Iran: The Latest
UAE cuts Iran’s economic lifeline after ‘ballistic missile strikes’
The UAE has dealt Iran a major blow by cutting off trade ties after accusing Tehran of firing two ballistic missiles towards the Gulf state. The missiles eventually landed outside territorial waters, but Abu Dhabi’s swift response could close down Iran’s key economic escape route. On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest , Sophia Yan unpacks the latest news from the Middle East war with Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of Technology Threats & Opportunities program at digital human rights group WITNESS. They discuss Iran’s state-backed cyber attacks against the West, how the Internet blackout has affected Iran’s economy and the unsophisticated AI around Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Plus, a new Iranian draft law that would criminalise speaking to foreign media, and news reports that Iran is assessing potential strikes against US military assets in Europe. Highlights UAE cuts Iran’s economic lifeline after ‘ballistic missile strikes’ How the Internet blackout has affected Iran’s economy CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - UAE Imposes Trade Embargo Following Iranian Missile Attack 00:01:11 - Trump Denies Iran Talks as Hormuz Blockade Escalates 00:03:06 - Ground Reality: 90 Million Iranians Face Internal Warfare 00:06:04 - Khamenei Disappears: AI Deepfakes Fuel Regime Crisis 00:08:58 - US-Israel-Iran Conflict Drives Unprecedented AI Information War 00:11:50 - Regime Weapons-Grade Propaganda Targets US Political Divide 00:14:15 - White SIM Cards: How Elite Insiders Profit Off Internet Blackouts 00:22:27 - US DOJ Charges 17 Iranian Hackers Over Mass Cyber Theft 00:24:57 - Tehran Criminalizes Media Contact Under Zionist Law 00:33:50 - Regime Insider Warning: Iran Prepares Strikes on US Bases in Europe CONTRIBUTORS: Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of Technology Threats & Opportunities program at WITNESS @mahsaalimardani WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk CONTENT REFERENCED: US-Iran talks have stopped, says Trump https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/08/18/us-iran-talks-have-stopped-says-trump/ 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 Audio Producer: David Dargahi Video Producer: 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
