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Israel-Iran conflict

The myth of Khamenei is over

As the US enters the war, Iranians huddle in the dark while their ruler retreats into paranoia. Rana Rahimpour reports on the mood in Tehran as power drains from the regime

Sunday, 22 June 2025

‘Fordow is gone’: the US enters the war in Iran

After ordering bunker-busting bombs to be dropped on the nuclear enrichment facility, Trump threatened that retaliatory strikes would end in “tragedy for Iran”

Sunday, 22 June 2025

The Observer view: an attack that could change the world

History may judge the attack on Fordow a strategic success, but that does not give the US or Israel license to topple the Iranian regime

Sunday, 22 June 2025

Despair of families watching attacks on Gaza food aid sites

With all eyes on Iran, starvation and killings at aid sites in Gaza continue unabated

Sunday, 22 June 2025

Israeli hackers steal $90m Iranian crypto – and ‘burn’ it

Predatory Sparrow group that targeted Iran’s largest crypto exchange may be sponsored by Israel as part of country’s political war

Saturday, 21 June 2025

The history of now: Israel and Iran

The two countries are often portrayed as arch-enemies but their shared history stretches back millennia and is marked by periods of cooperation and friendship

Sunday, 22 June 2025

The UK needs to prepare for regime change in Tehran

The government’s policy on Iran is not grounded in reality – Britain must come up with a comprehensive plan, and do so fast

Saturday, 21 June 2025

‘We don’t want Israel or the US handing us freedom on a drone.’ Tehran reacts to strikes

Amid the chaos and calls for evacuation, people are scrambling for food, internet access and information

Thursday, 19 June 2025

Israel says Iran was months from a nuclear weapon. Others aren’t so sure

Claims Iran is close to building a bomb have been made for decades

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

International law does not permit regime change in Iran

Diplomacy needs to continue and the rules followed, says barrister and professor of law Philippe Sands

Sunday, 22 June 2025

Israel’s strikes represent a stern test for Iran’s ayatollahs

Attacks by Israel could convince Iran it needs nuclear weapons to deter future aggression

Monday, 16 June 2025

An ‘easy target’? Killing the ayatollah would be almost unprecedented

Donald Trump’s rejection of Israel’s proposal to assassinate Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, revealed an extraordinary conversation. There is little precedent for presidents or prime ministers killing their opposite numbers, even in wartime

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Any Israeli sense of victory will be short lived

Israel may have the intelligence, the capability and impunity to attack its enemies, but it cannot destroy them

Saturday, 14 June 2025

The last thing we need is a new war diverting attention from Gaza

Unlike Hamas, Iran is the enemy Israel wants – and thinks it can defeat

Sunday, 15 June 2025

Starmer deploys jets to Middle East after Iran threats

While urging Israel and Iran to reach a diplomatic solution, the prime minister ordered additional RAF planes to the region

Monday, 16 June 2025

How close Iran was to a making a nuclear bomb

Israel has struck a potentially fatal blow to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. How close they were to completing a bomb remains in question

Monday, 16 June 2025

No ordinary war: we have entered the age of impunity

The US once held Netanyahu back. Israel’s attacks on Iran prove that restraint has gone

Sunday, 15 June 2025

Iran’s nuclear brinkmanship can't mask decline

As repression tightens in Tehran, so has the rhetoric about Israel

Saturday, 14 June 2025

36 mins • S1, E242

What happens if the Iranian regime falls?

Could the latest developments in Iran and Israel end the Cold War of the Middle East? Why has it taken 40 years to start the process of identifying the bodies of 800 unknown babies in Ireland? And will President Trump’s MAGA support base buy into his family’s latest venture? Rebecca Moore is joined by the Observer’s managing editor Jess Winch, NPR’s Lauren Frayer and co-host of Good Bad Billionaire Zing Tsjeng, as they battle it out for the top story of the day.

Wednesday, 18 June 2025

37 mins • S1, E241

What Netanyahu wants Trump to do about Iran

In this special episode of The News Meeting, Jess Winch is joined by Jerusalem-based reporter Noga Tarnopolsky, along with The Observer’s Chloe Hadjimatheou and Stephen Armstrong. Together, they unpack the Middle East conflict through the perspectives of America, Israel and Iran.

Monday, 16 June 2025

8 mins • S1, E1127

Why is Benjamin Netanyahu striking Iran?

What does the escalating conflict in the middle east mean for Iran, its regime and hopes for a new nuclear deal with the US?

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

44 mins • S1, E240

Why is Israel striking Iran?

OpenAI’s Sam Altman self-publishes chat GPT’s water and energy consumption for the first time, but how can tech companies continue to expand in a more sustainable way? How will RFK Jr’s appointment of known anti-vaxers to the CDC panel shape vaccination policy in the US? And are generational labels a problematic myth? Following Israeli strikes on Iran, The Observer’s Chloe Hadjimatheou and Jess Winch discuss the latest developments in the Middle East. Then, Jess Winch is joined by award winning journalist and best selling author of Empire of AI Karen Hao; plus, The Observer’s Alexi Mostrous and James Tapper, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

Friday, 13 June 2025

36 mins • S1, E276

The hunt for Iran's next Supreme Leader

Iran is at an inflection point on the international stage and at home. Uncertainty, unrest and war have shaken it, and there are questions over how long their 85-year-old leader will be able to carry on. So who rules Iran when Ayatollah Khamenei dies? And what will that reveal about a deeply opaque country?

Monday, 30 September 2024

43 mins • S1, E246

The State of Netanyahu: Mr Right - Episode 1

Benjamin Netanyahu has arguably shaped his country's image more than anyone else in the world. But his actions have put at risk Israel's relationship with its closest allies and potential partners for peace.

Tuesday, 19 March 2024

52 mins • S1, E247

The State of Netanyahu: The Magician - Episode 2

Benjamin Netanyahu has arguably shaped his country's image more than anyone else in the world. But his actions have put at risk Israel's relationship with its closest allies and potential partners for peace. This is the second episode in our three-part series, as Donald Macintyre looks into a pivotal period in Netanyahu's leadership, the eleven year period from 2009 right up until the pandemic, 2020

Tuesday, 19 March 2024

45 mins • S1, E248

The State of Netanyahu: The Failure - Episode 3

Benjamin Netanyahu has arguably shaped his country's image more than anyone else in the world. But his actions have put at risk Israel's relationship with its closest allies and potential partners for peace. In this episode Donald Macintyre looks into Benjanmin Netanyahu's leadership from 2023 until the present day. This is episode 3.

Tuesday, 19 March 2024

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