Global News Podcast - European ministers hold talks with Iran as conflict continues

Episode Date: June 20, 2025

As the conflict between Israel and Iran enters its second week, European ministers are meeting Iran's top diplomat as part of efforts to end the fighting. Also; Spain's political crisis and the tigers making a comeback.

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Nick Miles and at 13Hours GMT on Friday the 20th of June these are our main stories. Iran and Israel have again traded airstrikes. European foreign ministers are meeting with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva to de-escalate the crisis. Also in this podcast. I'm really worried about it. For the young people that this doesn't care about politics because this kind of things that is happening is like disappointed to everyone. We hear from Spain where many are wondering whether Pedro Sanchez's left wing government

will survive a recent corruption scandal. And Thailand says the population of endangered Indo-Chinese tigers is making a remarkable recovery. President Trump says he wants to give negotiations with Iran a chance before launching any US military action. European foreign ministers are meeting with their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi in Geneva. Sources involved have told the BBC that the Europeans will be offering Iran a take-it-or-leave-it on behalf of America that will aim to completely stop Iran's nuclear enrichment of uranium. Kazran Naji of BBC Persian service is following developments. We don't know what details are really, but listening to various people like the French

and others, it seems that what's on the table as far as the French and the Germans at least are concerned is a zero enrichment in Iran and a stop to ballistic missile program in Iran. So they have brought the ballistic missile program into the fray because the Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Israel has inflicted damage and some of these missiles have very large range, possibly beyond 2000 kilometers and beyond that. So they are posing a real threat. Iranians are saying that they're not going to give up on their enrichment right or they're not going to talk about the ballistic missiles at all.

This is the Iranian foreign minister that has said this. So on the whole I don't think this is going to get anywhere at the moment but nevertheless the Europeans are pushing for zero enrichment at the earliest. Kasra, one particular point on that enrichment. Iran has one civilian nuclear power station. It imports the nuclear fuel for that from Russia Why would it need to enrich unless it was for other purposes? This is the question that many people have there are no countries that don't have a nuclear weapon program and are Enreaching to the extent of the Iran is 60%

to the extent that Iran is 60 percent, which doesn't make sense. It doesn't, 60 percent enrichment in Iran doesn't have any use really. But nevertheless, they've been accumulating some 400 kilogram of that, that is, if it enriched to 90 percent, which is needed for a nuclear bomb, which is only a short step away, that's enough for about nine or ten nuclear bombs. That's why everyone is worked up. It sounds as though Tehran is not going to back down on this enrichment issue. So where does this proposal go? I suppose the proposal by the Western powers is backed by force that Israel is imposing on this thing and the extent of Israeli attacks. So Iran is under attack physically and I suppose the Western powers hope that given what is happening and the pressure on Iran, Iran might just accept

this. But listening to the Iranian foreign minister saying that we are not going to negotiate under duress under these pressures, not as long as the war is going to go on. So I suppose Iranians are saying that if you really want to negotiate, get Israel to stop it. Qasr Naji. As diplomats were preparing to talk in Geneva, Israel and Iran were carrying out further airstrikes against each other. The Israeli military said it attacked dozens of targets, including what it called missile manufacturing sites in the Tehran area. It's said the headquarters of a military research center were also hit.

We got this update from Dan Johnson in Jerusalem. We had missiles fired from Iran towards the south of Israel again this morning, repeating something that happened yesterday and hitting the same area, Be'er Sheba, the city in the south, and very close to the hospital that was hit yesterday. The Iranian officials said that they were and very close to the hospital that was hit yesterday. The Iranian officials said that they were actually, rather than the hospital, yesterday targeting a technology park nearby and that has been hit this morning.

We're not sure exactly how many missiles got through but there are videos showing buildings on that complex on fire. The emergency services are responding. Some nearby residential buildings have also been hit, at least five people injured there and that was perhaps in response to the Israeli airstrikes over Iran last night. We know there were 60 jets in the air targeting Tehran and targeting the headquarters of Iran's nuclear research organization. And Dan, with regards to the number of missiles from Iran getting in

and through the missile defense system into Israel on the ground, is there a degree of surprise and concern about the number of missiles getting through? Yeah, I think because the Iron Dome system has been so much talked about and has been so effective, particularly against the rockets that Hamas was firing from Gaza, that the expectation has built up that Israel's air defences are almost impenetrable. The reality is when we're talking about ballistic missiles, not just rockets, that are coming from much further afield, thousands of miles away in Iran, it's a different system that is in action. It's not the Iron Dome.

It is the Arrow defence system system which works slightly differently. It's effective in its own way but not a hundred percent, none of these systems are a hundred percent effective and the systems prioritise the missiles that are expected to target areas of population or particularly sensitive sites but still they're not able to bring everything down. There's always a chance of something getting through and causing damage. The air defences also become depleted. At some point Israel will need to restock its supplies if it is to keep up this air defence. Dan Johnson.

Well, some people in Iran have been fleeing the Israeli air attacks with many reporting difficult living conditions, including food shortages and limited internet access. Our reporter Rehan Demitri is at the crossing point of Meghri on the Armenia Iran border. She told us what she's been hearing. We are seeing a slow but steady trickle of people coming through from Iran. We've spoken to families and it appears that mainly people who are coming through this border are those who have either residency or citizenship in other countries, in European countries, and they're looking into getting a flight from the Armenian capital, Yerevan. Some people are willing to talk and earlier we spoke to a man who was traveling from eastern Iran.

And when I asked him what was the feeling inside the country, what are people saying, whether it looks like there might be a regime change. And he said that people are concerned about their safety first and foremost at this stage. But he said, referring to Israel, he said that what people feel is that whatever Israel is doing, it's in its own interest. It's not in the interest of the Iranian people. Therefore, he thought that it is unlikely to lead to regime change. We've spoken to other families as well. They're just not commenting.

And my feeling is from talking to them that they're just exhausted and they want to get to safety Rather than thinking about big geopolitical change in their country and one more thing those who have been traveling from Tehran I've been asking them whether it really feels like a war whether they've seen bombing and and destruction and war, whether they've seen bombing and destruction. And several people told me that they could hear the bombing. They didn't really see it, but that was enough for them to pack their bags and leave. Rayhan Demitri. President Putin, who's attending an economic forum in St Petersburg, is due to deliver a keynote speech on Friday. He's been focusing on the Russian economy but

there are expectations he'll address the tensions in the Middle East. Russia has a strategic partnership with the Islamic Republic. Mr. Putin has offered to mediate in the crisis. Our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg reports. In an exhibition hall on the edge of St. Petersburg, a monastery choir performs at the opening of Russia's flagship economic forum. Business leaders, government officials and politicians stand entranced by the beautiful music. It is a rare moment of calm at a time of conflict, with Russia continuing to wage war on Ukraine, and now Israel and Iran trading strikes. Here at the Forum, I ask Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova how concerned

is she by escalation in the Middle East? I think that all people on the planet should be concerned, not because it's another escalation, but because the situation is developing around nuclear issues and the shelling and bombing is focused on the nuclear object materials. This is a nightmare for all normal people. Russian President Vladimir Putin Russia and Iran are close allies. Earlier this year, the two presidents, Putin and Pezeshkyan,

signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. But this is no military alliance. It does not oblige Moscow to come to Tehran's defence. And it hasn't stopped the Kremlin maintaining good relations with Israel. In St Petersburg this week, Vladimir Putin repeated his offer to mediate in the Middle East. Signals, he said, have been sent to Iran, Israel and the United States, though he gave no details.

I think Russia has obvious good ways to talk to different parties of the conflict. But once again, let's see how the situation develops. Kirill Demetriyev is an envoy to President Putin. I think all of us want stability in the Middle East. All of us want some kind of resolution. I think nobody is interested in a very prolonged, difficult conflict there. You have very good working relations with Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy, Envoy to the Middle East but also involved in

Russia, Ukraine. Have you spoken to Mr. Witkoff in recent days about the situation in the Middle East? Yeah, I cannot comment on my conversations with Mr. Witkoff in detail. All I can say is that he has definitely had great conversations with President Putin. And I think his sort of ability to ask questions and understand Russian position has been very important. Some here believe that Russia actually benefits from tensions in the Middle East.

They forecast that higher global oil prices will boost Russia's economy, and that the attention of the world will be diverted away from Russia's war in Ukraine. But the idea of US military intervention in Iran and the prospect of regime change there, Moscow sees nothing positive about that. Hence the offer of mediation. Yevgeny Popov is a Russian MP and TV anchor. Putin is the only president who spoke with Iranian president, Israeli prime minister and Donald Trump. And of course it's a dangerous situation and the Israeli should not bomb civilians.

First of all, we... Just like Russia shouldn't bomb civilians, right? We never bomb civilians. We just target military targets and infrastructure in Ukraine. There was a mass Russian attack on Kiev a couple of days ago. Drones and missiles and civilians were killed. The Kremlin is presenting itself as a unique mediator in the Middle East.

Russia the peacemaker promoting that label won't be easy after more than three years of war in Ukraine. Steve Rosenberg, people across Gaza continue to be desperate for food aid, but almost every day Palestinians waiting for those supplies are killed by Israeli soldiers who say they fired warning shots to restore order. In the latest incident, more than 20 people were killed, adding to the hundreds that have died over the last month. There's been no comment on

the latest incident by the Israeli military. Our correspondent Rushdie Abou-Aloof is monitoring events from Cairo. Just 100 people killed over the last 24 hours. The latest is 34 people in two separate incidents. I saw footage from the hospital showing tens of people in the ground. They were trying to treat them. The hospital in Nusayrat camp where the injuries were taking is relatively small and they are struggling to deal with the number of people injured. They are calling people to donate blood to be able to try to save the life of the people. And we have seen every day people also killed in the north, not exactly near the humanitarian foundation, because they don't have any in the north.

In the south they have four centers, and every day as soon as they announced that they opened the center, thousands of people were gathered. And the area is under Israeli security control. People always pushing to get in the queue, in the beginning of the queue, and they get killed either near centers or waiting for the trucks near the northern border with Gaza. And when we did ask people every day why you are going, they said because we have no other option. We are starving and our kids are starving and they are risking their life to get some

food. Rushdie Abu Alouf, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney is hosting a summit aimed at boosting economic development in Africa and in the process cutting illegal immigration. Leaders from several African countries will join the meeting in Rome as well as the head of the European Commission. Our Europe regional editor Paul Moss reports. It's called the Matei Plan, named after an Italian politician who transformed the country's energy sector. It would direct more than $6 billion to joint investment projects, with

energy a particular focus. Georgia Maloney has made clear this is not about charity. If African countries are more wealthy, she argues, fewer people there will join the thousands of migrants who try to reach the Italian coast each year. Critics say $6 billion is not enough to transform Africa's economy in any significant way, or to give would-be migrants less reason to leave. Paul Moss. Still to come. It's very important obviously to get the details right. If you start studying anything it opens up a whole world of interesting facts and unexpected things you might not ever have discovered.

So that's what I did with the Crow family when I started researching them. We hear from the illustrator of a book about crows which has just won the Carnegie Medal for Illustration. Panegui Medal for Illustration. The left-wing Spanish government of Pedro Sanchez was thrown into crisis recently by a corruption scandal. Audio tapes seem to show senior Socialist Party figures discussing a kickback scheme. Having become Prime Minister in 2018, many are wondering if Mr Sanchez can survive this storm. Guy Hedgego reports from Madrid. I'm outside the headquarters of the socialist party of Pedro Sanchez, where people have

been gathering every night recently to demand the prime minister's resignation. Many of them are waving the Spanish flag and they're chanting, demanding that he be put in prison and accusing the government of being a group of mafiosos. This reflects the anger of many right wing voters at their left wing government. government. This was the moment an abashed Pedro Sánchez apologised to Spaniards, saying he should never have trusted Santos Cerdán, the senior Socialist Party figure who has been implicated in a corruption probe.

Also being investigated is José Luis Ábalos, a former transport minister and senior figure in the party. Audio gathered by investigators appeared to show both men discussing kickbacks from private companies worth hundreds of thousands of euros. They say they've done nothing wrong. Alberto Núñez-Fejo, leader of the Conservative People's Party, says this is confirmation that the Sanchez government is morally compromised. Sanchez cannot survive either Abalos or Cerdán or all the other cases. Corruption is now the hallmark of this government, which is why this now has to come to an end. Those other cases Mr Nourniers-Ferrand mentioned include an investigation into Mr Sanchez's wife for alleged business irregularities. Meanwhile his brother is due to go on trial

for alleged influence peddling and the Attorney General could also face trial accused of revealing confidential information. The government sees these particular cases as fabricated and part of a right-wing campaign to bring it down. On the streets of Madrid, opinions are strong. The government is corrupted or the people around the government is corrupted. What you expect is them to resign and call for elections. But it looks like they are going to continue. I'm really worried about it. For the young people that doesn't care about politics, because doesn't trust it, because this kind of thing that has happened is like

disappointing to everyone. For the people in the right it's very easy, the sun sets out. But for the people on the right it's very easy, the sun sets out. But for the people on the left it's difficult because now we are in a period that Spain is going well, is well accepted in the outside world. But of course these corruption cases are affecting to us, the people on the left. In parliament the opposition chants at the prime minister to resign. But he says he has no intention of doing so or of bringing forward the 2027 elections. His government's stability now appears to depend on the support of its parliamentary

allies and whether or not more damaging revelations emerge. Mr Sánchez heads to the upcoming NATO summit with serious doubts about his future and under pressure over Spain's defence spending. His government has promised to increase military spending to 2% of GDP this year, but he appears to be heeding demands from some of his domestic allies to resist calls from the United States and the NATO leadership to raise it further. The renowned survivor of Spanish politics is now facing his toughest test. Guy Hedgecoe. China's military has criticized the sailing of a British warship through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, describing it as a deliberate attempt to cause trouble. The Royal Navy said HMS Spey

conducted a routine navigation through the waterway as part of a long-planned deployment in full compliance with international law. Our China correspondent Laura Bicca reports from Beijing. China's People's Liberation Army described the sailing of the patrol vessel as public hyping and said its forces followed and monitored the spay. Beijing views Taiwan as its own territory and considers the strait to be Chinese waters. Taiwan, the United States and many of its allies say it's an international waterway. The last time a British warship passed through the strait was in 2021. This latest passage comes at a time when the UK and China are seeking to mend relations and the Prime Minister is widely expected to visit Beijing in

the coming year. Laura Bicker, a tiger population in Thailand that's been under threat is now making a comeback. It's all thanks to efforts on the part of the Thai government and the Worldwide Fund for Nature, the WWF, J. Seung Lee told us more about the project. The Indo-Chinese tigers are a subspecies of the tiger and as their name suggests, they're only found in the Greater Mekong region of South East Asia which includes Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and of course Thailand. And they're generally a bit smaller in size compared to the Bengal tigers which are commonly found in the Indian subcont they're generally a bit smaller in size compared to the Bengal tigers, which are commonly found in the Indian subcontinent, just a bit westwards from where Thailand is. And it had been decreasing in numbers, but now it's growing in numbers. What's that down to?

So as you've mentioned earlier, you know, this is all thanks to the efforts by the Thai government and the WWF, which, you know, these projects that they've been doing have been ongoing for the last 15 years. What they do is that they bring deer to these wild rainforests where these tigers roam. These deer are used as prey for these tigers, for them to find them, hunt them, and then eat them for food. And this has proved to be, as you've said, quite successful because the latest government data in Thailand suggests that their numbers have grown five-fold in the past 15 years. So they thought, you know, they said about 40 of them existed in the wild in 2007. Last year, they say this has now, you know, the number is around 200. So

it's a big jump. So they prey on these deer. One imagines that at some point this programme is going to have to stop and they're going to have to find their own prey. Do you think it's going to carry on long term? Is that the plan? I think from what we've been hearing from the WWF representative in Thailand, they're very optimistic that this programme is working well for the tiger population.

In fact, they've actually expanded this to other countries in the region such as Cambodia because of how successful it was. So because the number is still very small though, 200 is still a very small number. So I think for the foreseeable future, they will be continuing this project so that their numbers can even grow further. Jason Lee. Take another look at crows. See beyond their dark plumage and raucous squawks. That is what the picture book Clever Crow promises and its illustrator Olivia Luminech Gill has just won the Carnegie Medal for Illustration. She's been speaking to the BBC about the book.

It's really learning by looking. I approach it very much as an artist but for Clever Crow it was very important even though it's for very young readers because it's a non-fiction book it's very important obviously to get the details right. If you start studying anything it opens up a whole world of interesting facts and unexpected things you might not ever have discovered. So that's what I did with the Crow family when I started researching them. You discover first of all that Crows exist all over the world, that it's a huge family. The Corvidi family is a very big family, which include members of the Crow family, which we may well know already, and others that we don't. So the Magpie, the Jay, they're members of the Crow family. Crows

are very intelligent, which is obviously the focus of the book. I mean, we regard crows as, I've always lived in sort of rural areas where crows are regarded as a nuisance, which is a shame because we see them with a bad, you know, they have quite bad propaganda. So I think this book hopefully goes some way to talking about the crows as an important part of the food chain. And the fact that elsewhere in the world, there are members of the Crow family which are very very endangered like the Flores Crow which exists in the Lesser Sundar Islands in Indonesia and I think it's particularly important in this very digital age. I work still very much with pen and paper and I don't have a mobile phone so I really try and observe. I mean

obviously with birds it's very difficult to observe them from close proximity and in flight so the digital resources we have are also extremely useful. That was Olivia Lumenech-Gill. The classical singer Andrea Bocelli has released an unexpected duet with his fellow Italian and tennis world number one Janik Sinner. The title of the song translates as dust and glory and features Sinner reciting motivational lines from his winning and losing speeches.

Clitia Sala has been listening. The Italian tenor has described the lyrics as a tribute to resilience and said he admires Yannick Sinner's humility. In response, the tennis champion said that hearing his voice in one of Bocelli's songs was incredibly moving. The track has been described as a musical dialogue between two Italian icons, but it has received a mixed response on social media in the short time since its release. Some have hailed it as the summer hit, they didn't know they needed, while others have dismissed it as cringeworthy. Others are calling the tennis champion Yannick Singer.

Klyzia Salah reporting. And that's all from us for now but there will be a new edition of the Global News podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. You can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Ben Martin and the producers were Charles Sanctuary and Stephanie Tillotson. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Nick Miles and until next time, goodbye.