Listener Q&A on Iran
The Global Story
BBC
3.8 • 667 Ratings
🗓️ 18 March 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, The Global Story listeners have been contacting us with questions: about the causes of the war, the legality of it, and how other countries are responding. As Gulf states get drawn further into the conflict, might they send military reinforcement? And if the Iranian regime were to fall, could islamist groups such as Isis seize an opportunity to claim more power?
In today’s episode, we answer all of these and more, with BBC world affairs editor, John Simpson. Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: A woman marches with an Iranian monarchy flag during a 'Freedom for Iran' protest in New York, New York, USA, 15 March 2026. Credit: Olga Fedorova/Shutterstock
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:06.0 | The headlines coming out of the Middle East every day can feel dizzying. |
| 0:10.1 | A war now into its third week. |
| 0:13.2 | The US President Donald Trump says the US is not ready to make a deal |
| 0:17.1 | to end the consequences of Operation Epic Fury continue to be felt around the world. |
| 0:22.9 | It's hard to make sense of it all sometimes, and you've been sending us your questions. |
| 0:27.9 | Hi there. |
| 0:28.5 | Hi, Tristan and Asma. |
| 0:30.1 | Hi, Global Story Team. |
| 0:31.8 | Today on the show, we answer them with a little help from the expertise of a BBC legend. |
| 0:37.8 | From the BBC, I'm Tristan Redmond in London. |
| 0:41.3 | And I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. |
| 0:44.1 | And you're listening to The Global Story. |
| 0:51.7 | Today's episode is really special because it is based off of all the brilliant and in-depth |
| 0:56.7 | listener questions that you all have sent us. We really appreciate. You guys have sent so many, |
| 1:01.1 | many smart questions about the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and the impacts that that war is having |
| 1:06.6 | across the region and, frankly, across the world. So thank you all for getting in touch. |
| 1:11.6 | And we have picked a few choice questions that you've sent into us. And we've also picked a very |
| 1:17.7 | special person to help us answer these questions, a man who knows his way around the Middle East, |
| 1:25.1 | a BBC legend, Mr. John Simpson. |
| 1:28.2 | John, if you could just introduce yourself, please, for us, for our listeners, that would be fantastic. |
| 1:32.9 | Sure, my name is John Simpson. |
... |
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