How the Iran war exposed the US Navy’s chronic problems

More from Iran: The Latest

1. 

   9 Oct 2026 · 25 minNew

   Pentagon prepares 3-day Iran blitz as Houthi missiles kill Riyadh airport pilot

   Houthi ballistic missiles have struck Riyadh international airport for the third time in a week, killing three Saudis including a pilot, destroying a plane and prompting major carriers to cancel flights. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Africa correspondent Ben Farmer to discuss why Saudi airports are particularly “painful” targets for the Iran-backed Houthis to be hitting even as they face growing military pressure from government forces within Yemen. Fresh from Djibouti’s Red Sea coastline, Ben shares testimonies from Yemeni refugees about what the war looks…

2. 

   8 Oct 2026 · 32 min

   Trump readies new Iran strikes as Strait of Hormuz attacks ramp up

   Donald Trump is reportedly readying to restart major combat operations against Iran and alongside former war-partner Israel - before the US midterm elections. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd’s List, about how such an escalation would impact the dangerous and costly shuttle service that has emerged in the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise oil prices. They discuss how growing Iranian attacks on tankers in the key waterway has led to a “violent equilibrium” that is having a global knock-on impact. Is it sustainable? Plus, new…

3. 

   7 Oct 2026 · 48 min

   Houthi strikes shut Yemen airport & how October 7 has changed Israel

   Three years on from the October 7 attacks by Hamas, how has Israel been changed by the massacre and ensuing wars in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and beyond? On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Sophia Yan catches up once again with Israeli best friends Adam Ben-Shabbat and Nadim Tali from the Oasis of Peace, a Jewish and Palestinian Israeli village. They discuss the impact of the Iran war, rising racism and anti-Semitism, and the prospects for a two-state solution. Plus, did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu know October 7 might happen? Venetia Rainey looks at the lack of accountability amid news…

4. 

   5 Oct 2026 · 32 min

   US bombers quit UK base over Iran terror plot & Houthis attack Saudi oil

   US heavy bombers have quit the RAF Fairford base amid new details about a suspected Iran terror plot. Is the UK still safe for US assets? On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest news live, Sophia Yan, Roland Oliphant, and Venetia Rainey discuss the hurried withdrawal of American B1, B2s and B52s and why it doesn’t mean a return to all-out war is off the cards for Donald Trump. Meanwhile in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has deployed 100 fighter jets and government forces appear to have retaken control of the Red Sea chokepoint of Bab al-Mandeb. They discuss Operation Dawn of Yemen, a major push to…

5. 

   4 Oct 2026 · 32 min

   Trump uses US border funds for ‘propaganda’ as Republicans turn on Iran war

   Republicans are revolting over soaring prices from the Iran war and there is turmoil inside the Pentagon. The polls predict Donald Trump could lose the House and the Senate in the 2026 US midterms - are they right? On today’s bonus episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks with Politico’s senior defence correspondent Connor O'Brien and defence reporter Leo Shane III about why the economic fallout from the war is leading GOP candidates to distance themselves from Trump. The president is responding by taking $20 million in Homeland Security funds for personal ads that Democrats have…

6. 

   2 Oct 2026 · 39 min

   US deploys third carrier to Iran as Trump admits munitions shortage

   The US is sending a third aircraft carrier to Iran even as Donald Trump admits to ammunition shortages as a result of the war. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Sophia Yan speaks with Renad Mansour, deputy director of the MENA Programme and director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House, about what this signals about a return to all-out fighting. Renad explains why this is becoming a long-term war of attrition that could last years. Plus, Houthi strikes near Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia, Iran linked to both the UK RAF Fairford suspected terror plot and the Flydubai Israel…

7. 

   11 Oct 2026 · 28 minNew

   US veteran midterms revolt as Trump’s Iran war causes $6 diesel spike

   US military veterans are turning on Donald Trump and the Republican party as the Iran war drives fuel prices past $6 a gallon ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections. In today’s bonus episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey is joined by US reporters Poppy Wood and Ben Smith, who have been speaking to ex-military voters and candidates at the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia and key midterm races. They examine why Republican ex-servicemen are increasingly choosing to sit out the vote and how an ex-Green Berets independent candidate is part of a broader veteran movement to challenge both…

8. 

   1 Oct 2026 · 37 min

   Iran-linked network targets Israeli election & the hero pilot who stopped a war

   From the UK to Israel, the signs of Iran’s malicious influence across the West are growing. Will the attempted hijack of an Israel-bound flight from Dubai be added to that list? On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks with Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin and Israel-based OSINT specialist Tal Hagin about how the flydubai pilot and passengers fought back to prevent a catastrophic attack that could have sparked a fresh war. As Donald Trump calls the alleged attacker a “terrorist or a whackjob”, they discuss three scenarios for who was behind it, debunked conspiracy…

9. 

   30 Sep 2026 · 38 min

   Hijack attack on Israel plane & why the US-Iran war is about to restart

   A flight to Israel from the UAE has been diverted and made an emergency landing after the pilot was violently attacked in a suspected hijack attempt. On today’s Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey bring you the latest news from this dramatic story after a suspected knife attack by the co-pilot. They look at why Israeli authorities are treating it as a terror incident, reports that the co-pilot was Omani, and the potential security implications for Israel, Iran, Lebanon and the wider region. Plus, is the US-Iran war on the brink of fully restarting? Hamidreza Azizi, senior…

10. 

    29 Sep 2026 · 43 min

    Trump digs in on Iran blockade & how to defeat Yemen’s ‘evil’ Houthis

    Donald Trump is digging in on the blockade of Iranian ports, making it clear to negotiators that the US will not budge without major concessions on Iran’s nuclear program. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to Michael Knights, a military historian and security consultant who has spent time in Yemen and the wider region, about news of talks to end the war and the rationale behind Trump’s stance on the Strait of Hormuz. They also discuss why the Houthis are winning in Yemen - and how to stop them. Michael explains how a heavily funded, Western-trained Saudi military…

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