Back of the Stand with Mark Saggers

A fiery debate erupts on Talk War as former British ambassador to Iran Sir Richard Dalton clashes with Julia Hartley-Brewer over the legality of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Dalton insists the conflict is “an illegal war” and accuses Western leaders of escalating tensions, while the discussion turns heated over whether Iran was truly on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. The episode explo...

As the Iran conflict intensifies, Talk War brings together some of the sharpest voices in geopolitics and intelligence to unpack what happens next. Talk’s International Editor Isabel Oakeshott reacts to Britain’s slow military response, admitting “I’m embarrassed” as HMS Dragon finally heads toward the region while allies move faster. With the Strait of Hormuz under threat and global shipping disr...

As tensions in the Middle East escalate, this episode examines what the Iran crisis means for Britain at home and abroad. Andrew Fox argues the UK has little to add militarily to the US and Israel, but says Britain should be showing firmer diplomatic support, including proscribing the IRGC. He also warns that the current moment has exposed a deeper problem: Britain’s armed forces are badly managed...

Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, has emerged as the regime’s new hardline figurehead. Former Iranian political prisoner Sheeva Maboudi says the move changes nothing for ordinary Iranians, describing it as an internal show of strength for the regime, the IRGC and its regional proxies rather than a genuine shift in power. She argues the Iranian people are united first and foremost a...

Jeremy Kyle speaks to former head of the British Army Lord Richard Dannatt about the escalating Iran conflict, the role of Donald Trump and whether the war could spiral further across the Middle East. Dannatt explains the likely military objectives — weakening Iran’s missile capability and stopping a nuclear weapon — but warns regime change is far less likely and the conflict could drag on as ener...

Julia Hartley-Brewer examines the fallout from the Iran conflict as Sir Keir Starmer comes under pressure over Britain’s response, the fraying US relationship and serious questions about UK military readiness. Speaking to former security minister Tom Tugendhat, Julia hears that while Britain is entitled to make its own decisions, Starmer has somehow alienated Washington, Tehran and his own backben...

Jeremy Kyle speaks to Talk International Editor Isabel Oakeshott from Dubai as the Iran conflict deepens and Donald Trump turns on Sir Keir Starmer. Oakeshott says Britain’s response has looked “woefully lacking”, with HMS Dragon still in Portsmouth and the UK appearing unable to match the pace of allies in the Middle East. The episode asks whether Starmer’s handling of Iran has weakened Britain’s...

Alex Phillips speaks to Brendan O’Neill (Spiked), Rear Admiral Chris Parry (former NATO and Royal Navy commander) and Sir Liam Fox (former UK Defence Secretary) as the Iran conflict intensifies and Britain’s role comes under fierce scrutiny. O’Neill argues the UK should be “shoulder to shoulder” with allies, saying the Iranian regime and its proxies have targeted British citizens and that governme...

Jeremy Kyle speaks to Dr Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, and Tom Tugendhat MP, former UK Security Minister, about the escalating Iran crisis and Britain’s response. Dr Diker says Israel sees the current confrontation with Iran as a defining moment for the Western alliance, warning the Iranian regime has threatened both Israel and the United States sin...

Jeremy Kyle speaks to former Conservative minister Steve Baker as criticism grows over the UK government’s handling of the escalating Iran crisis. The discussion comes after a British evacuation flight from Oman was delayed due to a technical fault, fuelling anger about what Jeremy calls a “terrible narrative of decline” in Britain’s ability to respond during international emergencies. Baker argue...

Jeremy Kyle speaks to former RAF fighter pilot and military analyst Sean Bell as the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran intensifies. Bell explains that while American forces have already degraded significant parts of Iran’s military capability, the situation remains unpredictable. He says Washington’s initial goals appeared to be stopping Iran’s nuclear programme and forcing regim...

Ian Collins speaks to former Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy and international law barrister Natasha Hausdorff as Israel and the United States intensify strikes against Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. Levy describes daily missile sirens and bomb shelter alerts inside Israel but says morale remains strong, insisting the conflict is about survival. “The Iranian regime has sworn d...

Ian Collins is joined by Conservative peer Lord Daniel Hannan as Donald Trump’s “no Churchill” swipe at Sir Keir Starmer detonates across Westminster and Washington. Hannan says the criticism has simply “caught up with where 85% of the British public is”, arguing Starmer’s instinctive response to the Iran war has been driven by a rigid, legalistic worldview — and that it’s colliding head-on with a...

Samara Gill hosts a special Talk discussion on the escalating Iran crisis, speaking to Erol Morkoc of Republicans Overseas and Iranian political commentator Younes Sadaghiani about Donald Trump’s military strategy, the future of the Iranian regime and growing criticism of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. Moorcock argues US strikes were “inevitable”, describing Trump’s approach as “dovish on boots on...

Alex Phillips speaks to Tom Sharpe OBE, former Royal Navy Commander, about the state of Britain’s naval power as tensions rise globally and questions grow over the UK’s ability to protect its interests at sea. Sharpe warns the public often forgets the Navy’s importance, pointing out that “almost everything you own has been imported from the sea” — yet political support for naval investment typical...

Alex Phillips speaks to Israeli Foreign Ministry Special Envoy and former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum as tensions with Iran escalate and global leaders clash over how to respond. Hassan-Nahoum delivers a stark warning about Western leadership, telling Talk that Donald Trump is right to criticise Sir Keir Starmer — arguing the Prime Minister is “no Churchill” and warning the West...

Jeremy Kyle led a blistering Talk Breakfast special as the Middle East war dominated the agenda — with live updates from Dubai, anger over UK military readiness, and renewed fallout from Donald Trump’s attack on Keir Starmer. International editor Isabel Oakeshott joined from Dubai to describe a growing sense of national humiliation as Greek and French forces moved to protect the region while the U...

Jeremy Kyle speaks to Mail on Sunday commentator Dan Hodges who says "We've got British territory being attacked... so by definition, the Government has already failed to defend British territory."  Downing Street is in damage-limitation mode after Donald Trump’s personal broadside at Sir Keir Starmer — insisting the US-UK “special relationship” remains intact even as the Middle East war acce...

Kevin O’Sullivan tackles the UK-US rupture over Iran after Donald Trump publicly attacks Keir Starmer for restricting US access to RAF bases and Diego Garcia — and questions whether the “special relationship” has taken its biggest hit in years. First, Kevin is joined by Jim Jatras, former US diplomat and ex–Republican Senate foreign policy adviser, who says Americans are focused less on Britain’s...

As tensions rise between Israel, Iran and the United States, Ian Collins speaks to Urban Coningham, Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), and Middle East journalist Emily Schrader about what this conflict means for Britain. With Donald Trump hardening his stance and Keir Starmer facing pressure over the UK’s position, the panel examines: Could Iran retaliate against UK int...

Jeremy Kyle goes live to Nashville to speak with Steve Gill, a former adviser to the Clinton and Bush administrations, as the Iran crisis escalates and Donald Trump’s patience with Keir Starmer appears to snap. Gill explains what the White House says are the three core objectives driving US action — stopping Iran’s nuclear ambition, halting ballistic missile development, and choking off Tehran’s g...

On Talk Breakfast, Jeremy Kyle speaks to Arab-Israeli journalist Yosef Haddad about the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, anti-Semitism in the West and the future of the Iranian regime. Haddad, a Christian Arab citizen of Israel, says Israelis — both Jews and Arabs — are “behind our army until we win”, arguing that Iran’s leadership has destabilised the Middle East for decades. He rejects claims th...

Jeremy Kyle is joined by former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove for a blunt assessment of the Iran crisis, the terror threat to Britain and Keir Starmer’s handling of the special relationship with Donald Trump. Dearlove says the Prime Minister “sat on the fence when he didn’t need to”, arguing the UK should have immediately backed the US and Israel as Australia and Canada did. He dismisses overreli...

On Talk, Jeremy Kyle speaks to Sir Richard Dalton, former UK Ambassador to Iran, for a sharp and at times fiery debate over Britain’s stance in the escalating conflict with Tehran. Dalton rejects claims that the UK has been weak, arguing Britain has taken a “judicious position” by assisting defensive operations while avoiding full-scale war. He insists international law must remain the foundation...

Kevin O’Sullivan speaks to former British Ambassador to Iran Sir Nicholas Hopton about whether US and Israeli strikes can realistically trigger regime change in Tehran. Drawing on his time in post, Hopton says the Iranian regime is deeply unpopular but still resilient, warning there is currently “no sign” of a nationwide uprising despite isolated celebrations following the killing of senior figure...