Trump bombs key ports and bridges as China upgrades Iranian missiles

Donald Trump has ordered the heaviest escalation in the US-Iran war so far this week, striking critical Iranian bridges, airports, and infrastructure surrounding the critical Strait of Hormuz chokepoint. Iran has hit back with attacks on the UAE, Qatar and other Gulf states, as well as allegedly targeting US Special Forces outposts in Syria.In today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Sophia Yan and Roland Oliphant break down the overnight news of more kinetic strikes. Plus, Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps joins the show to analyze how Iranian missiles are leveraging China’s encrypted BeiDou-3 satellite system to bypass Western air defenses, why the UAE is secretly bombing Iran, and whether the House of Saud is ready to ditch Washington for Beijing.HighlightsTrump destroys key ports and bridges in sweeping strikesHow China is upgrading Iranian missiles to make them harder to stopCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yanWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Burnham plans to sanction Israel set to anger White Househttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/07/15/white-house-warns-burnham-do-not-sanction-israel/Alleged spy charged with helping Iran’s secret servicehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/17/counter-terror-police-charge-spying-iran/Iran’s war faces a dangerous new threathttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/15/houthis-plot-to-open-new-front-in-iran-war/ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter ShevlinResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey ► 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.