{"podcast":{"title":"Iran: The Latest","slug":"iran-the-latest-6656846","podcast_index_feed_id":6656846,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6583019ebbd71a00175001c8","website_url":"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran--the-latest/","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6583019ebbd71a00175001c8/1772473555635-cba7af84-d6d4-4f86-919d-4324a711e2a4.jpeg","author":"Louisa Wells","episode_count":354,"summary":"Iran: The Latest is The Telegraph’s defence, security and foreign affairs news podcast providing deep-dive analysis on the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran. Veteran foreign correspondents Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey bring you the latest updates from The Telegraph’s award-winning journalists, plus exclusive interviews with world-class experts in military strategy, international relations, and Middle East policy. From attacks on the Gulf to Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen to the threat of nuclear escalation, stay informed with the best of The Telegraph’s Middle East coverage in one place. As the geopolitical landscape shifts, subscribe for essential updates on the security shifts defining our global future. Every Wednesday on Battle Lines: Global Health Security they’re joined by Arthur Scott-Geddes to look at the intersection between health and security, from bioweapons to warzone diseases to frontline medicine. You can watch these episodes here . Battle Lines, a defence podcast with a wider scope and created by David Knowles, previously lived on this feed. Don’t forget to follow and leave a review to stay updated on the latest in global conflict…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-21T06:20:06.077420+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846"},"episode":{"title":"The UK just proved it hasn’t learned Iran and Ukraine war lessons","slug":"starmer-fudges-defence-spending-to-avoid-trump-clash-at-nato-will-it-work","published_at":"2026-06-30T15:43:06+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846/starmer-fudges-defence-spending-to-avoid-trump-clash-at-nato-will-it-work","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846","url":"https://shows.acast.com/battle-lines-israel-gaza/episodes/starmer-fudges-defence-spending-to-avoid-trump-clash-at-nato","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6583019ebbd71a00175001c8/e/6a43e33f6771af4aa4f612ee/media.mp3","summary":"As the US and Iran meet in Qatar, the UK has unveiled £15 billion in defence spending - but is it all a giant “fudge” to avoid humiliation by Donald Trump at next week’s Nato summit?  Announcing the Defence Investment Plan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer boasted it meant the UK is spending 4.2% of GDP on wider security. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest , Venetia Rainey talks to Ukraine: the Latest host and defence associate editor Dom Nicholls about why the numbers don’t add up.  Plus, they unpack the UK’s high-stakes gamble on exquisite uncrewed autonomous aircraft and vessels and why the UK is ignoring the vital lesson from wars in Ukraine and Iran: expensive tech cannot replace raw mass. CONTRIBUTORS: Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Dom Nicholls, Ukraine: the Latest host and defence associate editor @DomNicholls  WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk CONTENT REFERENCED: Gulf plans to cut the US out of Iran deal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/30/gulf-states-plan-to-cut-the-us-out-of-iran-deal/ Iran says frozen $6bn will soon be returned as part of peace deal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/29/iran-frozen-assets-us-sanctions-peace-deal/ Producer: Max Bower and Rachel Porter 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/ Highlights Starmer ‘fudges’ defence spending to avoid Trump clash…","meta_description":"As the US and Iran meet in Qatar, the UK has unveiled £15 billion in defence spending - but is it all a giant “fudge” to avoid humiliation by Donald Trump…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2154,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/iran-the-latest-6656846/episodes/starmer-fudges-defence-spending-to-avoid-trump-clash-at-nato-will-it-work/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846/starmer-fudges-defence-spending-to-avoid-trump-clash-at-nato-will-it-work.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}