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‘Escalation is inevitable’: Why the US-Iran war is about to restart | latest news
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Is the US-Iran war on the brink of fully restarting?

On part two of today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to Hamidreza Azizi, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, to unpack why a return to full-scale regional conflict looks increasingly inevitable. He explains why despite ongoing peace talks, Iran’s regime is betting it can outlast Trump or force the US into a strategic trap ahead of the November midterms.

They also discuss why the US may be tempted to launch a symbolic strike on Fordow and Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facilities and the regime’s increasingly unified hardline front after the assassination of late supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Hamidreza lays out how the mistrust on the Iranian side is “so deep that it has reached the level of paranoia” and that the current situation means the region may end up in an even bigger war.

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 - US Forces End 20-Year Deployment in Iraq & Hormuz Tanker Strike Update
00:01:35 - Iran Receives US Feedback on 7-Day Peace Plan via Qatari Mediators
00:02:33 - Civil Defense Wartime Drills & Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon Leadership Cuts
00:04:25 - Iran’s Perspective: Is Return to Full-Scale War Inevitable?
00:07:06 - Inside Iran’s Fast-Track Peace Proposal: MoU Terms & Zero Concessions
00:12:18 - Regime Unity vs. Divisions: Hardliners, Pragmatists & IRGC Leadership
00:18:28 - Two Escalation Scenarios: Pre-Midterm Strikes on Nuclear Sites vs. Post-Election War
00:23:16 - Threat to European Bases & Expanding War Beyond the Middle East
00:28:01 - Sanctions Impact & Domestic Discontent: Inflation, Strikes, and Protests inside Iran
00:32:04 - Can Iran Outlast the US Blockade? Sustainability of the Hormuz Crisis

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Hamidreza Azizi, senior Iran analyst International Crisis Group @HamidRezaAz

WATCH PART 1 ABOUT THE ISRAEL PLANE HIJACK ATTACK: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk

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: Andy Watson
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey

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#Iran #USA #MiddleEast #USIranWar #Geopolitics #IranTheLatest #BreakingNews
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News
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Iran war today, US Iran conflict, Trump Iran strategy
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