‘Iran thinks it’s winning’: can US peace talks in Pakistan really end the war?

‘Iran thinks it’s winning’: can US peace talks in Pakistan really end the war?

Author: The Telegraph March 24, 2026 Duration: 41:59

After four weeks of war with Iran, is Donald Trump calling it quits? 


The US president claims he is in advanced talks with a highly placed regime insider on a peace deal that would end Iran’s nuclear ambitions, reopen the strait of Hormuz, and give the country’s leadership a reason to make up with the rest of the Middle East. 


Pakistan and Egypt say they have brokered a meeting between US Vice President J D Vance and an Iranian delegation in Islamabad later this week. But who is the mystery Iranian negotiator? Does Iran have any reason to stop fighting now? And if peace is about to break out, why is the Iran war on the battlefield accelerating? 


Meanwhile, amid a bruising war with Israel, Iran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah is finding itself increasingly isolated.


Roland Oliphant is joined by David Blair, the Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator, and Lina Khatib, associate fellow for the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House.


CONTRIBUTORS:


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

David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

Lina Khatib, associate fellow Chatham House @LinaKhatibUK


CONTENT REFERENCED:


Trump may have blinked, but his war of necessity will grind on

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/23/iran-war-no-end-in-sight/


Iran now has a clear path to victory

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/24/iran-now-has-a-clear-pathway-to-victory/


Producer: Elliot Lampitt

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.


For those trying to understand the complex and rapidly shifting landscape of the Middle East, Iran: The Latest offers essential context. This Telegraph podcast moves beyond the headlines to examine the military, diplomatic, and strategic forces shaping the ongoing tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel. Hosted by veteran foreign correspondents Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey, each episode synthesizes frontline reporting from the paper's award-winning journalists with insightful conversations. You'll hear from specialists in areas like regional security architecture, covert operations, and geopolitical theory, providing a clearer picture of the stakes involved. The analysis considers historical grievances, economic pressures, and potential flashpoints, from proxy conflicts to direct confrontations. It’s a resource for anyone who wants to grasp not just what is happening, but why it matters and what might come next. By drawing on deep sourcing and expert commentary, this podcast delivers a nuanced perspective that is both timely and thoroughly researched, making sense of a critical and often misunderstood arena of global affairs.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Iran: The Latest
Podcast Episodes
Bird-flu, nukes and asteroids: what 2026 might have in store [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:07
Bird-flu, bombs and asteroids: are we heading for disaster in 2026? What are the biggest threats to global health security in 2026? Is it bird flu? Or the rising threat posed by nuclear weapons? Could we even be hit by a…
No limits partnership: Why 2025 was China and Russia's year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:56
This has been a year when the world lurched from crisis to crisis at breakneck speed. Trump back in power. America wavering on Europe and Ukraine. China strutting with new confidence. Russia grinding on. Iran bombed. Gaz…
Photographing war, disease and nuclear accidents with Simon Townsley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:24
On this week’s episode of Battle Lines Global Health Security, international photojournalist Simon Townsley joins Arthur Scott-Geddes and Sophie O’Sullivan to share his most memorable photographs of 2025. From visiting m…
Inside Sin City: Chinese gangs, scam centres and people trafficking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:15
Have you ever been scammed? If you have, the chances are that it happened somewhere in Asia. Often overseen by Chinese criminal gangs, the places where these scams are happening have become hubs for people trafficking, d…