Is This The Beginning of the End for the Iranian Government?
Newscast
BBC
4.3 • 6.6K Ratings
🗓️ 10 January 2026
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, Laura and Paddy speak to Sir Lawrence Freedman, historian, and Professor of War Studies at King's College London, to help us understand what’s happening in Iran, as well as the huge foreign news stories of recent times.
There’s possible regime change in Iran, where protests continue and authorities issued coordinated warnings to protesters. A doctor and medic at two hospitals told the BBC their facilities were overwhelmed with injuries.
Donald Trump has warned the regime not to kill protesters, and after capturing the Venezuelan president, he’s turned his sights to Greenland which he’d like to be in control of. Plus Russian strikes and blackouts in Ukraine continue. Can you draw a line between all of these things, and is there a helpful way of understanding them?
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Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O’Connell. It was made by Rufus Gray. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:06.1 | Nicholas Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance, until they didn't and until he didn't. |
| 0:15.0 | He hefted around, and he found out. |
| 0:18.8 | So Iran's in big trouble. |
| 0:20.3 | It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. |
| 0:28.6 | The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States. |
| 0:33.6 | There's no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you're asking of a military operation. |
| 0:39.3 | Nobody's going to fight the United States. |
| 0:41.3 | I think we're just one of you left alone. |
| 0:44.3 | We're very tired of it. |
| 0:46.3 | Following a ceasefire, the UK and France will establish military hubs across Ukraine and build protected |
| 0:57.9 | facilities for weapons and military equipment. |
| 1:10.6 | The sounds of what feels like everything everywhere all at once. |
| 1:15.4 | Those collection of sounds from the week where we heard the American Secretary of State for War, |
| 1:20.7 | as he's now called, Pete Hegsef at a press conference after the capture of the Venezuelan president, |
| 1:25.8 | Nicholas Maduro. |
| 1:26.8 | We heard sounds of protest in Iran with Donald Trump speaking at a news conference just on Friday. |
| 1:32.3 | Then the next voice you heard was the US Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, speaking to CNN, |
| 1:37.4 | about Americans' ambitions to take Greenland and the voice of a resident, a Greenlander, saying they want to be left alone. |
| 1:46.0 | And we heard the sound of recent Russian attacks on Ukraine, particularly in the west of the country. |
| 1:51.0 | And the Prime Minister, Kyr Starmer, pledging British troops in Ukraine, who would be on the ground to protect a peace if a deal can be done. |
| 1:58.0 | All of that is from the last seven days. |
... |
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