Donald Trump says the Iran war could be ended with a peace deal this weekend.

For the Gulf, everything is at stake. Battered by Iranian missiles and drones throughout the war and economically strangled by the Strait of Hormuz crisis, the Gulf states are desperate for the war to end - so much so that some are even having their own talks with Tehran.

Sophia Yan chats to UAE-based Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, associate fellow for Chatham House’s MENA programme, about why despite Iran’s aggression, countries there just want things to go back to how they were before the war.

Highlights:

• Trump says Iran war could end with peace deal this weekend
• Why the Gulf wishes the Iran war never happened

CONTRIBUTORS:

Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Associate Fellow MENA Programme Chatham House @AnisehBassiri

Producer: Max Bower

Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells

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► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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Is this the start of a new phase in the US-Iran war?

Following another night of US strikes on Iran and Tehran responding by hitting its Gulf neighbours, Donald Trump has today vowed to ramp things up even further tonight. Roland Oliphant discusses the latest news with chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair, and asks whether Trump can bomb his way out of the deadlock.

Plus, for the first time ever, the World Cup 2026 will see a nation host a team it's currently at war with. As the competition kicks off, sports news reporter Tom Morgan joins Roland Oliphant from Mexico to discuss the strength of each side's teams, the politics behind the visa and ticketing rows, and how Iran and USA could even face one another on the pitch.

Highlights

• Trump hits Iran with dozens of Tomahawks and vows to keep going
• The World Cup Iran war row: Everything you need to know

CONTRIBUTORS:

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

David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

Tom Morgan, sports news correspondent @Tom_Morgs

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Iran arrive at World Cup with swipe at US over attack on school

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/06/08/iran-team-arrive-mexico-world-cup-swipe-us-attack-school/

As cartels slink into shadows for the World Cup, horror remains

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/06/10/world-cup-mexico-search-victims-cartels-disappeared/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & 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/

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Trump has vowed Iran will “pay the price” after it launched multiple strikes on US bases throughout the Middle East.

The latest escalation came up after the US bombed Iran in response to a Shahed drone downing an American Apache helicopter in the Gulf of Oman. The crew were rescued by an unmanned boat - a US first. Venetia Rainey speaks to former US Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks about what this week’s events tell us about the growing role of autonomous systems in the military.

Plus, what is the Pentagon’s plan to combat the drone threat posed by enemies from Iran to China - and is it moving fast enough? Hicks and Aaron Sherman from the Atlantic Council talk about the Replicator project they launched in 2023 in the Department of Defence and why it’s more vital than ever.

Highlights

• Trump vows Iran will ‘pay the price’ for firing at US bases
• From Iran to China: inside the Pentagon's drone revolution

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey

Kathleen Hicks, former US Deputy Secretary of Defence

Aaron Sherman, non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Move Fast and Scale: A Brief Insiders' History of the Replicator Initiative

https://www.belfercenter.org/research-analysis/move-fast-and-scale-brief-insiders-history-replicator-initiative

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & 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.