After four weeks of war with Iran, is Donald Trump calling it quits?

The US president claims he is in advanced talks with a highly placed regime insider on a peace deal that would end Iran’s nuclear ambitions, reopen the strait of Hormuz, and give the country’s leadership a reason to make up with the rest of the Middle East.

Pakistan and Egypt say they have brokered a meeting between US Vice President J D Vance and an Iranian delegation in Islamabad later this week. But who is the mystery Iranian negotiator? Does Iran have any reason to stop fighting now? And if peace is about to break out, why is the Iran war on the battlefield accelerating?

Meanwhile, amid a bruising war with Israel, Iran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah is on the brink of total collapse.

Roland Oliphant is joined by David Blair, the Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator, and Lina Khatib, associate fellow for the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

Lina Khatib, associate fellow Chatham House @LinaKhatibUK

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Trump may have blinked, but his war of necessity will grind on

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/23/iran-war-no-end-in-sight/

Iran now has a clear path to victory

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/24/iran-now-has-a-clear-pathway-to-victory/

Producer: Elliot Lampitt

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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Could US Marines seize Kharg Island and reopen the Strait of Hormuz?

President Donald Trump has U-turned on his threat to bomb Iranian energy infrastructure after announcing a five-day moratorium and peace talks underway. But the Strait of Hormuz problem remains.

Iraq veteran, Ohio State University military historian and former US Colonel Peter Mansoor joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant to discuss the hard power options open to Trump, from taking an island in the waterway to invading the mainland coastline.

He also talks about the option of conducting special raids to seize enriched uranium to hobble Iran’s nuclear programme and explains why the war risks becoming a quagmire for the West akin to what he saw first-hand in Iraq.

Plus, The Telegraph’s acting defence editor Tom Cotterill explains what we know about the hugely significant Iranian ICBM attack on Britain’s Diego Garcia base and how worried the UK and Europe should be of repeat incidents.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Tom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillX

Peter Mansoor, chair military history Ohio State University

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Telegraph View: Britain must do what it can to open the Strait of Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-must-do-what-it-can-to-open-the-strait-of-hormuz/

Britain ‘defenceless against Iranian missiles’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-defenceless-against-iranian-missiles/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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Thousands of US Marines and sailors are heading towards Iran - does this mean boots on the ground?

Venetia Rainey is joined by Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps to discuss the war three weeks in, how to open the Strait of Hormuz and whether as part of it, Trump will order troops to take Kharg Island.

They also discuss whether this counts as a world war and why this conflict is likely deterring China from taking Taiwan by force for at least another few years.

Plus, how is Iran still able to inflict so much damage on its neighbours? University of Oslo missiles expert Fabian Hoffman explains why Iran’s launchers may run out before its missiles do and how much longer interceptor stocks in the Gulf and Israel could last.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Peter Apps, Reuters defence columnist @pete_apps

Fabian Hoffman, University of Oslo @FRHoffmann1

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive 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 battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

► 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.