Latest: Trump Threatens to ‘Annihilate’ Iran as China Upgrades Djibouti Military Base
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Donald Trump has once again threatened to "annihilate" the Iranian regime, saying he faces a major decision on how to proceed with the Iran war but will consult with his Gulf allies at the UN General Assembly next week first.
On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe about whether Trump will execute his strike threat given Washington appears to lack the risk appetite for further military escalation. They unpack how the US and Saudi Arabia are smuggling millions of barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz to keep prices down, and what it says about the crippled Iranian military’s inability to police the narrow waterway.
Plus, satellite imagery reveals China is upgrading its military base in Djibouti near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Yemen’s Houthis claim their first fatality in this round of strikes on Saudi Arabia, and what a looming US naval drawdown in the Gulf means for Western security.
00:00:00 - Strait of Hormuz Tanker Attack & Houthi Strikes Update
00:02:51 - Donald Trump Threatens to "Annihilate" Iran Ahead of UN Summit
00:06:21 - GCC Alliances & The Changing US Military Presence in the Middle East
00:12:50 - Satellite Imagery Exposes Upgraded Chinese Military Base in Djibouti
00:17:40 - Bab-el-Mandeb Chokepoint: Why the Red Sea Axis Threatens Global Trade
00:24:17 - Will the UK Navy Intervene in Yemen? UK Military Aid Explained
00:28:21 - Dark Fleet & Ship-to-Ship Transfers: How Oil Bypasses the Hormuz Blockade 00:32:44 - Sea Blindness & Naval Vulnerabilities: Lessons from the US Iran Blockade
00:37:26 - Is the Royal Navy Facing Its Greatest Crisis in Decades?
00:39:21 - The Hybrid Navy: Autonomous Drones & Future Naval Warfare Tactics
Highlights
Trump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran as China upgrades Djibouti military base
Inside the Strait of Hormuz dark route: ship-to-ship transfers and US escorts
CONTRIBUTORS:
Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant
Tom Sharpe, former Royal Navy commander @TomSharpe134
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Daniel DePetris: Iran is proving it can push America out of the Middle East
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ne....ws/2026/09/18/iran-w
Pentagon exposes mass US aircraft losses and base damage from Iran war
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/wo....rld-news/2026/09/17/
CSIS: China Upgrades Its Military Base in Djibouti
https://features.csis.org/hidd....enreach/china-djibou
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
Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh
Studio Operator: Andy Watson
Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey
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