US launches fresh attacks on Iran

**Alex Ritson** (0:00)
This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson, and in the early hours of Thursday, June the 11th, these are our main stories. The US military strikes multiple targets in Iran after President Trump expresses exasperation with peace talks. The head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has defended the organization of the Football World Cup on the eve of the opening ceremony. Rioters clash with police for a second night near a migrant hotel in Northern Ireland.
Also in this podcast.

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**Alex Ritson** (0:42)
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The US military has carried out a wave of fresh strikes on Iran after President Trump said American forces would hit the country hard. US Central Command said the attacks had targeted military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air defence sites across Iran. Both sides have been exchanging fire this week after the downing of a US helicopter on Monday. Hours before the latest strikes, President Trump accused Tehran of taking too long to sign a peace deal, while the Iranian Foreign Ministry accused the US of damaging the diplomatic process through contradictory messages. Mr Trump's position was echoed by his defence secretary, Pete Hegseth.

**Pete Hegseth** (1:35)
As President Trump said, they have been tap, tap, tapping. You can see when someone is trying to tap, tap, tap on a deal. Instead they are going to have tap, tap, tap bombs dropping on key facilities in Iran from the United States of America. And that's not because we want to restart anything we don't have to restart.
It's because we are, the War Department is prepared to set the terms to ensure that we get the kind of deal President Trump expects.

**Alex Ritson** (2:00)
Tehran says it responded to the latest attacks by launching strikes of its own and has declared the Strait of Hormuz completely closed to all vessels following the US strikes. The latest tit-for-tat attacks leave the fragile ceasefire that's been in place since early April hanging in the balance. I heard more from our correspondent in Washington, Thomas Morgan.

**Thomas Morgan** (2:21)
Well, you mentioned there the US say that they've concluded their attacks, but we understand that the IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, have responded by attacking US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, describing it as punishment for the attacks early in the evening in southern attack. Now, the US Central Command said the strikes tonight were due to the unwarranted and continued aggression shown by Iran. As I mentioned, they were striking areas in the southern area of the country near the Strait of Hormuz, targeting coastal posts and police command, but also areas around Tehran as well, really. You heard a clip there from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
He also said that if they needed to negotiate with bombs, they would negotiate with bombs, the US. And that's certainly what has happened tonight. I think we're in this constant state of back and forth, really, not only in terms of who shoots first, but also a war of words, especially on social media. Who did attack first? Who hasn't attacked? I mean, earlier this evening, Iran had said that they'd attacked a US warship and the Strait of Hormuz was completely closed. Then the US. Central Command issued posts on social media saying in fact, none of their warships had been fired upon and the Strait was open to commercial ships as long as they weren't going in and out of Iran, clearly trying to posture and say, look, we are in control here. I think in reality, you know, the US are desperate for a deal to be done. President Trump is desperate for a deal to be signed, a peace agreement. He keeps saying that that deal is close, but the evidence doesn't seem to show as much really as these violent escalations keep happening every night since Monday. I think the question for Donald Trump is, how long is he going to continue like this? Well, he might have to continue until the Iranians give in, and they certainly haven't shown any sign of that, but the pressure is on him because not only in terms of, you know, trying to make sure that he can step up to Iran, but also at home here. The cost of living is rising in its fastest rate here in three years, gas prices are high, and opinion polls are suggesting that large swathes of the population in the US agree that this conflict has not been a good thing.