The Iranian President Says Sorry, But Does He Mean It?
Newscast
BBC
4.3 • 6.6K Ratings
🗓️ 7 March 2026
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Iran’s president has apologised to Gulf states for attacking them. He has also warned that Iran will not attack its neighbours "unless attacked first".
Laura asks Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, about the events of the past week, and what the apology really means.
Paddy’s been talking to an Iranian woman who has fled the country about her views on the regime and their actions over the past few months.
They get together to discuss what they’ve heard, and have a look at how seriously we should take dire economic warnings with Gillian Tett, a columnist for the Financial Times and the head of King's College, Cambridge.
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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 Chris Flynn with Laura Cain. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Transcript
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| 0:43.5 | subscribe. For instance, today, Laura's been to meet the Iranian ambassador to the UK. I have. |
| 0:48.8 | I have been speaking to a woman who fled Iran. We will speak to an economic genius about what kind of cost of |
| 0:55.6 | living impact they'll be in the UK. We're doing our best on a Saturday to bring together |
| 0:59.6 | all the journalism on this episode of Newscast. Newscast from the BBC. Fat boy sliver me in the |
| 1:06.3 | classroom doing our violin lessons. I was the tattle tail in the class. |
| 1:09.3 | Can I have an apology please? I trust almost nobody. That daddy has to sometimes do strong language. Next time in Moscow. I feel delulu with no salulu. Take me down to Downey Street. Let's go have a tour. Blimey. Hello, it's Paddy in the studio. And it's Laura in the studio. and on a day like today, we should say we're recording at 1.37 on Saturday afternoon because there is so much happening. |
| 1:34.9 | I was going to say at pace, which is a silly phrase that people in Whitehall and politicians use now when they just mean to say we're trying to do it quickly. |
| 1:42.0 | So let's not say things are happening at pace. |
| 1:44.5 | Events are moving really, really fast. And by the time this reaches your ears, there may be |
| 1:49.0 | more enormous headlines. Also, we are seeing reports of continued escalation in Lebanon by |
| 1:55.1 | Israel, as well as a hard hit, the hardest yet this weekend on Iran by Israel and the United States. And just a reminder, |
| 2:02.6 | Lebanon is important in this as a near neighbor of the main protagonists in this war, Iran and |
| 2:09.2 | Israel, because inside Lebanon, there's perceived to be support and activity by Hezbollah, |
| 2:15.3 | who many, many people consider to be a terror group and they have |
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