Fighting between the US and Iran flares up again

**Pete Ross** (0:00)
This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Pete Ross, and in the early hours of Wednesday, the 29th of July, these are our main stories. There's renewed fighting between the United States and Iran. Thirteen people are now known to have died, and many are still feared trapped following an earthquake in Japan. Keiko Fujimori, the latest conservative leader to come to power in Latin America, has been sworn in as president of Peru.
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At the weekend, President Trump had ordered US forces to stop attacking Iran as talks continued with Tehran. But it appears this was a lull in the fighting which has now resumed. US Central Command said that Iran had launched multiple ballistic missiles in an attack on American forces, but that all were intercepted. Iran's Revolutionary Guards later said that they had targeted a US military base in Jordan. The US military also said that together with Saudi Arabia, militant groups in eastern Iraq aligned with Iran had been hit. And Iranian media is reporting that the Revolutionary Guards have struck and halted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
BBC Persians' Kashiar Janady is monitoring developments.

**Kashiar Janady** (1:38)
For the first time since Friday where we witnessed a pause in attacks between Iran and the US, it seems again that the Middle East has witnessed renewed violence on Tuesday night. IRGC issued a statement announcing attacks on a US base in Jordan with several ballistic missiles saying that threats by American officials and illegal interventions against our interests must stop. The CENTCOM, the US Central Command, also issued a statement in which it says, At 5:45 pm Eastern Time Tuesday, which is 1:15 am Iran time, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. And of course, this is not the only instance of violence reporting on Tuesday night. The CENTCOM again announced that American and Saudi planes had conducted precision strikes against Iranian proxies in Eastern Iraq, accusing them of attacking US forces and Saudi energy facilities with drones. They said that in the past 72 hours, 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks have been conducted against these targets in Saudi Arabia.

**Steve Lai** (3:02)
Yeah, Keshia, you mentioned that these strikes come at a time when there had been sort of a pause in fighting, so talks could continue. Any update on where those talks are from the Iranian side?

**Kashiar Janady** (3:13)
Well, we heard from the US president that there are deep talks between Iran and the US.
The Iranians say that they had not approached the Americans to ask them for continuation of talks. That's what the Americans were saying, but Iranians are not denying that there have been contacts with the intermediaries. So there is some sort of talks, although the Iranians do say that they have had no direct contact with the Americans. President Trump was saying that the Iranians directly and indirectly had asked for talks, and actually yesterday on Tuesday, when he was talking about this in an interview with Fox News, he hoped that the talks will lead to an arrangement that Iran will have no nuclear weapons. Otherwise, he renewed his threats that if that doesn't happen, then the US will attack Iran's pickaxe mountain as well as bridges and power plants in the country.

**Pete Ross** (4:07)
Kashiar Janady in Washington speaking to Steve Lai.
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu had been the closest of allies, with Israel's Prime Minister once describing the US President as the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House. But the war against Iran and Israel's war in Lebanon has put a huge strain on the relationship. Mr Trump has admitted to swearing at Mr Netanyahu and calling him crazy. On Tuesday, they met for the first time since the conflict with Iran began, and just hours before, an escalation in the fighting in the Middle East. Photos of the two leaders in the White House showed them smiling. Afterwards, Israel's Prime Minister had this to say.

**Benjamin Netanyahu** (4:51)
I just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump, a conversation with full partnership and mutual support, with an understanding of a shared goal, to ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons and other goals as well. One of the best conversations I've had with the President of the United States.