Iran: The Latest

Iran and Israel have bombed each other for the first time since they agreed a ceasefire with the US in early April. Why? And can Donald Trump stop all-out war from re-erupting? Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant bring you all the latest updates from the past 24 hours, plus chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair and foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii discuss how we got here, the domestic factors at play in each country and what might happen next.

Plus, an American and Iranian on what we learned from 100 days of war. What are the big successes, what could have gone better, and what will the long-term implications be? Venetia and Roland speak to Ben Hodges, former US general and commander of the US Army in Europe, and Holly Dagres, Washington Institute analyst and author of The Iranist substack. They discuss the most significant moments from the war, the biggest winners and losers, and what surprised them.

WATCH THE FULL 100 DAYS OF WAR ROUNDTABLE NOW: https://youtu.be/-3VEIOK3-SU

Highlights

Iran and Israel bomb each other - what just happened?
100 days of war: an American and an Iranian debate

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Ben Hodges, former commanding general US Army Europe @general_ben
Holly Dagres, Washington Institute analyst and The Iranist author @hdagres

Producer: Peter Shevlin and Phil Atkins
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

► 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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How did heavily sanctioned Iran create a drone so cheap, deadly and effective that everyone from Russia to the US has copied it?

From the Gulf being inundated with attacks by Iranian Shaheds to Ukraine finding innovative new ways to counter the Russian version, Tehran has mass-produced a strategic weapon that has challenged traditional Western air-defence thinking.

To look at how Iran did it, what makes the Shahed so brutal and how to counter it, guest host from the Ukraine: the Latest team Sophie O’Sullivan speaks to Mykola Bielieskov, research fellow at the Kyiv-based National Institute for Strategic Studies, and Peter Lee, co-Director of the Centre for Defence, Risk and Resilience at Britain’s University of Portsmouth.

Plus, Sophie covers the latest major updates from the region, including Hezbollah’s rejection of the Israel-Lebanon deal as “Satan’s dream” and news of a secret deployment of elite Israeli military units to Azerbaijan.

Highlights
Iran’s cheap but deadly drones have reshaped warfare. Can the US catch up?
Why everyone from Russia to the US are copying the Shahed

CONTRIBUTORS:
Sophie O’Sullivan, guest host and producer Ukraine: the Latest
Mykola Bielieskov, research fellow at National Institute for Strategic Studies @MBielieskov
Peter Lee, professor at the University of Portsmouth

Producer: Phil Atkins
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

► 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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The US military is secretly helping ships circumvent Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz along a new route hugging the Omani coast.

Bryan Clark, a former US Navy officer and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, looks at whether this is a solution to the Hormuz crisis that has plagued Donald Trump and the rest of the world since the war began.

Plus, Hezbollah accuses Lebanon of “surrendering” after agreeing a deal with Israel. Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan discuss the latest news, including the significance of the US House passing a war powers resolution to curb further American military activity and the death of British MI6 boss Sir Alex Younger.

Highlights
The secret US operation evading Iran’s Strait of Hormuz blockade
Israel and Lebanon to use “pilot zones” to push out Hezbollah

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Sir Alex Younger, long-serving head of MI6 who shaped the service for a ‘fourth generation of espionage’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2026/06/03/sir-alex-younger-mi6-secret-intelligence-service-edward-sno/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-03/us-looks-to-unblock-hormuz-with-quiet-version-of-project-freedom

The Economist: A former spy chief’s take on intelligence and the Iran war
https://www.economist.com/insider/inside-defence/a-former-spy-chiefs-take-on-intelligence-and-the-iran-war

Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

► 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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Is Donald Trump waiting until after the World Cup to restart the war with Iran despite the largest attack on the Gulf since the ceasefire began?

Violence erupted overnight in the Middle East after the US attacked a ship heading to Iran and Tehran fired missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain. Roland Oliphant looks at the latest news of clashes in the Persian Gulf and speaks to Maziar Bahari, founder of Iran Wire, about why the war is unlikely to erupt until after the World Cup.

One of Iran’s most experienced journalists until he was forced into exile, Bahari’s English and Persian website has become an invaluable source of reliable information for anyone interested following the war. He explains why the Iranian regime is weaker than most think and shares his experiences of being interrogated by IRGC officials who rely on pornography to understand the Western world.

Plus, global health security editor Paul Nuki explains why Israelis can’t ignore Donald Trump’s explosive reported warning to leader Benjamin Netanyahu that the world is starting to hate his country due its military activity.

Highlights
Iran strikes Kuwait airport after US bombs Qeshm Island
Why IRGC officers believe the West is just like in porn films

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, chief foreign analyst, @rolandoliphant
Maziar Bahari, founder of Iran Wire, @maziarbahari
Paul Nuki, global health security editor, @PaulNuki

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Paul Nuki: Trump outburst reflects Israel’s sinking popularity in American eyes
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/02/trump-netanyahu-outburst-reflects-israel-unpopularity/

Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

► 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.

Could Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah ruin the US’s attempts to strike a deal with Iran?

News today about a fiery, expletive-laden phone call suggests Donald Trump is very upset with Benjamin Netanyahu and has forced him to halt a planned attack on Beirut.

Michael Young from the Carnegie Middle East Center think tank joins from the Lebanese capital to take Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan through the latest news from this active frontline, how Hezbollah has been rearmed by Iran and what it means for the broader war.

Plus, Roland Oliphant gets a rare look inside Iran with Jan Egeland, secretary general of the aid organisation Norwegian Refugee Council, who describes the bombed-out police stations, factories, military posts and homes he has seen first-hand across the country.

Highlights
What Trump's angry call with Netanyahu means for the Iran war
Inside Iran: ‘Bombed-out police stations, factories and military posts’

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Jan Egeland, NRC secretary-general @NRC_Egeland
Michael Young, Carnegie Middle East Center senior editor @BeirutCalling

Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

► 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.