iran as Donald Trump’s UN ambassador, Mike Waltz, warns the US Navy can maintain its maritime blockade on Iranian ports indefinitely.
With Iranian seaborne oil exports falling toward zero, Washington is tightening its economic pressure campaign to force concessions on Tehran’s nuclear program.
On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, host Roland Oliphant is joined by The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair. They unpack the escalation across the Middle East as Saudi air defenses intercept a Houthi ballistic missile over Riyadh, European and Middle Eastern foreign ministers convene in Istanbul, and the environmental cost of the war as UAE temporarily closes a beach due to dangerous contamination by a spill from a tanker.
Plus, oil prices surge to a five-month high amid fears of fresh US-Israeli strikes, and Benjamin Netanyahu orders a total lockdown of the West Bank just days before Israel's general election.
Highlights US Navy prepares for indefinite Iran blockade as oil revenues hit zero Houthis target a ballistic missile at Riyadh as regional allies convene in Istanbul
CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt
WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk
CONTENT REFERENCED: Israel closes West Bank after shoot-out days before election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/23/israel-closes-west-bank-after-shootout-before-election/ The testimony of 24 soldiers has put the Gaza toll at the heart of Israel’s election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/21/naza-film-israel-netanyahu-election/?recomm_id=d05acaf9-6799-4c4c-b651-e0e86e1d4d0b
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 Winner Podcast of the Year - London Press Club 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: Chris January Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey
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More from Iran: The Latest
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.
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.