US retaliatory strikes against 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 Wednesday, June 10th, these are our main stories. The United States has carried out strikes on Iran in response to the downing of an American helicopter. Iranian forces say they have retaliated by targeting US bases in the region. The Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is banned from entering France over violence by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.
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**Nina Nazarova** (0:37)
Many of the books were probably sold already somewhere in Moscow or online auctions.

**Alex Ritson** (0:43)
The gang that managed to steal rare editions of Russian literary classics from libraries all over Europe.
There's been a tit for tat exchange of strikes between the US and Iran in the Middle East once again endangering their fragile ceasefire. The US Central Command said it had attacked Iranian targets close to the Strait of Hormuz after President Trump accused Tehran of shooting down an American Apache helicopter on Tuesday. Iran has responded by firing missiles and drones at US bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait. Iranian state TV quoted a statement posted on social media by the country's Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi saying Iran's armed forces will leave no attack unanswered. We prefer diplomacy, but we also know how to speak other languages, says Mr. Aragchi's statement. Our North America correspondent Peter Bowes gave me this update.

**Peter Bowes** (1:50)
Iran was very quick to launch retaliatory attacks after the United States launched its own series of attacks over the last few hours. And according to Iran, its state medium, it launched drone and long range missiles, missile strikes targeting American bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. And according to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, they say that they are ready to deliver a, quote, crushing and decisive response to any further US attacks. And this clearly is the most serious escalation of hostilities now between Washington and Tehran, since the truce was agreed between them some two months ago.

**Alex Ritson** (2:34)
The US military had said earlier that they had completed their attacks. Is there now a danger of further escalation?

**Peter Bowes** (2:44)
I think given the tense nature of the situation, there is clearly a danger of escalation. I think there was a view at one point a few hours ago, maybe that will still prevail, that this could be contained within a roughly 24-hour period, that the US would hit back, it believes, in response to the downing of that American helicopter on Monday. And it has certainly done that, and in fact I've got the statement in front of me saying that the US has indeed completed its strikes in response to, as it puts it, Iran's attack on the Apache helicopter and it lists what it sees as its achievements in this attack, striking Iranian air defence, ground control stations, surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz, with it says precision munitions from US air force and navy fighter jets. And it finishes with this line which really goes to your question, it says US forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against, as it puts it, unjustified Iranian aggression.

**Alex Ritson** (3:49)
The Iranians appear to be aiming at US military targets rather than civilian ones in the region. Is that going to make a difference?

**Peter Bowes** (3:57)
It could make a difference in the same way as the United States has been targeting Iranian military sites as opposed to political sites, the country's leadership, as it did at the height of the war. So this does appear to be both countries attacking the other's military sites, which does suggest that this may be containable, that it isn't the kind of series of attacks that is going to have further political repercussions and it could well be held within this period of 24 hours. And I think that will give some people hope, especially those negotiators on both sides who had been putting a lot of hope in the series of talks that we've been hearing about but actually not getting much detail, although President Trump very recently said that he believed that there could actually be a deal in the next three to four days. We've heard him say that before, he's saying it again. Now it does show that he wants diplomacy, it seems the Iranians want diplomacy, but I think it's fair to say this ceasefire looks increasingly fragile.

**Alex Ritson** (5:01)
Peter Bowes in Los Angeles. With his thoughts on the decision President Trump faces, here's our international editor, Jeremy Bowen.

**Jeremy Bowen** (5:10)
The downing of the Apache helicopter is another reminder that Iran's rulers can still hurt the Americans and will not budge in their determination to come out of this war on top.