Two weeks into the American and Israel war with Iran, who is winning?

From Tehran’s perspective, this war is going according to plan. Even though America and Israel have dominated the battlefield, the regime has not collapsed, the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked, and the entire region is under pressure. Yet major questions remain over how many missiles they have left and how long they can stop major protests from erupting once again on the streets.

Roland Oliphant is joined by The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair and foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii to discuss the conflict so far and answer listeners’ questions.

Plus, Jonathan Hackett, a former Marine Corps interrogator, counterintelligence agent, and special operations intelligence officer, returns to give his assessment of the past two weeks, discuss the Israeli covert ops taking place on the ground, and look at where things might go from here.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

Akhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoii

Jonathan Hackett

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Mojtaba Khamenei has called for Iranian unity – but he may not be alive

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/13/mojtaba-khamenei-uniting-iran-against-trump-may-not-alive/

David Blair: Iran’s leaders have every reason to believe they’re succeeding

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/12/irans-leaders-every-reason-believe-succeeding/

Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan

Executive Producer: 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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Does the US war with Iran make strategic sense? No, says Britain’s foremost military expert and strategist, Sir Lawrence Freedman.

Talking to Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey on The Telegraph’s Iran: The Latest podcast, Sir Lawrence shares his damning verdict of Donald Trump’s military operation against the Iranian regime: no proper preparation and no thinking through the risks.

They also discuss the global oil crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, lessons (or not) from the Iraq war, and the impact on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Sir Lawrence is the emeritus professor of war studies at King’s College London and has spent half a century looking at wars, national security and defence doctrine. He is new book, On Strategists and Strategy, is a collection of essays covering the Iraq war, the importance of tactics and nuclear deterrence.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, Chief Foreign Affairs Analyst and co-host @RolandOliphant

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Sir Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies King's College London @LawDavF

CONTENT REFERENCED:

A girls’ school in Iran was blown up. Here’s what locals say happened

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/girls-school-iran-blown-up-locals-say-happened/

The evidence that shows a US missile hit an Iranian girls’ school

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/evidence-shows-us-missile-hit-iranian-girls-school/

Con Coughlin: Putin has been the Iran war’s big winner

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/12/putin-iran-war-big-winner/

Tom Sharpe: The Strait of Hormuz has been opened by force before, and it can be again

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/12/strait-hormuz-us-navy-escort-tanker-war-iran-force-open/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: 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.

How do Iranians inside Iran feel about Trump’s war?

With no independent reporting allowed, an internet blackout in place and harsh punishments for anyone who speaks out against the regime, it’s hard to tell. But there are some voices getting out - and some are happy about the American-Israeli attack. Sahar Zand, an Iranian-British investigative journalist based in London, shares messages from Iranians in the country who have been speaking to her.

Plus, The Telegraph’s Global Health Security Editor Paul Nuki joins from Beirut to talk about the latest in Israel’s escalating war against Hezbollah and the death, damage and disruption it’s causing on the ground.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Arthur Scott-Geddes, co-host @ascottgeddes

Sahar Zand, journalist @SaharZand

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: 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/

CONTENT REFERENCED:

How Iran’s ‘horizontal warfare’ could trap Trump in another Vietnam

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/iran-horizontal-warfare-trap-trump-another-vietnam/

UN claims 700,000 displaced in Lebanon after Israeli bombings

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/un-claims-700000-displaced-in-lebanon-after-israeli-bombing/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.