US military launches seventh night of Iran strikes

**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 Saturday, the 18th of July, these are our main stories. There's been a renewed American bombardment of Iran for the seventh day in a row. But how much more can the Iranians take? The head of the US Department of Homeland Security has instructed election officials in four states to check voter rolls for foreign nationals and crowds of desperate migrant workers gather outside embassies in South Africa, calling for help to return home after threats intensify against them.
Also in this podcast, Barbados declares a day of national mourning for one of the greatest cricketers of all time. Garfield Sobers has died at the age of 89

**George Osborne** (0:51)
And this tells a story of destruction and invasion. But what it also tells is a story of the fate of two nations, two peoples that are forever entwined.

**Will Chalk** (1:03)
After nearly a thousand years, the ultimate symbol of Britain and France's turbulent past, the Bayeux Tapestry, arrives back in the UK.
We start in the Middle East with what's becoming an all too familiar story. The US military says it's concluded another round of strikes on Iran, marking a full week of nightly American attacks. US Central Command says the attacks hit several targets aimed at degrading Iran's military capabilities. Earlier, Tehran accused the US of striking civilian infrastructure, though. In response, Iran says it's targeted US military assets in Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as in Jordan and Syria. And on Iranian state television, General Moshen Rezaee, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, warned that if US attacks persist, there will be more to come.

**Moshen Rezaee** (2:03)
If the US attacks continue for another two or three days, we will enter a phase of full-scale offensive and destructive attacks.
What does that mean? It means that Iran will no longer limit itself to mere retaliation. And no political border will be safe from Iran's offensive powers.

**Will Chalk** (2:26)
We will hear more of the Iranian perspective in a moment. But first to our correspondent in Washington, Nick Johnson.

**Nick Johnson** (2:33)
I think it's fair to say that this is another sign of an escalation between Washington and Tehran. We've heard that according to Iran, that Washington has attacked what it claims to be civilian infrastructure inside the country, including a railway station, bridges and an airport. But we've actually heard from a White House spokesperson who maintained that the US had only been attacking military targets inside Iran. Now, Iran has also said that it's targeted US military interests in Jordan, Syria, Kuwait and Bahrain, and actually in Bahrain, Tehran claims to have completely destroyed the country's main AI centre. So as US Central Command says, this has been a seventh consecutive night of strikes. And what it has said over the last week, it said the same thing. It said in an attempt to continue to degrade Iran's military capability.

**Will Chalk** (3:33)
Right, so as this keeps going then, what exactly is the US aiming to achieve, especially given the context of these peace talks? I mean, does this mean that they are completely off the table?

**Nick Johnson** (3:44)
Well, Donald Trump has said repeatedly, or a number of times over the past week hasn't he, that the ceasefire is over. And he's referring to this memorandum of understanding that was signed between Iran and the US last month. And that memorandum of understanding is meant to last 60 days. During that 60 days, there's meant to be an agreement of an end to hostilities while further peace talks ironed out and it leads to a long term peace agreement. Now, those hostilities have clearly resumed in some way or another.
As far as we're concerned, as far as we understand, no US delegation has been talking to an Iranian delegation. However, there was an Iranian delegation that met for talks with Qatar in an aim at reducing or de-escalating what's been going on in the last few days or so. But both countries seem to want to leave the door open for talks. We heard from the White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt yesterday saying that Iran wants to talk and the US would be willing to talk as well. So there is that door very slightly open for talks. Having said that, it doesn't feel like we're closer to those talks right now with these nights of consecutive tippetat strikes.

**Will Chalk** (4:54)
Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz traffic pretty much ground to a halt there again. And now two oil tankers, according to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, have hit mines there. And there are reports of explosions as well.