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 failed to stop the Iran-backed insurgent force, the importance of the UAE’s absence, and why growing ties between the Houthis and Somalia's Al-Shabaab threaten the Red Sea chokepoint.

Plus, confusion reigns after the US says a “foreign actor” was involved in the incident at UK airbase RAF Fairford and Trump says the suspects shouldn’t have been released on bail.

#MiddleEast #Yemen #Houthis #USIranWar #RedSea #Iran #SaudiArabia #AlShabab #RAFFairford #Geopolitics

CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
00:36 - Guest Introduction: Michael Knights
02:45 - RAF Fairford Incident & Security Confusion
06:25 - Strait of Hormuz & Diplomacy
10:30 - IRGC Rhetoric & US Presence in Iraq
14:04 - Global Oil Markets & Yanbu Port
14:48 - Yemen Escalation & The Battle of Taiz
16:00 - Houthi Cooperation with al-Shabab
19:02 - How the Houthi War Machine Operates
26:03 - Saudi vs. Emirati Military Strategy in Yemen
33:41 - Red Sea Smuggling & Horn of Africa Alliances
36:39 - Can the Houthis Be Defeated Militarily?
40:19 - Rethinking the Houthis & Closing

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Michael Knights, military historian and head of research Horizon Engage @Mikeknightsiraq

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: Iran: The Latest |  Podcast | The Telegraph

CONTENT REFERENCED:
RAF base terror plot ‘clearly involved’ foreign actor, claims Rubio
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-new...

RAF plot ‘may have been a dry run’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026...

Afrah Abdulaziz Al-Zouba: A new terrorist axis has arisen, covering both sides of the Red Sea
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026...

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

Producers: Peter Shevlin and Max Bower
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Chris January
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey

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