America’s biggest mistake in the Iran war so far episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 18, 2026 · 45 MIN

America’s biggest mistake in the Iran war so far

from Iran: The Latest

When an Iranian primary school was bombed on the first day of the war, killing dozens of children instantly, it spawned a cycle of denials, conspiracy theories and online speculation. Nearly three weeks on, it’s clear that an American Tomahawk missile was responsible for the deadliest attack of the conflict so far. The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs analyst Roland Oliphant and OSINT expert Gareth Corfield join Venetia Rainey and Arthur Scott-Geddes to go through all the evidence and explain why it matters.  Plus: Israel is upping its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, with strikes on central Beirut, troops invading from the south and flyers invoking the threat of Gaza.  The Telegraph’s global health security editor Paul Nuki joins from Beirut to discuss the latest news on what’s been targeted, the displacement crisis and attempts at peace talks. He also outlines three scenarios for how the war in Lebanon may unfold in the weeks to come. CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyArthur Scott-Geddes, co-host @ascottgeddes Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantGareth Corfield, transport editor @GazTheJournoCONTENT REFERENCED:A girls’ school in Iran was blown up. Here’s what locals say happenedhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/girls-school-iran-blown-up-locals-say-happened/The evidence that shows a US missile hit an Iranian girls’ schoolhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/evidence-shows-us-missile-hit-iranian-girls-school/The top US intelligence official who turned on Trump over Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/17/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-right-hand-man/Producer: Louisa WellsExecutive Producer: Louisa Wells► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US:Contact the team on [email protected]► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES:Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When an Iranian primary school was bombed on the first day of the war, killing dozens of children instantly, it spawned a cycle of denials, conspiracy theories and online speculation. Nearly three weeks on, it’s clear that an American Tomahawk missile was responsible for the deadliest attack of the conflict so far. The Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs analyst Roland Oliphant and OSINT expert Gareth Corfield join Venetia Rainey and Arthur Scott-Geddes to go through all the evidence and explain why it matters.  Plus: Israel is upping its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, with strikes on central Beirut, troops invading from the south and flyers invoking the threat of Gaza.  The Telegraph’s global health security editor Paul Nuki joins from Beirut to discuss the latest news on what’s been targeted, the displacement crisis and attempts at peace talks. He also outlines three scenarios for how the war in Lebanon may unfold in the weeks to come. CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiaraineyArthur Scott-Geddes, co-host @ascottgeddes Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantGareth Corfield, transport editor @GazTheJournoCONTENT REFERENCED:A girls’ school in Iran was blown up. Here’s what locals say happenedhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/girls-school-iran-blown-up-locals-say-happened/The evidence that shows a US missile hit an Iranian girls’ schoolhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/10/evidence-shows-us-missile-hit-iranian-girls-school/The top US intelligence official who turned on Trump over Iranhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/17/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-right-hand-man/Producer: Louisa WellsExecutive Producer: Louisa Wells► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US:Contact the team on [email protected]► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES:Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOW PLAYING

America’s biggest mistake in the Iran war so far

0:00 45:38

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Iran: The Latest?

This episode is 45 minutes long.

When was this Iran: The Latest episode published?

This episode was published on March 18, 2026.

What is this episode about?

When an Iranian primary school was bombed on the first day of the war, killing dozens of children instantly, it spawned a cycle of denials, conspiracy theories and online speculation. Nearly three weeks on, it’s clear that an American Tomahawk...

Can I download this Iran: The Latest episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!