Ukrainecast Q&A: Middle East escalation, Russia's threat to Nato and fibre optic drones
As oil prices rise, is escalation in the Middle East between Israel and Iran a positive development for Russia? How successful has Ukraine been in downing Russia's fibre optic drone capacity? And is the Kremlin really intent on extending its invasion beyond Nato borders?
Lucy and Vitaly answer all that, and discuss the impact of the latest western sanctions with BBC Verify's Olga Robinson and Matthew Savill of the Royal United Services Institute.
The producers were Laurie Kalus and Polly Hope. The technical producer was James Piper. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480
You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord
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The Guardian
22 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: Trump's two-week window for Iran attack, Olympics ditch diversity, the five ways we've changed
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Koala gap | The long-promised great koala national park is not expected to get any additional funding in next week's New South Wales budget despite being a centrepiece of the state government's environment policy. Pay to play | Parents are now paying more than $500 a year on average for their children to play football, cricket and basketball, according to a national survey, as states pledge millions of dollars to ensure sport is not just for the wealthy. Bibi's 'sacrifice' | Benjamin Netanyahu has cast the conflict in the long view by comparing it to the liberation of Jewish people from captivity in Babylon 2,500 years ago by the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great. Earlier he visited a hospital that was hit by an Iranian missile and pointed to his own family's sacrifice: the second postponement of his son's wedding. Bunker doubts | Donald Trump has denied a report in the Wall Street Journal that he has approved US plans to attack Iran's underground nuclear site with 'bunker-buster' bombs, while our reporting suggests he is not persuaded of the bomb's ability to destroy the complex. The White House said a decision would be made 'within two weeks'. Follow updates from Washington live. Our defence editor judges that the conflict has exposed Iran's weaknesses but things could yet turn in its favour. Gaza deaths | Dozens more Palestinians were killed or injured in Gaza as they sought desperately needed aid overnight, with reports that Israeli forces close to one distribution point had opened fire – the third such incident in as many days. Climate blockers | Rampant climate misinformation is turning the crisis into a catastrophe, according to a new report, which says climate action was being obstructed and delayed by fossil fuel companies, politicians and governments. 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The Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Sun
If Donald Trump strikes Iran, Britain MUST back US and Israel to the hilt
NO ONE knows exactly how close Iran is to making a nuclear weapon. Not least because it has banned international inspectors from finding out. 2 But their intention is clear. Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country in the world to have enriched uranium at such high levels. Tehran's fanatical Islamists also want desperately to fire a nuke warhead at Israel and wipe it out. Donald Trump already offered Iran a way out — by giving up its nuclear programme. It responded with a bombing attack on an Israeli hospital. There is a powerful case for Trump to now order a bunker-buster bomb raid on Iran's underground network Not only could it destroy the mad mullahs' ambitions for a nuclear holocaust. It could also define his presidency. Strong intervention now will show other despots the US is back as a global deterrent force after Joe Biden 's humiliating Afghanistan withdrawal. So far, Sir Keir Starmer 's response has been insipid — trotting out the usual Foreign Office lines about the need for de-escalation. But if America strikes, Britain MUST back them and Israel to the hilt. Iran — with secret agents from its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operating on our streets — is a threat to us, too. It's no surprise to learn that Attorney General Lord Hermer has warned Starmer that UK involvement 'could' be illegal. When it comes to national security, he has been on the wrong side of every argument so far. The Prime Minister needs to be crystal clear with Lord Hermer — and everybody else — that British interests lie with Israel and America. The stakes could not be higher. Paradise last SUCH is the new Europe-wide anti-immigration crackdown, Britain remains the last paradise for illegal migrants. Countries such as Denmark and Sweden are turning asylum-seekers away at the door. 2 Meanwhile, the UK escorts them across the Channel and puts them up indefinitely in hotels. If only we could follow Australia's example and cut numbers to next to nothing with a scheme to send migrants to a third country. Except we did have one. The Rwanda plan — spitefully scrapped by Labour — WAS working to deter migrants, who had started heading to Ireland instead. Australia's former foreign minister Alexander Downer, the architect of his country's successful scheme, calls that decision a 'tragedy' for Britain. We can only agree. One day, ministers will have to admit what a terrible mistake they made.
BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
US joining Israeli strikes would cause hell, Iranian minister tells BBC
The US joining Israeli strikes would cause "hell for the whole region", Iran's deputy foreign minister has told the Khatibzadeh said this is "not America's war" and if US President Donald Trump does get involved, he will always be remembered as "a president who entered a war he doesn't belong in".He said US involvement would turn the conflict into a "quagmire", continue aggression and delay an end to the "brutal atrocities". His comments came after the Soroka hospital in southern Israel was hit during an Iranian missile attack. Iranian state media reported that the strike targeted a military site next to the hospital, and not the facility itself. Israel's Ministry of Health said 71 people were injured during the attack on the Soroka Medical Centre. Meanwhile, Israel's military said it had targeted Iran's nuclear sites including the "inactive" Arak heavy water reactor and Natanz has not given an update on casualties in Iran from Israeli latest attacks come at a critical time. On Thursday, the White House said Trump would decide whether or not the US gets directly involved in the conflict within the next two to the BBC, Khatibzadeh insisted that "of course, diplomacy is the first option", but said but while bombardment continues "we cannot start any negotiation".He repeatedly called Iran's attacks on Israel "self defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter" and said "we were in the middle of diplomacy" when in a major escalation of the conflict on 13 June, Israel launched attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, killing several top generals and nuclear deputy foreign minister called the conflict "unprovoked" and "unnecessary". Responding to Trump's repeated comments that the conflict could have been avoided if Iran had accepted a nuclear deal, Khatibzadeh said they were negotiating until Israel "sabotaged" discussions by launching attacks Iran. "We were planning to have the sixth round of nuclear talks in Muscat, and we were actually on the verge of reaching an agreement," he said. "President Trump knows better than anybody else that we were on the verge of reaching an agreement." He also criticised Trump's "confusing and contradictory" social media posts and interviews, which he said indicated "that Americans have been aware and have participated" in the conflict. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have reportedly spoken on the phone several times since Friday, in a bid to find a diplomatic end to the crisis, Reuters reported. According to three diplomats who spoke to the news agency and asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, Araqchi said Tehran would not return to negotiations unless Israel stopped the attacks. Israel has alleged Iran has recently "taken steps to weaponise" its enriched uranium stockpile, which can be used for power plants or nuclear bombs. Iran has always claimed that its nuclear programme is entirely Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - the UN's nuclear watchdog - said Iran had amassed enough uranium enriched up to 60% purity - a short technical step away from weapons grade, or 90% - to potentially make nuclear bombs."This is nonsense," Khatibzadeh said in response. "You cannot start a war based on speculation or intention."If we wanted to have a nuclear bomb, we would have had it way before."Iran has never developed any programme for nuclear weaponisation of peaceful nuclear activities. Bottom line." IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that nuclear facilities "must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment". Khatibzadeh also discussed potential diplomatic channels after a G7 summit in Canada. He said: "What we are hearing from Europeans is that they would like to get back to diplomacy at a ministerial level"."They are going to have a meeting in Geneva and we are very much happy that finally they have to come and talk at the table about the issues at hand."
