# Inside Iran’s spiralling economy as Yemen’s Houthis target Mecca and down Saudi jet

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846/inside-iran-s-spiralling-economy-as-yemen-s-houthis-target-mecca-and-down-saudi-jet
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846/inside-iran-s-spiralling-economy-as-yemen-s-houthis-target-mecca-and-down-saudi-jet.md
Podcast: [Iran: The Latest](https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846)
Published: 2026-09-16T14:43:34+00:00
Episode link: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/16/inside-irans-spiralling-economy-as-yemens-houthis-target-me/
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6583019ebbd71a00175001c8/e/6aaaa1c079ba7f1ecc22fe43/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/iran-the-latest-6656846/episodes/inside-iran-s-spiralling-economy-as-yemen-s-houthis-target-mecca-and-down-saudi-jet
Duration seconds: 2031

## Resource

Saudi Arabia claimed that Yemen’s Houthis tried to attack the holy city of Mecca, and the Iran-backed militia claims to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Yemen, as fighting by the Red Sea continues.  On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks with Maziar Bahari, editor of IranWire, to dive into the bleak daily reality inside Iran. They discuss how regime corruption, the mounting costs of war amid a maritime blockade on oil exports, and Donald Trump’s sanctions have plunged Iran into its most severe economic crisis in recent history. Today also marks four years since Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being arrested in Tehran for not wearing her hijab properly. Bahari reveals how the regime is now quietly backing down on core ideological mandates such as the hijab to survive. Plus, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces impeachment articles over unauthorised strikes on Iran, Israel is about to get a $2.8bn arms package, and China calls on the US and Iran to restart peace talks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.  Highlights Why the Iranian regime is relaxing its hijab enforcement laws in order to survive Yemen’s Houthis target Mecca and down Saudi jet CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Maziar Bahari, editor of IranWire @maziarbahari WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk CONTENT REFERENCED: Iran is trying to break Trump’s stranglehold by hitting him where it hurts https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/15/iran-is-trying-to-break-trumps-stranglehold/   US mulls diesel export ban as prices skyrocket https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/09/15/us-mulls-diesel-export-ban-as-prices-skyrocket/   Woman, Life,…

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