Israel and Iran carry out fresh airstrikes

**Will Chalk** (0:00)
This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.
I'm Will Chalk, and in the early hours of Monday, the 8th of June, these are our main stories. Iran and Israel are firing missiles at each other once again. Both sides too, a warning that they won't be backing down. Donald Trump had explicitly told Israel not to retaliate. So where does this leave the fragile truce that's existed since April? With the Peruvian presidential election seemingly on a knife edge, we will hear from our correspondent there. And the pro-Western Prime Minister of Armenia has claimed victory after a general election seen as a contest with pro-Russian interests.
Also in this podcast, China's president Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea for his first visit in seven years. And how the next generation of weight loss drugs might not only limit appetite, but also burn away fat.

**Marie Spreckley** (0:56)
It needs to be safe. It needs to be effective. But this looks extremely promising. And I'm very excited by this.

**Will Chalk** (1:03)
Plus for the first time since Boris Becker did it more than three decades ago, a German tennis player has won a men's Grand Slam.
When does a ceasefire cease to be a ceasefire? A pertinent question right now with the truth between Iran and the US and Israel that was agreed back in April, looking more frayed than ever. First Iran, angry that Israel had continued its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, launched missiles at Israel. Then in the hours before we recorded this podcast, Israel retaliated and fired back at Iran. It is exactly what Donald Trump had warned Benjamin Netanyahu not to do. Kashiar Junaidi from BBC Persian is in Washington for us.

**Kashiar Junaidi** (1:48)
It's been a very tense period in the Middle East in the past few hours. Immediately after the Israelis hit some Hezbollah positions in the southern outskirts of Beirut, Iranian officials came out and said that they will retaliate these attacks. And retaliation is what happened. Iran reported launching three rounds of ballistic missiles towards northern Israel. And of course, Israeli officials have said all of these ballistic missiles were intercepted and no casualties were reported. And immediately after this, we heard from President Trump that, okay, the Iranians shot their missiles. Now it's time to go get back behind the table and restart the negotiations. And he also called on the Israelis not to retaliate against Iran. And of course, Israelis seems that they just ignored President Trump's warning. And some time ago, there were reports of Israeli air force jets striking targets in central and western Iran, as the IDF reported. There has been reports by Iranian state media that explosions have been heard in Tehran, in Tabriz, which is in northwestern Iran, and in Isfahan, which is central Iran. First responders in Tehran have reported that there has been no report of damage in urban areas. And also the provincial governor of Isfahan has announced that there has been explosions in Najafabad, a city close to Isfahan.
But this is all the reports that we've received. So far, we haven't heard from possible casualties or possible damages. There are some unconfirmed reports that the Israelis had targeted some missile launch bases and air defense bases. That's what we've heard. There are some unconfirmed reports that one of the targets was Tehran's Mehrabad Airport, but these reports have to be confirmed yet.
And I have to mention it's early morning in Tehran and we are waiting to hear more from the targets and the possible casualties of these attacks.

**Will Chalk** (3:49)
Now you mentioned that Donald Trump warned Israel not to hit back, which is exactly what Israel did. That means Israel is out on its own here, does it not?

**Kashiar Junaidi** (3:58)
This ceasefire has been very fragile from day one. President Trump is very much concerned that these attacks would lead to the relaunch of the war and would derail the peace talks. And it seems that at this point, Iran has walked into a trap by Israel because Israel wasn't very happy with the possibility of a deal between Iran and the US as it was reported. Iran just helped Israel to achieve its goal to harm this process. Of course, President Trump is also concerned that just before the World Cup, which the US is also hosting, starts, such an attack, such escalation of situation in the Middle East would divert attention from the World Cup, which is very important for President Trump himself.

**Will Chalk** (4:44)
Kesha Janady from BBC Persian in Washington.
There's been a rise in the number of Palestinians being forced from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem. According to UN figures, some 200 Palestinian households, about 900 people, are facing eviction cases filed against them in the Israeli courts, mostly by settlers. Israel sees the whole of Jerusalem as its capital. Palestinians want the East to be the capital of their hoped-for future state. Our Middle East correspondent, Yalan Nel, has been to meet Palestinians whose homes are being taken over or demolished.