Final days to claim your email-exclusive offer | Iran: The latest and your questions answered | An oil depot exploded in Tehran on Saturday night |  | Ben Farmer Reporting from Dubai | With the Middle East conflict in its second week, Donald Trump is firing diplomatic rockets at Britain, even as American and Israeli forces continue to pound Iran.
Hours after it was disclosed that the Royal Navy was preparing an aircraft carrier for possible deployment to the Middle East, the US president responded with more criticism of the UK’s failure to help America sooner.
Trump called the UK “our once great ally” and said the Navy’s carrier was not needed any more. He wrote: “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won!”
Meanwhile, Israeli forces said overnight they had struck a Beirut hotel to target commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Several oil depots were also hit in Iran, in what appeared to be the first strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure since the war began.
Follow the latest updates in our live blog ➤
Trump tells Starmer: We don’t need your aircraft carriers ➤
In this newsletter and in From the Editor PM (which you can sign up to here), we asked you for your questions on the Iran war for our reporters based in the war zone and around the world. Our inbox was flooded with brilliant questions. Here is a selection and our experts’ answers:
Damian Shipton: Do you see this spiralling into World War Three?
No. The only way for that to happen would be for America to clash with Russia or China or both. However, there is zero chance of either Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping risking war with the United States for the sake of Iran’s regime.
Russia might give some help to Iran’s leadership – reports suggest they may be passing on targeted information about US forces in the Middle East – and China will seize the opportunity to denounce America around the world.
Even so, that is almost certainly where matters will end. Russia and China will both stay out of this conflict.
– David Blair, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator
Another reader asked: Why is Iran being targeted regarding nuclear weapons and not other countries who we are told are doing the same?
This war is not primarily about Iran’s nuclear programme: America and Israel have destroyed the country’s navy and air force and as many of its ballistic missiles as possible.
They are trying to weaken Iran in every way, including by killing its leadership.
The 12-day war last June was when Israel and America pulverised Iran’s nuclear plants. Why were they worried about Iran’s nuclear ambitions?  | | Mourners in the city of Qom attend the funeral of those killed in the conflict | Remember that Iran has signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and agreed never to build nuclear weapons. Yet, before last year’s war, Iran had enriched a stockpile of uranium to the very threshold of what you would need to make a nuclear bomb. I don’t know of any other signatory to the NPT that has done the same.
– David Blair, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator
Vittal Vandavasu: How realistic is the idea of Kurdish fighters taking territory inside Iran?
This is a question the Iranian Kurdish fighters may very well be asking themselves. The answer, however, could vary significantly depending on the ultimate goal. Trump has said he isn’t looking for regime change, but wants a say in picking the next leader. However, the Iranian Kurd separatist groups have spoken publicly about their goals for greater “self-determination” in the event of regime change. While both Trump and the Kurds oppose the regime, they are targeting different stated outcomes.
If the Kurdish fighters entered Iran, would they be taking territory to hold for themselves, or not? If the former, could they manage to hold it long-term or would they be challenged by other groups, potentially fracturing the nation and risking civil war?
– Sophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent
Hugh Cowan asked: Why is it taking so long for the Navy to leave port and go south?
The Navy no longer has any major warship in the region. So it would always take around a week to arrive.
However, it also did not have a ship prepared to deploy. It means HMS Dragon, which was still undergoing maintenance, has to be armed and supplied and then get its ship’s company on board. .jpg) | | Crew members boarded HMS Dragon at the in Portsmouth early on Wednesday morning | Some of the maintenance work also has to be finished first, which is slowing things down.
We have written a lot about the demise of our Navy. You may find this brilliant analysis by David Blair and this news piece on the delays helpful.
– Tom Cotterill, Defence Editor
Jane Emmerson: What chance do the Kurdish fighters realistically have of success in overthrowing the present regime?
On their own, Iranian Kurdish fighters would face a David vs Goliath scenario. Figures I’ve heard range wildly from a few hundred to a few thousand; some experts estimate they have 1,500 fighters at best. Kurd groups themselves have refused to say anything about this publicly. In wartime, there are reasons to let both artificially high and low numbers circulate.
Even without knowing their true strength, the Kurds would be outnumbered and outgunned. However, they could be nimble and mighty, launching surprise attacks to harass, disrupt or deter the Iranian regime.  | | Demonstrators hold images of Iran’s late supreme leader during an anti-Israeli and US rally in Tehran | Still, to really make an impact the Kurds would need US and Israeli help from the skies to destroy enough personnel and infrastructure that the regime’s security forces would offer little or no resistance, simply laying down their arms. They’d also need a groundswell of public support and an uprising to overthrow the regime.
It’s a lot of what ifs – not impossible, but also not a guaranteed chain of events.
My colleague Memphis Barker wrote this piece on this subject, which you might find useful.
– Sophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent
Another reader asked: Why are we not using Gibraltar as a base for our ships?
Gibraltar has been used in the past by the Navy. Ships from the carrier strike group stopped over last year during their trip to the Far East, and nuclear submarine HMS Astute arrived there briefly a few weeks ago before she sailed for Australia.
The main point around why Gibraltar isn’t yet being used is that we don’t have the ships currently at sea to get there. That’s because the fleet has shrunk – and a large bulk of it is undergoing maintenance following last year’s nine-month carrier strike mission, as well as major long-term upgrades.
– Tom Cotterill, Defence Editor
Clive Saunders: Iran has attacked neighbouring Arab countries with drones and missiles. Why have they not responded?
The Gulf states are no great friends of Iran’s regime, but they also fear the escalation that could come from all-out war and the anarchy that could also come from an unpredictable change of government in Tehran. Both would be harmful to the sense of stability they want to portray. | Missiles launched by Iran as part of retaliatory attacks | The past six days have, therefore, put them in a tight spot: do they retaliate and risk escalation, or sit on their hands and look weak to their populations? So far, they have chosen restraint, even though several of the states have capable militaries.
Fortunately for them, their air defences are so far performing well. In the United Arab Emirates for example, the military has been able to intercept and shoot down well over 90 per cent of incoming drones and missiles.
– Ben Farmer, Foreign Correspondent, in Dubai
Mark Hutchison asked: Where is China in all of this?
Beijing has always believed the West’s traditional alliances would lead to its eventual downfall.
Xi Jinping is likely to believe he’s seeing that right now, as the US has quickly dragged its allies into an impossible scenario. American partners have been sucked into the war, either forced to offer up military resources or attacked for hosting US troops – in Britain’s case, both.
This is also why China hasn’t rushed to offer Iran greater support – why expose itself without any benefits?
For now, China will feel the pinch with a global shipping crisis and rising energy prices. But in the long run, Beijing sees the current scenario as part of a broader trend: a faltering US-led world order paving the way for the new China model.
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard on the business desk covered this topic in his comment piece, which you can read here.
– Sophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent
Thanks to everyone who sent in a question. As the war continues to rumble on, we hope to do another Q&A in future. Please keep your questions coming by emailing us here. | | Jonathan Ganesh lost two friends and was severely wounded in the IRA’s bombing of London’s Docklands in 1996 |  | Robert Mendick Chief Reporter | Jonathan Ganesh has been waiting a long time to look Gerry Adams in the eye. Next week, he will finally get his chance.
Adams is to appear in court to face accusations that played a “pivotal role in the Provisional IRA”, in a case brought by terror victims, including Ganesh. They are suing Adams for symbolic damages of just £1. Thirty years ago, Ganesh was severely wounded in the IRA’s devastating bombing of London’s Docklands. Two people – friends of Ganesh – were killed.
Adams, to be clear, strongly denies ever being a member of the IRA and as recently as last year, won substantial damages and costs against the BBC, having successfully brought a libel action in Dublin against the corporation.
| Gerry Adams, pictured here in Sinn Féin posters on a Belfast wall in 1998, made a failed legal bid to reveal the identities of the witnesses giving evidence against him | Ahead of the court case, The Telegraph has unearthed a diplomatic cable in which Sir John Major identified Adams as a member of the IRA’s Army Council, the decision-making body of the Provisional IRA.
In the cable, dated March 5 1997, just a couple of months before he left Downing Street, Sir John tells Madeleine Albright, the then US secretary of state, that both Adams and Martin McGuinness, who would become deputy first minister in the Northern Ireland government, had been members of the IRA army council.
According to the cable, Sir John reportedly told Albright: “Adams and McGuinness were both on the Army Council and had been so for many years. The idea that the military wing acts without the knowledge of the political side is fanciful. They all knew and all set the strategy together.”
Read the full article ➤
Gerry Adams was senior IRA commander, official files say ➤ | | Matthew Gould Belief in a conspiracy of malign UK interference in Persian affairs goes wide and deep Continue reading ➤ Janet Daley The Arab states are a greater victim of Iran’s evil regime than the West Continue reading ➤ Daniel Hannan Starmer has delighted our enemies, disheartened our friends and debased our nation Continue reading ➤ | | To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. |  | A truly disastrous day for Steve Borthwick saw England lose to Italy for the very first time, piling pressure on the head coach. England has now lost three matches in a row but this was the worst defeat yet. Oliver Brown writes that the England players no longer look like they are fighting for their coach.
England threw away a winning position in a total capitulation, which Daniel Schofield has dissected, and very few players, if any, came out with credit in our player ratings.
Will Greenwood’s biggest frustration was England’s insistence on kicking the ball away at every opportunity. Borthwick has insisted he is the right man for the job, but he really needs his England side to deliver a performance in the final round against France, where they will be huge underdogs.
Italy beating England was not the only upset of the day, however, as Scotland blew this topsy-turvy championship wide open by upsetting France in a 90-point epic.
Scotland, Ireland and France all have a chance of winning the title next weekend, while England seeks to avoid winning only one game in a Six Nations campaign for the very first time. | | It is understood that the Defence Secretary promised Rachel Reeves that he would not need to come back for more cash | | Britain’s Armed Forces have been squeezed so severely that the Ministry of Defence is now “down to removing biscuits” to save cash, writes Matt Oliver, our Industry Editor. With HMS Dragon set to arrive in Cyprus a fortnight late, a £28bn funding shortfall threatens the nation’s military readiness. With the Treasury playing hardball, generals face an impossible choice. Continue reading ➤ | | | Irish author John Banville, 80, pictured in his home in Dublin | | “I’m very indiscreet in interviews,” says Ireland’s greatest living writer. He proves his point over a few glasses of wine in his Dublin home, talking entertainingly and intelligently about his country’s self-delusions, the death of the literary “big beast”, the “dark comedy” of growing old, and his own notoriously complex romantic life. Continue reading ➤ | |  | | Heather and Edward Cavenagh-Mainwaring in their ancestral home of Whitmore Hall | | For 940 years, the Cavenagh-Mainwaring family has held Staffordshire’s Whitmore Hall. Now, 34th-generation owner Edward is trying to tame the 1,450-acre estate. A sinkhole for energy and money, the historic home has grown into a heavy burden. To save his 17-year-old daughter Adelaide from the same fate, Edward has launched Operation Simplify, including swapping dairy herds for a £7.50-a-head wild swimming sanctuary. Balancing tradition and the modern cost of living is, it turns out, a tough task. Continue reading ➤ | | | | | Rosie Moss, 45, whose husband, Ben, died in a diving accident in 2018, now hosts a podcast and has written a book about coping with grief | | When my husband died suddenly, I was left with three small children and a maelstrom of emotions, writes Rosie Moss. I found myself swearing in Center Parcs and drinking too much, lonely and unravelling. I did not always grieve gracefully. In time, the stark reality of my loss galvanised me into sharing my experience with others. Continue reading ➤ | | | “So much of modern medicine is motivated through fear – fear of food, fear of alcohol, fear of life,” says Dr Simon Feldhaus. “What is the point of living a long life if it is one of restriction and abstinence, not joy?” Contrary to the advice that abstaining from a glass of wine is always best for health, the longevity expert explains how alcohol tolerance is partly genetic – and more nuanced than we’ve been led to believe. Continue reading ➤ Here is another helpful article for you this morning:
| | Every week, Sarah Knapton, our Science Editor, and Joe Pinkstone, our Science Correspondent, demystify your supernatural experiences. From ghoulish encounters to bizarre coincidences, there’s always a scientific explanation and nothing is as strange as it seems.
A baffled reader writes...
“At about the age of four, I awoke to the sensation of being strangled. Although dismissed by my parents I wouldn’t go back to that bedroom ever.
“Years later, I went with friends to a psychic church just to be curious. The psychic picked me out and it felt like he was staring into my soul. He then said your grandad’s here and he’s got a budgie on his shoulder, which he always did!
“Then came the sentence: ‘They did try to choke you, it wasn’t imagination!’ I nearly passed out on the spot! I have never been able to make sense of that one.”
– Christina
Sarah and Joe answer:
In 1781, the Swiss artist Henry Fuseli painted the disturbing image of a woman in the grip of a nightmare.
Clad in a flimsy white robe, the unconscious subject throws her arms back in submission, while a demon sits on her stomach. .jpg) | Its erotic gothic undertones caused quite a stir when exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1782, yet its origins lie in the ancient folklore that spoke of strange creatures visiting sleepers at night.
It may help explain what happened to Christina.
In English and North American legends, a witch-like figure called “the night hag” or “old hag” sits on the chest of those asleep, leaving them hag-ridden. This creature appears in Fuseli’s later work: The Night-Hag visiting the Lapland Witches.
Likewise, in some Arab countries, a “jinn” or genie is said to perch on its victim’s chest at night, while in Bengali folklore a supernatural entity called Boba strangles a person who lies on their back.
In all cases victims report being completely conscious, but unable to speak or move, often feeling as if they cannot breathe or are being choked, similar to what Christina experienced.
Read the full answer here ➤
Plus, send in your questions for Sarah and Joe here ➤ | | David Kirch amassed 15 tons of airship memorabilia, including a singed bottle of beer salvaged from the Hindenburg | Sir David Kirch, who has died at the age of 89, was a multi-millionaire property speculator and collector of rare banknotes and airship memorabilia, who said his two happiest encounters with money were, first, making it, and secondly, giving it away, writes Andrew M Brown, Obituaries Editor.
The handsome Kirch was regarded as a reclusive enigma, his habits during his Sixties heyday sketched out by the Evening Standard: “At weekends, he takes his mother down to his cottage at Shoreham-on-Sea, otherwise he sits alone in his 15-room mansion in Hyde Park Gate and watches colour TV after eating his solitary dinner served by his Spanish butler.”
After making a fortune buying up chunks of Kensington and the West End, Kirch eventually settled as a tax exile in Jersey. In 2006, when he turned 70, he marked the milestone by handing out £100 Co-op vouchers at Christmas to every islander aged 70 and over – which was about 9,000 people.
He liquidated his assets to fund a charitable trust to provide homes for Jersey pensioners, replaced his Rolls with a Mini, and auctioned off his collections.
Read the full obituary here. | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was GOLDFINCH. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Allister Heath, Sunday Telegraph Editor
P.S. Please share your thoughts on the newsletter here. | |
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