The US has dramatically expanded its strike campaign into northern Iran for the first time in this latest stage of the war, targeting critical ballistic missile and space facilities near Tehran.
With Donald Trump warning Tehran that they "better behave," the US Navy has unleashed Hellfire missiles to disable an oil tanker attempting to run the blockade. Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant break down the overnight strikes, the high-stakes naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, and whether the US is preparing for an imminent ground campaign.
Plus: is Donald Trump marching into a trap? Leaked reports suggest Washington is again considering an amphibious ground offensive to Iranian coastal territory. Former US Marine Colonel Andy Milburn breaks down why an amphibious landing along the Iranian coastline is a tactical dead-end and how Tehran’s decentralized "Mosaic Doctrine" is designed to survive Western airstrikes.
Highlights
- Trump launches hellfire missiles at tanker as American blockade escalates
- US Marine colonel: A ground war in Iran is a trap with no purpose
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Andy Milburn, former US Marine colonel @andymilburn8
WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoP
WATCH PART TWO - ROLAND’S INTERVIEW WITH ANDY MILBURN: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk
CONTENT REFERENCED:
The hidden messages behind Trump’s latest wave of Iran strikes
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/16/hidden-messages-behind-trumps-new-wave-of-iran-strikes/
Andy Milburn: Outgunned, But Not Outplayed: Iran’s Theory of Victory
https://warontherocks.com/outgunned-but-not-outplayed-irans-theory-of-victory/
ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Video Producer: Max Bower
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Andy Watson
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey
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