Trump’s five-hour blitz triggers Iran war escalation & Mossad’s secret plot exposed

Donald Trump has reimposed the US’s naval blockade on Iran and, for the third night in a row, launched a brutal five-hour blitz hitting Iran’s coastal defences. In retaliation, the IRGC has struck back, killing one and injuring several onboard two oil supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeting critical American assets in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant run through the latest updates from the region as the war escalates.

Plus, why hasn’t Israel rejoined the US war with Iran? Sima Shine, former head of research and evaluation at Mossad and Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, explains why she thinks Donald Trump has put a break on Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu participating in the latest round of fighting. 

She also discusses the explosive news about Israel’s Operation Puss in Boots, a yearslong, multi-pronged effort to overthrow the Iranian regime and install the most unlikely of candidates, arch Israeli enemy former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 

Highlights

• Trump’s five-hour blitz triggers Iran war escalation
• Ex-Mossad chief on why Israel is out of Iran war

CONTRIBUTORS:

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

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Sima Shine, director of the Iran and the Shiite Axis Research Program at INSS @INSSIsrael

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

CONTENT REFERENCED:

US attacks Iran using kamikaze drone boats for first time

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/13/us-attack-iran-kamikaze-drone-boats-hormuz-war/

Inside the Mossad Plot to Install Israel's Arch-enemy Ahmadinejad as Iran's Leader

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-07-13/ty-article-magazine/.premium/inside-the-mossad-plot-to-install-ahamadinijad-as-irans-leader/0000019f-5b28-de66-a5bf-5b7b3bbd0000

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: Max Bower

Video Producer: Peter Shevlin

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey 

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