US President says Nato allies are "cowards" for refusing to help open the Strait of Hormuz, as the head of the International Energy Agency claims the closure of the waterway poses the "greatest global energy security challenge in history”.Also in the programme: Iranian-American artist Shirin Neshat on celebrating the ancient Persian festival of Nowruz; and the action movie star, and martial arts expert Chuck Norris has died aged 86.(Photo: US President Trump departs the White House to spend the weekend at Mar-a-Lago on 20 March 2026. Credit: Shawn Thew/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock)

Nowruz is a traditional festival that marks the spring equinox, the rebirth of nature and the start of the new year in Iran and other countries. But this year's Nowruz will be the first many in the country have experienced at war. And across the Gulf, millions of Muslims are marking Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, under the shadow of war. We hear from journalists in Iran and the UAE.Also on the programme: Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez has announced sheis replacing the country's senior military commanders, a day after replacing the longtime Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino López; and we examine how artificial intelligence is being used in the publishing industry.(Photo: Iranian people shop at Tajrish Bazaar in Tehran, ahead of Nowruz, on the 19th of March, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency/Reuters)

It has been a day of turmoil on the world's financial markets after Israel - on Wednesday - struck an Iranian facility in the South Pars gas field, part of the world's biggest natural gas field, which Iran shares with Qatar. That, in turn, prompted Iran to retaliate against energy facilities in Qatar and its other Gulf neighbours sending the price of both gas and oil surging upwards. Also in the programme: a mysterious signal is being broadcast in the Farsi language on shortwave radio from Europe - what is it? And how a conversation in the Caribbean Sea about quantum information led to a big prize.(Photo: Traders work on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) floor after the opening bell in New York, USA, 19 March 2026. Credit: Sarah Yenesel /EPA/Shutterstock)

Oil and gas prices have risen sharply after fresh strikes hit energy infrastructure in the Middle East, including Qatar's main gas facility.Gas prices jumped by about 25% on wholesale markets in the UK and Europe in early trading, before easing slightly. We've also been hearing from the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth who says the Pentagon will go to Congress to ask for funding for the war as it continues on.President Trump says he knew nothing about the Israeli attack on the Iranian South Pars facility; we'll examine what this says about US-Israeli military co-operation.Also in the programme: The world's longest coastal path is opening in England; and newly discovered letters from the renowned palaeontologist Mary Anning show even she got sick of fossils.(Photo shows a file photo of QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas production facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar on 2 March 2026. Credit: Reuters)

There is "extensive damage" from missile attacks on the Ras Laffan industrial site, Qatar's state-owned petroleum company says. The site was among those listed by Iran in a warning that it would take "decisive action" after its South Pars gas field facilities were reportedly hit by Israeli strikes. Earlier, Israel launched a series of strikes on Lebanon's capital Beirut, as it continues its offensive against Hezbollah. We hear voices from across the Middle East.Also on the programme: Senegal has called for an international investigation after its national men's football team is stripped of its African Cup title, following January's chaotic match against Morocco; and we hear from the researchers using maths to understand why some clothes designs keep coming back into fashion. (Photo: A view of the South Pars gas field in Assalooyeh on Iran's Persian Gulf coast south of Tehran Credit: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Israel bombs the heart of the Lebanese capital as it escalates its offensive against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. We hear from a former Lebanese health minister in Beirut and ask a former senior Israeli army officer about his country's aims. Also in the programme: anger and delight in African football after its governing body strips Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations title and hands it to Morocco; and what is "Muskism" and how does understanding Elon Musk's approach to business help us understand the Trump Administration, and our changing world? We talk to the co-author of a new book on the billionaire.(Photo: People stand amidst debris at the site of an Israeli strike, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Zuqaq al-Blat district in central Beirut, Lebanon, 18 March, 2026. Credit: Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

Joe Kent, the head of the US National Counterterrorism Centre and a long-time Trump supporter, has announced his resignation from the role. He said he could not in good conscience back the administration's war. The BBC’s US State Department correspondent gives us more details on this development. Also on the programme: At least 100 people are dead after a Pakistani airstrike hit an Afghan hospital; how Fijian bull sharks appear to have preferred swimming companions while avoiding others; and a man living close to the Ukrainian front line tells us what daily life is like as the war with Russia continues. (Photo: Joe Kent speaking into a microphone. Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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.(IMAGE: Ali Larijani, former chairman of the parliament of Iran, attends a press conference after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon November 15, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters / Thaier Al-Sudani / File Photo)

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)