US blasts tanker with Hellfire missiles & why an Iran ground war is a trap

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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