Trump has trapped US in Iran war as world stands by: diplomat’s damning verdict | Iran latest news

‘If there were a university delivering degrees in strategic malpractice, Donald Trump would without a doubt graduate summa cum laude.’

On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant gets a damning assessment of the US-Iran war from one of America’s most seasoned Middle East diplomats, Aaron David Miller. A former State Department analyst and negotiator across six Republican and Democratic administrations and now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Miller delivers a blunt verdict on Washington’s strategic failures.

As the Middle East conflict hits the six-month mark and the Strait of Hormuz remains officially closed, he explains why he can see no clear exit options for Trump. Despite Washington unleashing an “economic D-Day” and the “toughest sanctions in history,” Tehran shows no sign of backing down.

Plus, why Secretary of State Marco Rubio is MIA and how a “serious retrenchment” of US forces in the Gulf is likely, amid news that some bases may not be fully rebuilt after the war.

Highlights
‘Trump would graduate summa cum laude in strategic malpractice’
Veteran US diplomat Aaron David Miller on the US-Iran war

CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Aaron David Miller, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace @aarondmiller2

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

Video Producer: Max Bower
Audio Producer: David Dargahi
Researcher and Social Producer: Natalia Makohon
Studio Operator: Andy Watson
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey

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