Alex Phillips, sitting in for Julia Hartley-Brewer, is joined by former senior military intelligence officer Philip Ingram to assess the UK Government’s handling of the US/Israeli strikes on Iran, and what he calls an incoherent, domestically driven approach that risks weakening UK leverage with Washington.

The pair unpick reports that HMS Dragon’s deployment towards Cyprus has been delayed, what that implies about our military’s readiness, and the exposure of British bases including Akrotiri as regional tensions escalate.

Then, Shadow Attorney General Lord Wolfson sets out why he believes the Government’s legal posture is strategically inconsistent and is being used as political cover - giving detail on Starmer’s “international law” defence.

And former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe argues decades of defence neglect are now playing out in real time — with the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important transit routes for energy supplies, and maritime security once again at the centre of the crisis.

Alex Phillips is stepping in for Julia Hartley-Brewer until Friday 6th March.

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.

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