The US has deployed a fresh aircraft carrier to the Middle East, vowing an "indefinite" naval blockade of Iran until the Strait of Hormuz is reopened - but China has other ideas.
On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Sophia Yan speaks with Alicia Kearns MP, shadow minister for national security and former chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. Fresh from a trip into the heart of the Pentagon, she explains how Iran's regime is withstanding the pressure of the war thanks to financial and technological assistance from Beijing.
Plus, the “active and pernicious” Iranian intelligence service you’ve never heard of, why Donald Trump is guilty of historical revisionism when it comes to Nato, and whether the US is ready for the growing risk of a three-theatre conflict involving China and Taiwan.
HIGHLIGHTS
- US deploys fresh warship and vows indefinite Iran blockade
- How China is helping Iran win the war against the US
CHAPTERS
00:00 US vows indefinite blockade in Strait of Hormuz
01:55 GOP disquiet inside Pentagon over Trump’s Iran strategy
03:00 Confronting the Pentagon on Trump's NATO revisionism
05:32 The Three-Theater War: Russia, Strait of Hormuz, and Taiwan
08:36 China becomes Iran’s 'ventilator' against US sanctions
11:00 Xi Jinping’s naval show of force in Taiwan Strait
17:50 MOIS: The lethal Iranian intel agency operating in the UK
21:17 How Britain must dismantle Iranian hitmen & propaganda
29:40 Iranian assassination threats against Trump
37:38 Russian shadow fleet tanker explosion off Oman
CONTRIBUTORS:
Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan
Alicia Kearns, MP and shadow minister for national security @aliciakearns
WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Alicia Kearns: Labour must shut down Iranian assets operating in Britain
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/01/labour-must-shut-down-iranian-assets-operating-in-britain/
US navy sailor jumps overboard after 250 days at sea
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/13/us-navy-sailors-jump-overboard-after-nine-months-at-sea/
Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026
Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026
The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026
Producer: Max Bower
Video Producer: Peter Shevlin
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Andy Watson
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey
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