Is the US heading for war with Iran?
The Inquiry
BBC
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 30 May 2019
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On 8 May 2018, the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - a nuclear deal between Iran, the US and other countries. Since then, tensions between Iran and the US have escalated to the point where some believe a conflict is imminent. Kavita Puri and experts try to work out how the two countries got to this point, asking: is the US heading for War with Iran?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Chloe Hadjimatheou and Lizzy McNeill
(image: the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has been deployed to the Red Sea. Credit: Michael Singley, U.S. Navy/Getty Images)
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is the inquiry on the BBC World Service with me, Kavita Puri. |
| 0:05.0 | Each week, one question,000 ton aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln changes course. |
| 0:28.4 | It heads for the Sui's canal en route to the Persian Gulf. |
| 0:39.0 | On board, 80 fighter jets and hundreds of land attack crews missiles. It's a potent symbol of American military power, |
| 0:43.7 | and its deployment to the Middle East |
| 0:45.9 | is designed to send a clear message to one country, Iran. |
| 0:53.0 | Why? The US claims Iran is mobilizing groups in Iraq and Syria to target American forces. |
| 1:01.0 | Washington also blames Iran for hitting four oil tankers belonging to US allies. |
| 1:10.0 | When a rocket attack hit Iraq's green zone, striking a building near the U.S. embassy, |
| 1:15.9 | President Trump blamed Iran, tweeting, |
| 1:19.5 | If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States |
| 1:26.7 | again. |
| 1:28.7 | Iran said these were genocidal taunts and deny there behind these acts of aggression. |
| 1:36.6 | But the tension between Washington and Tehran is escalating fast. So this week we're asking, is the US heading for war with Iran. Part 1, JAWJAW. |
| 1:43.0 | So this week we're asking, |
| 1:44.0 | Is the US heading for war with Iran? |
| 1:48.0 | Part 1. |
| 1:51.0 | JAW-JAW. I have three children and a wife and I missed every single one of their birthdays. |
| 2:06.8 | I missed my 10th and 11th wedding anniversaries. |
| 2:10.4 | This is Richard Nephew who led strategy on Iran in Barak Obama's White House, a job which meant he was rarely at home. |
| 2:19.0 | My wife used to joke that I lived in Europe and I said no no I didn't live in Europe I live somewhere |
| 2:24.3 | over Greenland from the number of flights that we used to take. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.