‘A forever mission': US colonel on Trump's Strait of Hormuz quagmire

Could US Marines seize Kharg Island and reopen the Strait of Hormuz?

President Donald Trump has U-turned on his threat to bomb Iranian energy infrastructure after announcing a five-day moratorium and peace talks underway. But the Strait of Hormuz problem remains.

Iraq veteran, Ohio State University military historian and former US Colonel Peter Mansoor joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant to discuss the hard power options open to Trump, from taking an island in the waterway to invading the mainland coastline.

He also talks about the option of conducting special raids to seize enriched uranium to hobble Iran’s nuclear programme and explains why the war risks becoming a quagmire for the West akin to what he saw first-hand in Iraq.

Plus, The Telegraph’s acting defence editor Tom Cotterill explains what we know about the hugely significant Iranian ICBM attack on Britain’s Diego Garcia base and how worried the UK and Europe should be of repeat incidents.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Tom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillX

Peter Mansoor, chair military history Ohio State University

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Telegraph View: Britain must do what it can to open the Strait of Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-must-do-what-it-can-to-open-the-strait-of-hormuz/

Britain ‘defenceless against Iranian missiles’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-defenceless-against-iranian-missiles/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

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