Show Notes
The US and Israel are preparing for an imminent post-midterms strike campaign on Iran as new intelligence reveals Tehran has built a secret network of companies to rearm with the help of Russia and China.
On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey is joined by intelligence analyst and former US soldier Ryan McBeth to unpack whether another round of strikes can achieve anything more than "turning big rocks into little rocks". They discuss whether JD Vance’s backchannel letter to Iranian hardliners is a serious off-ramp or just more Trump bluster, why critical US precision munitions inventories like Patriot and Tomahawk face dangerous depletion, and what it will mean for a potential future war with China.
Plus, Akhtar Makoii’s scoop that Iranian intelligence operations are targeting the US midterm vote, the firing of another top Pentagon general by Pete Hegseth.
Highlights Trump warns Gulf of imminent Iran blitz China and Russia caught smuggling weapons to Iran
CONTRIBUTORS: Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Ryan McBeth, intelligence analyst and former US soldier @RyanMcbeth
WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk
CONTENT REFERENCED: Iran prepares to disrupt US midterms after meddling in Israel election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/29/election-interference-tehran-cyber-baghaei/ Vance makes last-ditch attempt to stop fresh Iran bombing https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/10/28/vance-makes-last-ditch-attempt-to-stop-fresh-iran-bombing/ Iran’s Hidden Web of Military Agencies Is Slipping Hardware Past the US Blockade https://www.reuters.com/world/iran/irans-hidden-web-military-agencies-is-slipping-hardware-past-us-blockade-2026-10-29/
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: Joleen Goffin 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
US President Donald Trump has backed Benjamin Netanyahu after a strong election result for the Israeli leader that is likely to lead to the imminent resumption of war with Iran even as Gulf states push for peace talks.
This Israeli election is the most strategically consequential in the country’s history, with record turnout as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns voters to pick him or die.
Donald Trump has threatened to restart the war with Iran with “another little Operation Epic Fury”, even as US intelligence exposes advanced Iranian plots targeting American personnel across the Middle East. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant look at why the US and Israel are delaying strikes until after the midterm and parliamentary elections. Sascha Bruchmann, Research Fellow at the IISS in Bahrain, breaks down why the region is changing forever and the Gulf’s military posture as leaders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey visit Iran for an emergency summit. Plus, former President Barack Obama weighs in on the Iran war, the Tehran-backed Houthi forces launch ballistic missiles at Riyadh’s main airport, why war resilience is about more than stockpiling.
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.
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.