US and Israel draw up plans to target Iranian nuclear sites

Further details have emerged regarding US-Israeli plans for a joint military campaign against Iran after the midterm elections. Following sightings of Israeli Air Force jets flying up to the Iranian border on Monday, plans for a three-day military blitz on Iran’s nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure were revealed to the New York Times. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to Reuters global defence commentator Peter Apps about whether a renewed campaign can force Tehran’s hand or if it will trigger a devastating cycle of retaliation across Gulf energy fields. They examine the collapse of Iran’s shadow tanker fleet, escalating Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia, and whether expanding cyber warfare and drone technology mean the West is already entangled in a broader global conflict. Plus, what would be the global impact of Iranian attacks on undersea cables in the Persian Gulf, and why Russian trawlers are spying on critical British subsea infrastructure. 00:00:00 - US-Israel Renewed Strike Plans & Regional Military Activity 00:02:30 - Iran Shadow Tankers Run Dry & Middle East Escalation 00:04:42 - US Embassy Staff Reductions & Ongoing Proxy Campaign 00:06:06 - Potential Gulf Energy Infrastructure Strikes & Global Impacts 00:09:23 - Iranian Warnings Against Short-Sharp War Strategy 00:13:38 - Global Interconnected Conflicts & Expanding Proxy War Dynamics 00:17:33 - AI Vulnerabilities & Emergent Cyber Warfare Threats 00:22:48 - Autonomous Maritime Drones & Undersea Warfare Advancements 00:29:00 - Threats to Undersea Data Cables & Energy Infrastructure 00:32:38 - Pacific Flashpoint: Japan-China Tensions & Tech Supply Chains Highlights Iran’s ‘shadow fleet’ has run out of oil after a monthslong US blockade. How conflicts around the world are inextricably linked and are AI cyber attacks dragging the West into global war? CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Peter Apps, global defence commentator for Reuters @pete_apps CONTENT REFERENCED: US and Israel practise fresh strikes on Iran’s border https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-new... US withdraws diplomats from Saudi Arabia https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-new... Netanyahu pushes for new strikes against Iran before Israeli election https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-new... Iran threatens to cut Hormuz internet cables https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-new... Exclusive: Putin sends fishing trawlers to spy on Britain https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026... Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026 Bronze Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026 Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026 Winner Podcast of the Year - London Press Club Awards 2026 The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026 Producers: Peter Shevlin and Max Bower 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: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ #IranTheLatest #MiddleEast #USIranWar #Taiwan #Geopolitics