Iran quits US talks, vows escalation after Israel orders Beirut strikes

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Iran has pulled out of peace talks to end the war with the US, accusing Israel of breaking the ceasefire by ordering strikes on Beirut. Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey discuss the latest news, which comes after a series of military escalations over the weekend, including more tit-for-tat bombing between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile in Lebanon, the Israeli army scored a symbolic and strategic victory by capturing Beaufort Castle as part of its expanding offensive in the country’s south, amid fierce fighting with Hezbollah. Plus, how did Iran become a corrupt mafia state? Iranian journalists Yeganeh Torbati (New York Times) and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin (Iran International) have written a new book on the subject, Stolen Revolution, and join the show to explain why the war is likely to make things even worse. CONTRIBUTORS: Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Yeganeh Torbati, journalist and author of Stolen Revolution @yjtorbati Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, journalist and author of Stolen Revolution @bozorgmehr CONTENT REFERENCED: Kasra Aarabi and Saeid Golkar: The West is ignoring the dangerous new partnership reshaping Iran from within https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/29/shadowy-new-hardline-alliance-reshaping-irans-regime/ Producer: Max Bower 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/