Global News Podcast - US and Iran trade blows as Khamenei is buried

Episode Date: July 10, 2026

Ayatollah Khamenei - Iran's former supreme leader who was killed by US-Israeli strikes - has been laid to rest as fighting continues over control of the Strait of Hormuz. We speak to the BBC's Lyse Doucet, who's just returned from Tehran. Also: thousands of Venezuelans displaced by earthquakes are at risk of disease; Ukrainians attack a military conscription team hunting draft dodgers; Gazans turn to farming amid food insecurity; an alleged Ghanaian romance scammer is extradited; Donald Trump puts his name on a Florida airport; and the latest from the World Cup - as France knocks out Morocco and Norwegian football fans channel their inner Viking.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: [e-mail] Photo: Crowds taking part in the burial of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the city of Mashhad Credit: Iranian Supreme Leader Office

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How has America shaped the world? I'm Asma Khalid, host of the Global Story podcast from the BBC. As the United States marks its 250 year anniversary, we've been exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the U.S. has shaped the modern world. And today on the show, we answer your questions about this moment and what to expect in the years to come. From the BBC, it's the United States at 250. Listen to the global story on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Nick Miles and in the early hours of Friday the 10th of July, these are our main stories. Iran's late Supreme Leader is buried as both Tehran and the US continue to breach their ceasefire agreement.

We hear from people in Iran about concerns of a return to all-out war. Also, the soil that is available has been reused again and again. The soil itself is exhausted, as are the farmers. No seeds, no fertiliser. We have a special report on the huge challenges Gerson's face to farm their way out of chronic food insecurity. And after the deadly quakes in Venezuela, the silent killer, fears of disease spreading in the camps for the displaced. Also in this podcast, the Ghanaian man extradited to the US for allegedly running. a romance scam and France becomes the first nation through to the semifinals of the Football World

Cup. We begin in the Iranian city of Mashad, where the former Supreme Leader has been laid to rest after a six-day funeral procession. Ayatollah Ali al-hazajan, al-zajan, Salamon. Ayatollah Ali Khan was killed in in U.S. Israeli strikes at the start of the war. His funeral was marked by open shows of defiance towards Washington by some mourners and many officials. As it was laid to rest, Iranian state media reported that the US had targeted naval facilities in Koranak

and a military headquarters in Boucher, where one of the country's nuclear plants is located. For its part, Tehran has attacked what it said were U.S. military facilities in neighboring Gulf countries. This Iranian man sent the BBC a voice note. If war breaks out again, God forbid, what will be targeted this time? People are exhausted by this situation.

One day, there is a ceasefire and the next it's violated. Our chief correspondent, Liz Doucet, has just returned from Tehran. I asked her what she made of the latest violence, despite the US-Iran ceasefire, technically still being in place. This is yet another reminder of one was needed. about some of the difficulties in the deal signed last month between the United States and Iran. It was called a memorandum of understanding 14 points, and it has been leading to misunderstandings ever since it was signed.

Take the Strait of Hormuz. Iran reads, and it can find in the text, that it has been given some sway over this strategic waterway when it saw oil tankers moving through the strait closer to the coast of Oman on a route not decided by Iran, it attacked the oil tankers. That led the United States to accuse Iran of violating the memorandum because it says that under the terms of the deal, and it does say it, that there will be a return to the free flow of maritime traffic, in other words, back to the status quo.

And Iran has made it clear that if the United States strikes, it will strike back. And this is a measure of how Iran's new leaders, who survive the weeks of war, have been emboldened. They are less cautious than the 86-year-old Ayatollah Hamene, who most of his life, his main goal was to avoid direct confrontation with the United States. These new leaders, having survived it, no longer fear it. And at what point do these breaches in the ceasefire lead to a total breakdown of it?

I think we're seeing a redefinition of the ceasefire. President Trump has said, well, a ceasefire in the Middle East is different than elsewhere in the world. The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, says that a ceasefire, in this region now just means lesser fire. Look at what happened to the Gaza deal. Last October, President Trump announced with great fanfare. It was the biggest deal in peace in the Middle East in 3,000 years. It was a breakthrough that he brokered, but it was basically the first phase of a ceasefire deal. And since then there's really been no ceasefire. It's not all at war, but it's certainly not a calm. In the same way that now President Trump hailed this agreement,

It's an important agreement, but it will continue to be not all at war and not permanent peace. You talked about the new leaders in Tehran being emboldened, but if, as a lot of US hawks on Iran want, America reimposes a blockade, is one thing having political capital in Tehran, quite another having the economic rug pull from under you. For all the bravado of Iran's regime, they have suffered significant military losses. I mean, that's what happens when you go to war against the mighty American army backed up by Israel. But it does not feel it has been defeated. It is still able to wage war, to hit back.

It still has ballistic missiles and it still has drones. But it has also suffered extraordinarily in terms of economic and financial losses. I was stunned when I went to Iran, not the most recent trip I've just returned from, which focused on the funeral, the trip before that, where inflation was a staggering, 80%, millions of jobs have been lost, and Iranians are really struggling. And Iran leaders know that if they don't want to face unrest among their population again, and for the government to make ends meet, it has to continue negotiating with the United States.

Because if it doesn't negotiate on its nuclear program, it's not going to see a lifting of sanctions. It's not going to see the unfreezing of its assets. And yet what we hear from the hardliners within the ruling system, they're now saying, We don't want this deal with the US. How can you negotiate with a country which has killed our supreme leader? Leis de Sette, two weeks on from the two powerful earthquakes that hit northern Venezuela, tens of thousands of people are still living in makeshift camps, in parks and public squares. More than 3,000 people died as the buildings came down.

But now their health officials say many more could still be at risk because of a disease spread and a lack of drinking water. Our global affairs reporter Mimi Swebby told Jeanette Jalil more about what's happening. The latest, according to the interim authorities, is that 3,800 people have been confirmed as killed. But that figure is thought to rise over the coming weeks as many bodies are being pulled out of the rubble. Now, since international rescue teams have largely left rescuing many people, we saw some absolutely miraculous rescues nine days, 11 days after these twin quakes hit Northern Parts. of Venezuela, particularly in La Guayr, the Worsa area, the majority of going from rescue to recovery efforts are now being done by volunteers and relatives of family members, still very much

determined to find their loved ones and extract them from the rubble. Bear in mind, there's about 17 million tonnes of rubble in the affected area, so huge amounts of devastation with largely little equipment. So these huge social housing complexes are a focus now for many people. lot of anger at the governments, first of all, for their rescue efforts, but now looking and saying actually these housing complexes were not adequately built, they didn't meet safety standards, but very much the efforts at the moment are still on recovering those who are missing. There are tens of thousands of people still missing. Meanwhile, a bit of a health crisis for the many, many people who were displaced.

Yeah, there are nearly 18,000 people who are completely homeless, according to the government, but thousands who are displaced. These people have made up kind of makeshift camps. But these camps make diseases and infections very easily transmitted. So that is now a huge concern. And the Pan American Health Organization has come out and said the greatest risk right now for individuals, those who are displaced, those who are vulnerable from the earthquake, are the healthcare system being in disarray.

It was a terrible state before these earthquakes hit and now overcrowding in these camps and a lack of clean drinking water and sanitation. So people who have had their homes completely destroyed are now facing a new crisis. In these camps as well, there has been moments of joy. There have been clowns coming in to entertain children and volunteers from beauty salons, for example, going in and giving women pedicures, manicures, doing their hair, trying to kind of give some dignity to people living in these camps, also a sense of normality. And there have been some beautiful moments of people coming together in these really awful times. Mimi Swayby.

When the Donald Trump-Bat Gaza peace plan came into effect last October, the UN reported that just 4% of Gaza's pre-war farmland remained both accessible and undamaged. Eight months on, Israeli forces continue to occupy much of the territory's agricultural land, leaving most Gazans dependent on aid or often unaffordable food markets. With access to fresh fruit and vegetables still limited, the BBC's Theo White reports on,

one seed bank in central Gaza that's helping locals take control of their own food security. Two years of war has not only devastated Gaza's infrastructure, its buildings and roads, but also its ability to feed itself. The food supply is unreliable. Prices are high, and even for those who can afford it, there's a little choice in what to eat. We first started thinking about this project in 2013. In 2017, it officially began operating, and we started distributing seats to farmers.

This is Salama Mahana. In response to the difficulties facing Gaza's food supply, he started a seed bank with his daughter, Hanadi, funded by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Salama gives the seeds out to farmers, and they return the same number after the harvest. That way, the model keeps working year on year. We even introduced farmers to heirloom seeds. Local seats can withstand the drought, pests, and pests. and harsh weather conditions.

His goal is to give farmers what they need to produce a variety of produce locally. When Israeli forces advanced into Gaza in 2024, Salama and Hanadi's home was destroyed, along with the original seed bank. Now from a tent, they have started again. Shelf of seeds line the white tarpaulin walls. Each variety is held in a small container.

The war, Hanadi says, has made their project even more important. The work pushed most residents of the Gaza's trip toward agriculture, whether farming next to tents, in home gardens or in rooftops, for those who were not this place. This was due to the high prices of vegetables in the market and their scarcity.

Yusuf Alastal is one of the farmers working with the seed bank. He stood in blazing sunshine in a golden field of his own barley, but says he grows much more than this. Right now I have planted local arugula, parsley. I have planted two types of cowboys, two types of okra, watermelon, mulchia, pumpkin, corn and sunflower. Yusuf says he's dedicated a large part of his life to making Gaza a more self-sufficient. The Gaza's rib is besieged and completely closed. Some seas were close to extension and some have already disappeared.

So we try to preserve them. We achieve self-sufficiency. But this project accounts for only a tiny fraction of Gaza's food needs. The UK was among a number of countries last month that described the aid coming into Gaza as insufficient, both in terms of quality and quantity. The Israeli authorities responsible for bringing aid into Gaza told us that, going by UN guidelines,

they'd allowed four times the food needed into the territory since the ceasefire with Hamas was struck last year. The International Committee of the Red Cross says the situation isn't good enough. Foreign journalists aren't allowed into Gaza, so I talked to their spokesman in the territory remotely. Farming in Gaza, there is very little space. The soil that is available has been reused again and again. The soil itself is exhausted, as are the farmers.

And then on top of that, you have the restriction and what is able to be brought in to support agriculture in Gaza itself. No seeds, no fertilizer, no nursery soil to support new seeds. Despite these challenges, Hanadi and Salama's seeds are taking route across Gaza. Farmers in the territory, for now, have options. Theo White with that report. Now, let's bring you up to date with the World Cup. Four years ago, France and Morocco met at the semi-final stage with France going through 2-0. On Thursday, they met again in the first of the competition's quarterfinals. Sadly, for Morocco, it was the same scoreline. And that means France

are through to the semifinals once again. French fans in Paris. took to the streets to celebrate. Up and down and around the chancelises, they went. For Moroccan fans at a watching party in Boston, there was a mixture of pride and sadness. So, so proud of Moroccan. They really play very good, did all their best. They were amazing.

Oh, we feel upset. I'm just like any other Moroccan fan. We had a dream, and unfortunately friends always stops our dream for some reason. but we're always going to keep dreaming. I asked our football correspondent Joe Linsky if he thought the match was a bit one-sided. Morocco had got past the Netherlands. They'd drawn with Brazil as well in the group stage.

They had looked a spirited force in this tournament and of course they reached the semi-finals at the last World Cup four years ago. They were the last African team standing of the nine that made it through to the knockouts. But yes, as you say, France made them look ordinary. But they are certainly not the first team at this World Cup to have suffered that fate our Morocco

because France, with those two goals in the second half, the first from Killian Mbapé, bringing him back level with L'Enell Messi at the top of the golden boot standings, and Usman Dembele, the ballon door holder with the second goal for the French, and those two players really demonstrate the wealth of riches that France have,

particularly in those forward positions. Joe, you mentioned that they were the last of the African nations to go out. Nine African teams got through, as you said, to the knockout stages. What was it that impressed you about the African contingent this time around? Well, we had a mix, really, of some of the more established nations. Ivory Coast actually made it through to the knockouts for the first time.

You think back in their history and some of the wonderful players they've had in the past, like Didier Dragbar, Kolo and Yai Arthore. It was actually this crop of players that made history for them. Unfortunately, it landed them in the path of Norway. But, yeah, we've had D.R. Congo as well, who met England. I think what's been unfortunate for the African side is many of them, have ended with a good bit of momentum at the end of the group stage, but then they met European teams and South American teams in the knockouts,

and that really is the conundrum they have to solve in African football, I suppose. So much promise, so much potential, the Senegal team. I mean, they finished the group stage so strongly with that 5-0 win against Iraq that propelled them into the knockouts. Then they led by two goals to nil against Belgium with just five minutes left of that match. They somehow found a way to lose that game, and there have just been too many unfortunate moments, unfortunately, for the African side.

But once again, we look at the potential and the promise of those sides. You would think that a team could at least equal Morocco's semi-final showing in the next edition of this tournament. Joe, let's just look ahead to the first of the remaining quarterfinals, mouth-watering encounter between Spain and Belgium. Yeah, Spain's approach up to now has really been about control. They have yet to concede a goal at this tournament so far. their only slip-up of sorts was that nil-nil draw

with Cape Verde in their opener, but that was such a historic moment for that tiny African nation. Belgium have the potential, they have the players to cause Spain problems, perhaps be the first team to break through them at this tournament, but Spain have been controlled so far in this tournament. What both of these teams know, though, is that they will be on a collision course with France in the semi-finals should they go through.

Joe Linsky. Still to come in this podcast. ahead of their game against England, we look at Norway's morale-boosting trend. Who has America shaped the world? I'm Asma Khalid, host of the Global Story podcast from the BBC. As the United States marks its 250-year anniversary, we've been exploring the surprising and often hidden ways, the U.S. has shaped the modern world.

And today on the show, we answer your questions about this moment and what to expect in the years to come. From the BBC, it's the United States at 250. Listen to the global story on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. The 2026 World Cup started with 48 teams, and we've now reached the knockout stage. Records have been broken the way that Messi has been able to score all these goals late in his career. He's happy to play football and broken records is the consequence for him. And new heroes have emerged.

This country's caught the fever. Casual fans are now die-hard fans. And the More Than the Score podcast is bringing you the stories beyond the score lines. More than the score from the BBC World Service. Listen now, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. The United States is about to mark its 250th anniversary. And so on the Global Story podcast from the BBC, we're telling surprising tales of American influence

on the world stage and in ordinary people's lives all across the globe. We have this ability to export our story and a lot of people have bought it. I feel like the American dream is alive but not well. From the BBC, it's the United States at 250. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Global News podcast. The Ukrainian police have launched a criminal investigation after crowds of people attacked a military conscription team in the Western City.

of Leviv. Officers were attempting to detain a man they suspected of trying to avoid military service. Paul Moss has more. There was a time when Ukraine's military recruiters could barely keep up. So many men and women were volunteering to go and fight Russia's invasion. But there's been a marked rise in the number who now resist being conscripted and a rise in the number of confrontations between Ukrainian citizens and those responsible for conscripting them. Perhaps it's just the ever rising death toll which is driving this evasion of military service. Despite recent Ukrainian successes in its airstrikes on Russia, deployment to some frontline infantry units is still seen as a likely one-way ticket. And there's also the fact that those most eager to join have now done so.

Many of them are now either dead, injured, or just suffering complete exhaustion after long and arduous tours of duty. So the conscription teams should maybe not be too surprised. to encounter resistance, and Wednesday saw that resistance turn violent. Locals in at Leviv apparently took exception to the army officers trying to detain a suspected draft dodger. They overturned the recruiter's car and then attacked a police officer who came to help. There have been more than 100 reported confrontations like this since the start of the year. There were nearly 350 in 2025. The mayor of Leviv warned that Wednesday night's scenes could be used as propaganda by those hostile to Ukraine.

Paul Moss. In recent years, we've reported here on the BBC World Service about the rise of romance scams. They happen around the world, but many originate in West Africa. Now a prominent Ghanaian influencer has been extradited to the United States to face trial for allegedly running such a scam. Frederick Kumi denies the charges. Our correspondent Thomas Nardi in the Ghanaian capital Accra, taught me more about the allegations he faces. Heardikumi, popularly known as Abutrika, a social media influencer, very popular among Ghanaian youth. He's been accused of running a Roman scam that defrauded early Americans of over $8 million.

He's denied those allegations. He was put before court by Ghanaian authorities after he was picked out by a joint U.S. and Ghanaian security operation last year. Now, Frederick Kumi denies all these allegations, but the allegations suggest that he was doing this how? According to US prosecutors, he used AI tools to create fake online identities, targeting specifically elderly Americans. And he faces after 20 years imprisonment if he's found guilty. And they attempted to stop an extradition process that was ongoing in Ghana, but they were unsuccessful. And so, on the Ghanaian authorities succeeded to extraditing to the US to face trial. Now, Thomas, this is part of a wider crackdown by the US authorities on

criminal gangs in West Africa and in other parts of the world. Yes, Washington has been very keen in trying to crack down criminal networks operating both in the US and in West Africa, targeting vulnerable Americans. And they've succeeded in security some few prosecutions. They've extradited a few people, both in Ghana and Nigeria, just last week. A popular Ghanaian known as a Joseph Koujou, Bedou-Badu-Bwati, popularly known as Dada. Joe Remif pleaded guilty in the US to using romance and inheritance schemes to defraud Americans. And he's agreed to pay over $4.4 million in restitution. And so this is an ongoing operation by US authorities and security agencies in West Africa to try to crack down criminal networks that are engaged in this particular practice.

That was Thomas Nardy. The airport at West Palm Beach in the U.S. State of Florida has officially been renamed after President Trump. It's believed to be the first time an American airport has been named after a sitting president. These passengers in the terminal gave their reaction. You know, to have a president that lives in our backyard, I mean, we might as well honor him. People need to be honored for the commitment they made to our country. The name, because of who it is, I don't agree. with his way of thinking.

I don't think he sets a good example for the United States. And I'm going to fly in and out of Orlando from now on to get to my destination. Well, the name change was signed into law in March by Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. With more, here's Electra Neismith. It's been Palm Beach International for over half a century, but now President Donald J. Trump International

is officially open for business. The airport said the name change cost. $5.5 million. It's unclear whether that includes the other signage changes such as interstate highways. President Trump has pursued an ambitious renaming program in his own honour since taking office for his second term. The courts rejected an attempt to add the Trump name to Washington's John F. Kennedy Centre, but it's been successfully imprinted on everything from a new class of naval battleship to a savings account for children. President Trump is a frequent flyer to Palm Beach. It's home to his Ocean Front Estate, Mar-a-Lago.

officials are keen to assure the other 8 million annual passengers that are safe and reliable experience will remain their core focus. As its new slogan says, DJT is where greatness takes off. Electron A Smith. Back now to the World Cup and on Saturday England will play Norway, who in one respect at least are already winners with this. After their matches, the entire team sits down on the pitch and with a drum to keep time, mimes a rowing action, a nod to their Viking ancestors. A lot of the fans in the stadium join in too. It's even caught on in their parliament in Oslo. Members of the royal family and the country's Air Force pilots have joined in the tribute as

well. At the NATO summit in Ankara, the Prime Minister, Yunus Garstor, warned the British Prime Minister, Kirstama, that history may be on Norway's side. five years ago, Prime Minister. Norway played England in the qualification. And we won. And the radio commentator said, Maggie Tatcher, can you hear me? Your boys took a hell of a beating. Meanwhile, the Chanter-in-Chief, the Norwegian fan who came up with it, is Ulafrolstadt. He's a schoolteacher who's famous for wearing a Viking helmet.

And he's been speaking to the BBC's Tim Franks about its origins. It goes 10 plus years back. It's something that I saw from a Norwegian soccer team called Rosenborg. And they were yelling Rosenborg on the stadium. And they divided their name up in three parts by yelling Rozenborg. And that first part that goes Roe really made an impact on the stadium. And I fell in love with that part of it.

Many years later, I kept thinking about that roos sound. And we just wanted to use that somehow. And last year, when I was working on chance for Norway's supporter group, I was trying to find something Viking-related, something that had history and culture for us. And then all of a sudden I remembered this Rue from many years ago, and I realized what that meant. It meant row. And there was the idea.

Yeah, well, there was the idea. But as I say, the question is how you then got everybody in your country of 5.6 million to start rowing? That's a good question. I've never seen Norwegians act where they are acting like right now. So I think it's that 28-year-weight. People are just in a blast enjoying finally being in the World Cup. And it's, I mean, it must be fantastic for you, not just to see the entire sort of Norwegian contingent in the stadium,

but also, I mean, the players themselves, they've really got into it, haven't they? They have, yeah. And when they did it the first time against Senegal, that was amazing to see. It's just so cool to see how the supporters and the national teams, team are kind of synced in this and we feel very united and I think that's something that is helping the Norwegian team right. They're being backed no matter what and that we stand together. Feeling good about Saturday? Yes, I do feel good but it's going to be a very tough game. England is the favorite team to

win this one but I do think anything can happen. It's the quarterfinals and we're in a good flow right now so we're ready to row. That was Erler-Frollstadt. And that's all from us for now. But if you want to get in touch, you can email us at global podcast at BBC.co.com. You can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag Global NewsPod. And don't forget our sister podcast, the Global Story, which goes in-depth and beyond the headlines on one big story. This edition of the Global News podcast was mixed by Masoud Ibrahim Heil, and the producer was Emma Joseph.

The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Nick Mars, and until next time, goodbye. How has America shaped the world? I'm Asma Khalid, host of the Global Story podcast from the BBC. As the United States marks its 250-year anniversary, we've been exploring the surprising and often hidden ways, the U.S. has shaped the modern world. And today on the show, we answer your questions about this moment and what to expect in the years to come. From the BBC, it's the United States at 250. Listen to The Global Story on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.