Israel claims to have killed more senior members of Iran's leadership; we ask what the death of security chief Ali Larijani could mean for the war. Also in the programme: in the Afghan capital Kabul, dozens of people have been killed in an airstrike on a drug treatment centre, which the Taliban government has blamed on Pakistan; why is one of the world's most influential tech billionaires in Rome lecturing about the Antichrist? And we hear about the endearing qualities of a newly discovered subatomic particle.

Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.

As the Iran war goes into its third week, which countries will heed President Trump's call to help unblock the flow of global oil? We hear from a former British army officer who served as Nato’s deputy supreme allied commander of Europe. Also on the programme: whistleblowers tell the BBC social media giants have allowed harmful content on feeds to entice users; and a new study finds that babies experiment with deceptive behaviour much earlier than previously thought. (Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on a flight back to Washington on March 15, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

US President Donald Trump says he’s not ready to make a deal with Iran because the terms for one aren't good enough yet. We'll hear from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi who says his country has never even requested a ceasefire with the US and get the latest on the situation in Iran from a BBC Persian journalist.Also on the programme: Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine tells us concerns for his safety have prompted him to leave the country two months after the disputed presidential election; and who's in the running ahead of this year’s upcoming Oscars ceremony? (Photo: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi speaking to CBS News, 16th March 2026. Credit: "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan", CBS News)

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait all reported attacks overnight, with air defences working to intercept them, though the frequency is much less than in the early days of the conflict. Earlier the Iranians urged the UAE to evacuate the port zones of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah. We hear about Iran's strategy. Also in the programme: Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of crossing a red line by launching drones into its airspace; and how an Oscar-nominee picked a fight with the worlds of ballet and opera. (Photo: Smoke rises in the Fujairah oil industry zone, caused by debris after interception of a drone by air defences, according to the Fujairah media office, during the US/Israel conflict with Iran. Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 14, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

The US president has called on the UK and other allies to join the United States in sending ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. His comments come after he said US forces had “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s key Kharg Island - a commercial lifeline for the Iranian regime. We discuss these latest developments with Mark Kimmitt, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs under George W. Bush.Also on today’s programme: an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon has killed 12 medical workers; and we hear from Cuba, where protesters have attacked a Communist Party office. (Photo: Kharg Island - a military target on Kharg Island, that was struck by the US forces. Source: U.S. Central Command on social media / X / @CENTCOM)

The US military has given more details about its strikes last night on Kharg Island, where most of Iran's oil exports are shipped from. It said it had struck more than 90 military sites, including missile storage facilities. Video on social media showed multiple explosions, including at an airfield. Also in the programme: our correspondent has been to a Kurdish Peshmerga mountain base in Iraq; and we meet the man who did the make-up and prosthetics for the new film Frankenstein. (Photo: A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. 2026 Credit: Planet Labs PBC/Handout via Reuters)

European leaders have reacted with alarm to a US plan to ease some oil sanctions on Russia. The intention, in Washington, is to tackle surging energy costs caused by the war in the Middle East, in particular the blockage by Iran of tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 per cent of the world's oil usually transits. With her country at war with Russia, a Ukrainian MP gives us her reaction to this development. Also on the programme: a look at the current state of Iran’s military capabilities as war continues to rage; how spider’s silk could be used to treat nerve damage in humans; and the bid to restore the resting place of saxophone inventor Adolphe Sax.(Photo: General view of the Arcelor Mittal plant in Fos-sur-Mer, Southern France, 12th March 2026. Credit: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA/Shutterstock)

The massive bombardment of Iran is continuing with explosions heard across Tehran. Iranian state television reported a major blast near where thousands of Iranians are taking part in a Quds Day rally - an annual march in support of Palestinians and opposing Israel. One person is reported to have been killed. There is also growing criticism in Europe of Washington's decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil in a bid to counter rising oil prices caused by the US and Israel's war with Iran.Also, how the White House is selling its war on social media. And we look ahead to the Oscars, where international cinema in the spotlight this year.Plus researchers warn AI toys for children misread emotions and respond inappropriately.(Photo: Iranians collect their belongings among the rubble of their damaged residential buildings in central Tehran, Iran, 12 March 2026. Credit: EPA)

As Iran releases the new supreme leader's first statement, we hear from the country's UN ambassador, Ali Bahreini. We also track the expanding Israeli military assault on Lebanon, and ask how the insurance industry is handling the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a major conduit for global oil supplies. Also in the programme: British tourist among those arrested in Dubai for having missile photographs on his phone; and a tribute album for the jazz musician Miles Davis on the centenary of his birth.(Photo: Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei; Credit: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock)

Iran's new supreme leader vows to keep blocking Strait of Hormuz in his first statement released by the regime after more attacks on cargo ships in the Gulf in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, causing another spike in oil prices.Can American naval power keep those shipping lanes open? We'll assess the options and hear what people in America's heartland think about the war.Also in the programme: Will a new "ethnic unity" law in China lead to more disunity?; and a piece of rock music history goes up for a sale - a rather battered guitar that belonged to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain.(Photo shows the Thai-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree on fire after being hit by Iranian missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, on 11 March 2026. Credit: Royal Thai Navy)

Three vessels have been hit by 'unknown projectiles' in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime authorities say. We are joined by Dr Harry Broadman, a former US Assistant Trade Representative to discuss how disruption in the shipping channel might affect global supply chains.Also on today's programme: Chile sees its biggest shift to the hard right in decades with the inauguration of Jose Antonio Kast as president. British organ preservation charity Pipe Up says five pipe organs are sent to a landfill each week. Plus, as Iran says it will not play in the World Cup, we hear from Afshin Ghotbi, who coached both the US and Iranian national football teams.(Photo: An LPG gas tanker at anchor as traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, in Shinas, Oman. 11 March 2026. Credit: Benoît Tessier/Reuters)