Battle Lines
The Telegraph
Battle Lines is The Telegraph’s foreign policy, geopolitics and global conflict podcast. It offers expert analysis and on-the-ground reporting everywhere from China and the United States to the Middle East and Europe.
Twice a week, veteran foreign correspondents Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey bring you on-the-ground dispatches from the world’s most volatile regions and informed analysis from world-class experts.
Whether it’s the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Gaza conflict, Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, tensions between India and Pakistan, or the civil war in Sudan, Battle Lines covers the world’s most critical flashpoints with depth and clarity.
When will China invade Taiwan? Can Trump bring peace to the Middle East? What should Europe do to help Ukraine beat Russia? Is Iran building a nuclear bomb? What is the point of NATO? Can the United Kingdom still defend itself?
Created by David Knowles, Battle Lines answers all these questions and more, bringing together the best of The Telegraph’s international, geopolitical, and conflict reporting in one place.
Plus, every Friday, the podcast delves into the seismic impact US President Donald Trump is having on the world - from peace talks to tariffs to migration policy.
Don’t forget to follow and leave a review to stay updated on the latest in global conflict and foreign affairs.
Telegraph subscribers get early access to bonus episodes of Battle Lines and its sister podcast, Ukraine: The Latest. You can subscribe within The Telegraph app, or tap on ‘Already a subscriber’ at the top of this page to log in to link your existing subscription, for more information click here.
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Top 10 Battle Lines Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Battle Lines episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Battle Lines for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Battle Lines episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
02/28/25 • 32 min
As US President Donald Trump reshapes the Pentagon, Roland Oliphant speaks with Missy Ryan, National Security Correspondent at The Washington Post, to uncover the reasons behind the dismissal of top military officers and the potential impact of an 8% Pentagon budget cut. Plus: The Telegraph's Jerusalem correspondent, Henry Bodkin, talks us through the controversial AI-generated video envisioning "Trump’s Gaza."
Contact us with feedback or ideas:
@venetiarainey
@RolandOliphant
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03/29/24 • 45 min
In this episode of Battle Lines, we speak to the Telegraph’s Chief Political Correspondent Camilla Turner and US Editor Tony Diver on an alleged Chinese hacking plot against the UK and the US. Then we speak to Senior Foreign Correspondent Sophia Yan on her visit to Latvia to understand how the Baltic nations are mobilising to counter any future attack by the Russian Federation. Finally, we speak to Senior Foreign Correspondent Roland Oliphant on the rising tensions after decades of conflict, between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Contributors
David Knowles (Host) @djknowles22 on X
Camilla Turner (Chief Political Correspondent) @camillahmturner on X
Tony Diver (US Editor)@Tony_Diver on X
Sophia Yan (Senior Foreign Correspondent) @sophia_yan on X
Roland Oliphant (Roland Oliphant) @RolandOliphant on X
Read
The Latvian sandwich makers training to push Putin’s army into ‘kill zones’ by Sophia Yan
For 3 months access to The Telegraph for just £1: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/audio |
Email: [email protected]
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12/09/24 • 49 min
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Inside Russia's secret Libyan airbase
Battle Lines
12/06/24 • 37 min
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A war reporter reacts to the film 'Civil War'
Battle Lines
05/15/24 • 25 min
On today's episode, we speak to senior foreign correspondent Roland Oliphant, who recently saw the film Civil War, directed by Andrew Garland. Roland, as a war reporter, had some thoughts on the film and he shares them with us.
Contributors
David Knowles (Host) @djknowles22 on X.
Roland Oliphant (Host, Senior Foreign Correspondent) @rolandoliphant on X
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06/13/25 • 54 min
This episode was recorded before the strikes on Iran — a major development we’ll be discussing in detail in Monday’s episode.
Los Angeles has descended into chaos. A wave of ICE immigration raids has sparked mass protests, violent clashes with police, and nights of looting, fires, and fear. Now, President Trump has overridden Governor Gavin Newsom using a little-known legal loophole to send in the National Guard — and Marines are on the way.
The move has ignited a fierce political battle between California and the White House, raising questions about federal power, state rights, and the limits of presidential authority.
The Telegraph’s U.S. correspondent Susie Coen has spent the week in LA, documenting the unrest and capturing the mood of a city on the edge. And LA author Ryan Gattis joins us to reflect on how today’s turmoil compares to the 1992 riots — and what history tells us about what comes next.
Contact us with feedback or ideas:
@venetiarainey
@RolandOliphant
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03/12/25 • 52 min
On this Bonus episode, Roland Oliphant speaks with Reza Pahlavi, the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran who was overthrown in 1979. The Crown Prince has lived in exile ever since, but he now believes the regime could be heading for collapse and is positioning himself as the potential figurehead of a democratic transition. We asked him why he thinks Iran is headed for a revolution like the one that overthrew his father, why he believes he could lead such a change, and what he thinks Western governments should do in this delicate moment in Iranian history.
This episode is part of a new series of regular bonus material that Battle Lines will be releasing every month. From extended interviews with key political and defence figures to deep dives into the state of the world's biggest militaries, all you need to do to hear these episodes as soon as they're released is subscribe to The Telegraph and link your subscription in Apple Podcasts. For more information, click here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/contact-us/telegraph-subscription-bonus-content-apple-podcasts/
Read more
'Iran’s Crown Prince: My country is on the brink of a revolution like that of 1979' by Roland Oliphant:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/23/crown-prince-reza-pahlavi-iran-on-the-brink-of-revolution/
Contact us with feedback or ideas
@venetiarainey
@RolandOliphant
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Is Trump about to topple the Iran regime?
Battle Lines
06/18/25 • 68 min
In a bumper, bonus edition of Battle Lines, we are talking to Iranians themselves, those both inside and outside the country, pro and anti regime, to get a sense of how the nation is responding to these missile strikes, what the war could mean for both the regime and ordinary people, and what comes next.
Emotions on the ground and among the diaspora are running high, and the stakes are even higher. Israeli strikes have hit targets across the country, in populated parts of Tehran and other cities. Huge traffic jams have formed as people have tried to flee the capitol. There are petrol shortages and shops are closed. Iran hasn't seen this kind of attack since the war with Iraq in the 1980s.
Fereshteh Sadeghi is a freelance Iranian journalist based in Tehran, who considers herself a supporter of the regime. She shares the conversations she's had on the streets of her city about this war. Giving a very different perspective, we hear from Holly Dagres, author of The Iranist, a foreign policy newsletter for Iran watchers.
Plus we hear from Ali Vaez, the Iranian born Director of the Iran programme at Crisis Group,who tells us why the diplomacy had fallen apart so suddenly and dramatically, and whether there is any hope it could restart. And author of What Iranians Want, historian Arash Azizi, joins us to attempt to explain exactly that; what do the Iranian people want?
Contact us with feedback or ideas:
@venetiarainey
@RolandOliphant
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04/05/24 • 36 min
In this episode of Battle Lines, we reflect on the upcoming 6 month anniversary of the October 7th attacks in Israel that sparked an invasion of Gaza. We speak to the Telegraph’s Middle East Correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva and Senior Foreign Correspondent Sophia Yan as they reflect on the past 6 months and what the future holds for Israel, Hamas, and a Palestinian state.
Contributors
David Knowles (Host) @djknowles22 on X
Nataliya Vasilyeva (Middle East Correspondent) @Nat_Vasilyeva on X.
Sophia Yan (Senior Foreign Correspondent) @sophia_yan on X
Read
‘I tried to scrub the smell of death off my body...’: A war reporter’s Israel-Hamas diary by Nataliya Vasilyeva
For 3 months access to The Telegraph for just £1: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/audio |
Email: [email protected]
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01/19/24 • 52 min
In this episode of Battle Lines, Senior Foreign Correspondent Sophia Yan and Middle East Correspondent Natalia Vasilyeva bring us updates from the region as Iran and Pakistan trade missile strikes and the war in Gaza continues.
Plus Senior Foreign Correspondent Roland Oliphant looks at the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen, and explains where they come from and who their friends are.
Finally, we go to our Asia Correspondent, Nicola Smith, who analyses the continuing civil war in Myanmar as a rebel alliance pushes back the military junta's troops.
Contributors:
David Knowles (Host). @djknowles22 on X.
Nataliya Vasilyeva (Middle East Correspondent). @Nat_Vasilyeva on X.
Sophia Yan (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @sophia_yan on X.
Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X.
Nicola Smith (Asia Correspondent). @niccijsmith on X.
Read
Pakistan cuts ties with Iran after missile attack kills two children, by Sophia Yan
The Houthis: inside the powerful militia’s enigmatic mindset, by Roland Oliphant, Nataliya Vasilyeva and Sophia Yan
For 3 months access to The Telegraph for just £1: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/audio |
Email: [email protected] |
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FAQ
How many episodes does Battle Lines have?
Battle Lines currently has 154 episodes available.
What topics does Battle Lines cover?
The podcast is about News, Security, Defence, Middle East, News Commentary, Podcasts and China.
What is the most popular episode on Battle Lines?
The episode title 'Trump edition: 'Woke' Pentagon chiefs in firing line' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Battle Lines?
The average episode length on Battle Lines is 37 minutes.
How often are episodes of Battle Lines released?
Episodes of Battle Lines are typically released every 3 days, 12 hours.
When was the first episode of Battle Lines?
The first episode of Battle Lines was released on Oct 20, 2023.
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