Global News Podcast - Iran retaliates with missile attacks on Israel

Episode Date: June 14, 2025

Loud blasts have been heard across Israel following another wave of retaliatory airstrikes by Iran, including in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Also: black box flight recorder found at Air India crash site.

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson and in the early hours of Saturday the 14th of June these are our main stories. Iran has launched an aerial attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. Several people have been injured. Israel has been continuing its campaign against Iran with strikes on the nuclear facilities at Isfahan and Fordow. In other news, investigators in India have found the black box from the Air India plane which crashed on Thursday killing more than 240 people. Also in this podcast...

This is a way of delivering a high concentration of a chemotherapy type drug but directly into cells using an antibody which targets a molecule on the cancer cell surface. It's said to be a world first in cancer treatment, treating conditions such as myeloma. We begin in Tel Aviv. And as we record this podcast, Israeli defence units in operation as Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones towards Israeli cities in response to Israel's unprecedented strikes that began early on Friday.

Israeli media say dozens of people were treated in hospital for conditions ranging from shrapnel wounds to shock. It's not yet clear how much of the damage was caused by direct strikes or from falling debris after interceptions by Israeli air defences. There were also attacks on Jerusalem and sirens blared in cities across the country. Israel says Iran has crossed a red line by targeting civilian areas. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Iranian people to stand up to their leaders. The Islamic regime, which has oppressed you for nearly 50 years, threatens to destroy my country, the state of Israel. The objective of Israel's military operation is to remove this threat. And as we achieve our objectives, we're also clearing the path for you to achieve your objective, which is freedom.

The regime doesn't know what hit them. They don't know what will hit them. Our correspondent Lucy Williamson is in Tel Aviv. In bunkers and stairwells, they listened. To Tel Aviv, under fire from Iran. Defenses scrambling above a city of civilians and military bases. From ballistic missiles arriving minutes after launch. Impacts felt inside shaking buildings. For the third time tonight, missiles are being fired at Israel, fired at Tel Aviv.

This is the response Israel was expecting. And all across the country, people are listening to the sound of Israel and Iran at war. Missile defense systems were also activated over Jerusalem. Israeli media reported several impacts across the country, including near military sites. Israel began striking Iran overnight. The nuclear enrichment site in Natanz,

one of the first to be hit, a target for Israel's prime minister for decades, hit in what he said was a last chance to stop Iran making a nuclear bomb. Air defenses, missile sites, nuclear scientists, and military leaders, including the head of Iran's armed forces, wiped out in a series of nationwide strikes. An attack involving 200 fighter planes working with covert intelligence teams at a secret base inside Iran.

Pictures from Israel's spy agency are said to show commandos firing at a missile launcher during this morning's attack. Their Prime Minister said the clock on Iran's nuclear ambitions had run out. Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat. For decades, the tyrants of Tehran have brazenly, openly called for Israel's destruction. In Iran, hundreds of protesters called for revenge. Iran's supreme leader said Israel had made an enormous miscalculation and that the consequences would bring it to ruin.

They should not imagine that they struck and it's over. No, they started this, they launched a war. We will not allow them to escape unscathed from the major crime they have committed. A former general in Israel's air force said there were limits to what military force could achieve. I think we can say pretty much easily this was the most complicated and actually complicated, probably dangerous operation that Israel ever did in its history. We have a huge military success, a huge one.

Okay, what's the next step? Are we going to transform it to something that will say, okay, the region is safe for the next 50 years, not having any nuclear threats from Iran? Tonight, Israel was still striking across the country. Israel says Iran was secretly building a nuclear bomb. Too big a risk it said, but Iran may now decide that negotiations won't protect it from attack and that a nuclear weapon will. Lucy Williamson. So how do Iranians feel about what's happening to their country?

Bahrineh Abassi from BBC Persian has been engaging reaction to the attacks inside Iran. The Iranian regime remains deeply unpopular and many citizens have shown little sympathy about the assassination of senior military commanders, figures widely seen as responsible for brutal crackdowns on peaceful protesters. But reports of civilian casualties in last night's Israeli strikes have set a different reaction. Explosions rocked residential areas of Tehran and other cities, with people across the country reporting blast waves.

Israel insists it targeted nuclear and military sites, but images of damaged homes have sparked fear and anger among those opposed to war. These people in Iran who got in touch with BBC Persian expressed their feelings. I'm not pro-Islamic republic, but this issue is about Iran. It's about home. See how they're attacking us, destroying our infrastructure, killing our people. This incident was truly horrific, especially for us living very close to the explosions. And I really hope that the situation won't get worse. This should not have happened.

The regime is also being blamed for dragging Iran into a war through its support for armed groups in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza as well as its ongoing nuclear program. Many Iranians are openly critical of their leaders for failing to protect the country. They point out their hypocrisy. Authorities are quick to crack down on women who refuse to wear the compulsory hijab. But when it comes to identifying and preventing a major military threat, the same authorities seem powerless, despite all their political posturing.

Barna Bassi from BBC Persian An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was held in New York on Friday night to discuss the conflict between Israel and Iran. It was requested by the Iranians who submitted an urgent letter condemning what they called Israel's unlawful and reckless attacks on its nuclear facilities. Israel's National Security Advisor says that Iran's nuclear program can't be completely destroyed by force alone but Sakihan Egby said a military campaign could create the conditions for a long-term deal. His comments follow President Trump's warning that Tehran should agree to a deal to avoid more brutal Israeli attacks.

At the Security Council, a US representative gave this stark warning to Iran. As we speak, Iran is firing missiles at civilian areas across Israel, including in Tel Aviv. As President Trump has repeatedly said, this dangerous regime cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons. Israel advised us this action was necessary for its self-defense. Every sovereign nation has the right to defend itself, and Israel is no exception.

The United States was informed of the strikes ahead of time, but was not militarily involved in these strikes. Our absolute foremost priority is the protection of US citizens, personnel, and forces in the region. As Secretary Rubio said, Iran should not target US interests or personnel. Let me be crystal clear. No government, proxy, or independent actor should target American citizens, American bases, or other American infrastructure in the region. The consequences for Iran would be dire.

The consequences for Iran would be dire. President Trump was elected with a sweeping mandate from the American people to advance peace and to avoid the grave mistakes of past administrations that led to forever wars. We seek a secure peace. As President Trump said, the violence should come to an end and Iran should make a deal so that there is, quote, no more death, no more destruction, close quote. The United States will continue to seek a diplomatic resolution that ensures Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon or pose a threat to stability in the Middle East. Iran's leadership would be wise to negotiate at this time.

The Iranian ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeed Irvani, had this to say. Last night, the Israeli regime, the most dangerous and terrorist regime in the world, with full intelligence and political support from the United States regime, conducted a series of coordinated and pre-mediated military attacks across multiple cities in Iran. This act of aggression and unlawful strikes target peaceful nuclear facilities, military sites, vital civilian infrastructure and residential areas. Then Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador, spoke, justifying the attacks on Iran. We know our enemies. We know their ideology.

And when a regime builds ballistic missiles, enriches uranium to near weapons grade, and openly declares its intent to destroy us, we believe them, we take them at their word and we take action before it is too late. Michael Grossi, the head of the UN's Atomic Safety Watchdog, the IAEA, presented a report to the UN Security Council on the extent of damage to Iranian nuclear facilities so far, and he called for a cooling of tension. Nuclear facilities must never be attacked regardless of the context or circumstances as it could harm both people and the environment. I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to avoid further escalation. I reiterate that any military action

that jeopardises safety and security of nuclear facilities risk grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region and beyond. I spoke to our correspondent in New York, Neda Taufik, who's been following the proceedings. I asked her what's her New York, Neda Taufik, who's been following the proceedings. I asked her what's her sense of the current feelings at the UN Security Council. I think across the board, I mean even from countries who are concerned about Iran getting nuclear weapon, even from Iran's allies like Russia, Algeria, China, Pakistan, who also called for this emergency meeting and were very harsh with condemning Israel, saying that this was an

unprovoked, illegal attack. Everybody has stressed that the only path forward is for this to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. There is a real concern that this is a very dangerous moment. We heard in statements concern about the attack on nuclear facilities and what that can mean for the environment and populations. There are very clear laws about nuclear facilities being hit in wartime. There was very clear discussion about the fact that there were ongoing talks between the U.S US and Iran up until this point and many wanting to see both parties get back to the table although that has now

been complicated. We also heard, didn't we, a US representative issue a start warning to Iran against targeting Americans. I mean the Americans seem to say they knew that the Israeli assault was going to happen, but they didn't have anything to do with it. That's right. And let's not forget that Ambassador Saeed Garavani said that he viewed the United States as complicit, as aiding and enabling what he called these crimes. The United States, in their statement from the senior bureau official McCoy Pitt, essentially

said that Israel had advised the United States about these strikes ahead of time, but that the United States was in no way involved in them, and that their utmost priority now was ensuring the protection of U.S. citizens, personnel, and forces in the region. And so they actually issued a warning to Iran saying the consequences for Iran would be dire if any American was impacted by this. And they also said that it would be wise for Iran's leadership to negotiate at this time. The trouble is, Iran sees this as a massive escalation. And so the distrust that was always kind of there already because President Trump is the one who withdrew from the Iran nuclear

deal in his first term well that distrust now has reached a new level and Iran says that they aren't going to be involved in talks this Sunday in Oman Neda Taufik in New York so what does this all mean for the Middle East and the wider world? I spoke to our chief international correspondent, Lise Doucet, and asked how far could Israel and Iran go? The risks are enormous. We keep saying, Valerie, this is the most dangerous moment in the Middle East. We've said it time and again over nearly two years now. But this one really matters. And it's clear that

Prime Minister Netanyahu, and he has said this himself today, he's waited a long time for this moment. One American president after another held him back, or his military generals held him back. Don't strike Iran's nuclear facilities. He is not going to waste this moment. He is vowing to destroy Iran's weapons-making capabilities. How far Israel can go? Does it have the weaponry to do that? How far will it be able to go? Right now they will not heed calls for restraint. But on the other side, Iran's hardliners have also been waiting to have a go at Israel. They feel they were held back last year by others who said better to show restraint. They now feel vindicated. And even though their arsenal is significantly weakened, they will also try to hit with as

much as they can. And what is the role of the United States in all this, particularly that of President Trump, who's welcomed it but said the US was not involved? It's quite an extraordinary moment because remember the week started with President Trump, the readout of his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu of him complaining that Prime Minister Netanyahu's military threats against Iran were complicating President Trump's attempts to get a deal, which was his preference. Then all of a sudden, this happens.

President Trump was asked whether he gave a green light. He said he didn't. But it is hard to see how Mr. Netanyahu would have embarked on this unless he got a nudge and a wink, if not more, from President Trump. And in some of President Trump's posts, he almost seems to be saying, he says, see, Iran, I told you that if you didn't make a deal – now he wants Iran to make a deal in 60 days, which I think any mediator would say that is too short. But he said, I told you so, and then telling Iran to come back to the table.

But there were talk scheduled for Sunday. Apparently, that's not going to happen now. Well, Iran is probably just is going for cover. I was in Oslo this week where there were so many, you know, the Iranians were there, the Omanis and many others and they were talking about the Sunday talks. An attack did not seem imminent, although of course it was in an environment of threats. So it would look humiliating for Iran to go to the table now. And what are you going to talk about? As we heard from Netanyahu, trust, which was low anyway, has now been shattered. We heard Benjamin Netanyahu appealing to Iranians themselves to stand

up against their leaders. I mean, do you think there's any chance of that happening? It's not the first time he has called on Iranians to rise up, to use this moment. Done it again. It's interesting that the operation Israel has launched is called Operation Rising Lion. The lion is the symbol of the old imperial flag of Iran, the former shah. Was that deliberate? Maybe there's lions in Israel, I haven't seen any. And we heard some commentary earlier in the program that some Iranians would like to see the back of the clerical regime, but there are many who say not at Israel's bidding. And so again, that adds another level of unpredictability and great risk.

And what about countries in the region? What about Turkey? What about Saudi Arabia? I mean, how are they all feeling about this now? You wonder what the telephone conversations that President Trump is having. He just made this trip to the region in which he was warmly welcomed by three wealthy Gulf states and now Saudi Arabia has condemned this attack. So has Jordan.

So has many others. But do they have any power to stop President Trump from supporting in whatever way he is supporting? There is another risk that this could escalate even further because the fires, there's embers right across the region and many people have matches and they want to light them. Our Chief International Correspondent, Lise Doucet. Still to come... I'm very proud to say that we close this historical week,

not just with hope, but with concrete commitments. A summit on the world's oceans has ended in the French city of Nice, with global leaders taking steps towards safeguarding marine life. Now to India and investigators have recovered the flight data recorder from the Air India plane which crashed within a minute of taking off on Thursday and which was destined for London. The recorder, one of two so-called black boxes on Thursday and which was destined for London.

The recorder, one of two so-called black boxes on the plane, was found on the roof of the doctor's hostel in Ahmedabad that was hit by the aircraft. India's aviation minister said its discovery would significantly aid the inquiry into the crash. All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were killed. At least eight other people died on the ground. The one plane passenger who survived the crash was Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, who lives in central England. He was interviewed by the Indian broadcaster D.D. about his escape on Thursday from the fiery wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane.

What was the situation yesterday? Can you describe for us please? I can't explain. Everything happened in my eye. I can't. How did you manage to escape? I just... Did you pull the emergency doors? No, no. Emergency door is broken. My seat is broken. Then I see the page a little bit. Then I will try to come out. Yeah, that's why. So, did the aircraft catch fire before you came out?

Yes. Little bit of fire. After me, I'm out. Then blast. Did anybody help you or you, after that you came out on your own? How did you jump from the aircraft? I'm not jumping. I just walk out. Then ambulance coming in. And you managed to get into the ambulance? What did Prime Minister tell you? What was the conversation? He is asking me everything is okay.

That's it. Where are your family? Where is your family? Are there people? In London. Yes. Me and my brother staying in India last eight, maybe eight, nine months. And yesterday I was going back to London, and it happened, everything.

How do you feel that you have survived this kind of... I can't explain. It's medical, everything. Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday. A Hong Kong organisation that for three decades has reported on workers' rights in China has suddenly closed down. China Labour Bulletin made the announcement in a statement on its website. Our Asia Pacific editor, Miki Bristo, reports. The bulletin was started by the activist Han Dong Fang, a former protester in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989, who even back then was focused on workers' rights.

He provided news about strikes and workplace accidents across China, a country where there's little public information on either issue and where workers have few rights. There are no independent labour unions in the whole of the country. The group now says financial difficulties means it can no longer continue its monitoring operations. And over recent years China has crushed independent voices in Hong Kong, so it wouldn't be a surprise if those restrictions had somehow contributed to the closure.

After all, it was only a few weeks ago that Mr. Han, who was once employed on the railways, indicated that he was determined to continue with his work, despite what he described as abnormal times and in full knowledge of the risks he was taking. Mickey Bristow, now something uplifting, a world first in cancer treatment. A therapy that enables drugs to get inside cancer cells is being made available here in the UK. It can halt the blood cancer myeloma for nearly three times longer than is achieved with existing treatments and with far fewer side effects.

Professor Peter Johnson is the clinical director for cancer at NHS England, the region's state health service, and he told Julian Warwicker more about the process. So this is a way of delivering a high concentration of a chemotherapy type drug but directly into cells using an antibody which targets a molecule on the cancer cell surface. So rather than having to do what we normally do with chemotherapy, which is give a dose that goes all around the body in the bloodstream, this is attached to an antibody which is also given by injection, but is much more selective in its targeting. And the cells are receptive to that?

Yes. One of the things that happens when you attach an antibody to a cell surface to some things is that it gets drawn into the cell automatically. And that's the case with this particular target. As the antibody attaches to the cell surface, it and the drug it's hitched to are pulled into the cell and then the drug is liberated. Making how much difference to people with myeloma? The trials that have come out recently have shown that for people who've had previous treatment for myeloma but the disease has come back, that by incorporating this targeted treatment into their treatment regimen, the length of time they remain free of the disease is tripled. It

goes up from just over a year to about three years. And that's a really important time for people with this illness because it causes damage to the bones, which causes a lot of pain. So anything that you can do to keep the disease at bay and especially when it's a matter of years is incredibly valuable. And is it true to say as well that this particular treatment has fewer side effects? Yes, it doesn't have the same sort of side effects that giving chemotherapy does. It does have some effects and particularly on the eyes which is why people who are having this treatment will need to have regular eye examinations. But in general terms, it's much easier to get on with than conventional chemotherapy.

In which case, how big a step forward is this in the treatment of cancer? We've seen a big change in the outlook for people with myeloma. We see about 6,000 people a year in this country with, and the outlook for them has been getting progressively better and better over the last 10, 15 years as we've brought in different types of new targeted treatments which switch off the cancer growth signals and so on. And so this is an important addition to that because it's another further step. This sort of cancer unfortunately can't be completely eradicated. So things which can buy substantial periods of time make an enormous difference.

I mean I've seen a professor, also an expert in the field, describe this as an important step towards a functional cure. Is that as far ahead as we're going? As we find ways to back cancer cells into a corner so we can stretch out the length of time that people remain in remission. Could this apply to other forms of cancer? Yes, these antibody targeting treatments are already in use for some types of breast cancer and some other blood cancers such as lymphoma. So this is a rapidly expanding field and as we know more and more about what the targets are on the surface of cancer cells that we can use the antibodies to attack. So I think we're going to see this expanding into other types of cancer.

Professor Peter Johnson, a week long summit on the world's oceans has ended in the French city of Nice with global leaders taking steps toward safeguarding marine life. The gathering was the third and biggest so far dedicated to what the UN calls an emergency in the world's oceans. A senior UN official, Lee Huenua, said real progress had been made. A senior UN official, Lee Hoon-Hwa, said real progress had been made. Today, I'm very proud to say that we close this historic week not just with hope, but with concrete commitments, clear direction and undeniable momentum. Another 10 countries still need to ratify a treaty aiming to protect more of the world's oceans for it to take effect. But 50 have already done so.

Here in Britain, two men have been jailed for stealing a golden toilet worth six million dollars. The fixture was on display as an artwork entitled America, at one of Britain's grandest stately homes. In a dawn raid, thieves used stolen cars to smash their way through wooden gates and used a sledgehammer to break into Blenheim Palace in Southern England before ripping the toilet off the wall. The 18-carat gold toilet has not been seen since, as Duncan Kennedy reports. Fully functioning and displayed

in the baroque splendor of Blenheim Palace, the toilet, created by an Italian artist, was only on show for two days when it was stolen. Five men broke in with sledgehammers, prized the toilet off its fittings, and drove away. One of the gang, Michael Jones, had carried out reconnaissance in the days before, while James Sheen had been one of the burglars. He pleaded guilty after police found shards of the gold in his trouser pockets. Detective Superintendent Bruce Riddell from Tens Valley Police said while there had been a flow of toilet puns arising from the case, including some from the trial judge, this was a serious crime.

I understand the humour of it but when you're investigating, you're investigating a burglary of £4.8 million pounds worth of gold, forget it being a toilet, this is almost £5 million pounds worth of gold that has been stolen, humour doesn't play a part in our investigation. Last month a third man, Fred Doe, was given a suspended sentence for conspiracy to transfer criminal property. Police believe at least two of the burglars are still free. They also say the gold toilet was never found and was almost certainly smelted down. That report by Duncan Kennedy. And that's it 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, send us an email. The address is globalpodcast.bbc.co.uk. You can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Mark Pickett, the producers were Liam McShepard and Peter Goffin. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson, until next time, bye bye.