Episode
Trump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran as China upgrades Djibouti military base
- Podcast
- Iran: The Latest
- Published
- Sep 18, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2534
- Processing state
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- https://shows.acast.com/battle-lines-israel-gaza/episodes/trump-threatens-to-annihilate-iran-as-china-upgrades-djibout
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Summary
Donald Trump has once again threatened to "annihilate" the Iranian regime, saying he faces a major decision on how to proceed with the Iran war but will consult with his Gulf allies at the UN General Assembly next week first. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest , Roland Oliphant speaks to former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe about whether Trump will execute his strike threat given Washington appears to lack the risk appetite for further military escalation. They unpack how the US and Saudi Arabia are smuggling millions of barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz to keep prices down, and what it says about the crippled Iranian military’s inability to police the narrow waterway. Plus, satellite imagery reveals China is upgrading its military base in Djibouti near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Yemen’s Houthis claim their first fatality in this round of strikes on Saudi Arabia, and what a looming US naval drawdown in the Gulf means for Western security. Highlights Trump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran as China upgrades Djibouti military base Inside the Strait of Hormuz dark route: ship-to-ship transfers and US escorts CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Tom Sharpe, former Royal Navy commander @TomSharpe134 WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk CONTENT REFERENCED: Daniel DePetris: Iran is proving it can push America out of the Middle East https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/18/iran-war-proving-push-america-out-middle-east/ Pentagon exposes mass US aircraft losses and base damage from Iran war https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/17/pentagon-exposes-mass-us-aircraft-losses-and-base-damage-fr/ CSIS: China Upgrades Its Military Base in Djibo…