As the US and Iran meet in Qatar, the UK has unveiled £15 billion in defence spending – but is it all a giant “fudge” to avoid humiliation by Donald Trump at next week’s Nato summit?
Announcing the Defence Investment Plan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer boasted it meant the UK is spending 4.2% of GDP on wider security. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey talks to Ukraine: the Latest host and defence associate editor Dom Nicholls about why the numbers don’t add up.
Plus, they unpack the UK’s high-stakes gamble on exquisite uncrewed autonomous aircraft and vessels and why the UK is ignoring the vital lesson from wars in Ukraine and Iran: expensive tech cannot replace raw mass.
Highlights
Starmer ‘fudges’ defence spending to avoid Trump clash at Nato. Will it work?
The plan that proves the UK hasn’t learned the mass drone lesson from Iran and Ukraine
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Dom Nicholls, Ukraine: the Latest host and defence associate editor @DomNicholls
CONTENT REFERENCED:
Gulf plans to cut the US out of Iran deal
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/30/gulf-states-plan-to-cut-the-us-out-of-iran-deal/
Iran says frozen $6bn will soon be returned as part of peace deal
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/29/iran-frozen-assets-us-sanctions-peace-deal/
Producer: Max Bower
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells
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Credit to : The Telegraph