US Navy fires Hellfires as Houthi Red Sea strikes kill first mariners | Iran: the Latest news

The Iran-backed Houthis have carried out their first deadly strikes of the war, killing six mariners in a double-tap ballistic missile attack on a cargo vessel in the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, near the Strait of Hormuz, US Navy helicopters have fired Hellfire missiles to disable a ship breaking Donald Trump’s blockade.



On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey is joined by veteran British Army officer Tim Collins, famous for his ‘tread lightly’ speech prior to leading British troops into Iraq in 2003 (and dramatised by Kenneth Branagh in the 2008 BBC series 10 Days to War). Just back from a trip to Bahrain, Tim unpacks the difficult position the Gulf is now in and the parallels between the Iraq and Iran regimes.



Plus, is this America’s Suez Crisis? Tim argues that US dominance is declining as a result of the fast-escalating conflict and offers a piece of advice to Trump for how to end the war.



CHAPTERS

00:00 Iran War Update: Houthi Attacks & Tim Collins Interview

00:01:00 Houthi Red Sea Missile Strike Kills Mariners

00:03:30 Red Sea Shipping Crisis & Global Food Supply Risks

00:07:05 US Navy Blockade on Iran & UK Foreign Policy Role

00:13:01 Tim Collins on 2003 Iraq Invasion vs. Iran War Strategy

00:18:05 Rules of Engagement: Is America Facing a Suez Moment?

00:20:23 US & UK Military Bases in the Middle East

00:23:44 Inside Bahrain: Middle East Security Architecture

00:27:37 AI Drones, Autonomous Warfare & Undersea Cables

00:33:08 Trump Advice & Kenneth Branagh's Tim Collins Speech

CREDIT: BBC



CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Tim Collins, former British Army officer @tim_324



CONTENT REFERENCED:

Tim Collins: Britain’s old friend and ally in the Gulf would welcome us back

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/10/britains-old-friend-and-ally-in-the-gulf-would-welcome-us/



Britain opens first naval overseas base in 50 years in sign of ‘global reach’

​​https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/05/britain-opens-first-naval-overseas-base-50-years-sign-global/



Col. Tim Collins' full speech, Kuwait, 19 March, 2003

https://www.dajobe.org/2003/03/collins/



BBC: 10 Days to War mini series

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009rcp0



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



Producer: Peter Shevlin

Video Producer: Max Bower

Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh

Studio Operator: Andy Watson

Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey

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