US blockade squeezes Iran & Tehran names price to reopen Hormuz

Iran has issued a series of demands to the US in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz - everything from war reparations to withdrawing regional military assets. Many of them echo the previous peace deal, so will Donald Trump accept?

On today's episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Sophia Yan look at who is in a stronger position. Trump’s naval blockade has forced Tehran’s primary oil terminal on Kharg Island to grind to a halt and is pushing food inflation above 200 per cent in some cases. But Iran has just appointed a hardline new security council leader who has vowed to retain full control of Hormuz.

Plus, why Tehran has released an old video of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Houthi attacks on a Saudi oil refinery puts the new Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan Mecca defence pact to an early test, and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly rejects Donald Trump’s 15-point Gaza peace deal.

Highlights

• US blockade squeezes Iran as main oil terminal goes dark
• Tehran names price to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC…

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Iran names price to reopen Strait of Hormuz
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/09/iran-nam…

As one oil chokepoint calms, Houthis threaten another
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/08/war-yeme…

Israel rejects Trump’s Gaza plan
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/09/benjamin…

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: Max Bower
Video Producer: Peter Shevlin
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Andy Watson
Executive 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk
► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: telegraph.co.uk/iran-war

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.