US says Iran war will not be 'endless'
Global News Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 8.3K Ratings
🗓️ 2 March 2026
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The US and Israel strike targets across Iran for a third day. The American Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, says Washington's objectives won't be achieved "overnight" - but promised conflict with Iran would not lead to an "endless war". The violence has now spread across the region, as Iran launches its own attacks on several Gulf states. The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, exchanges strikes with Israel. Israel's President, Isaac Herzog, tells us that the future of the Middle East hinges on Iran losing the war. And our chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, reflects on what might come next.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:05.5 | This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:11.1 | I'm Celia Hatton, and at 1600 GMT on Monday, the 2nd of March, these are our main stories. |
| 0:18.4 | The U.S.-Israel war with Iran enters its third day. |
| 0:22.1 | The conflict is broadening with Israel striking the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. |
| 0:28.9 | The U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth says the U.S. is carrying out a devastating mission |
| 0:34.0 | with U.S. forces trying to destroy Iran's security infrastructure. |
| 0:39.5 | Iranian officials remain defiant. The head of the country's Supreme National Security Council |
| 0:45.2 | said Iran would fiercely defend itself and make its enemies sorry for what he called |
| 0:50.2 | their miscalculation. Also in this podcast, explosions have been heard in capital cities across the region, including |
| 0:59.8 | Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City and in Doha as Iran retaliates. |
| 1:04.5 | We do hear regularly explosions in the air as the Qataris intercept missiles and drones. |
| 1:11.1 | There's been some damage and several injuries as a result of falling debris. |
| 1:15.6 | And inside a run, the Red Cross says 555 people have been killed in the attacks. |
| 1:21.6 | We've been receiving messages from those on the ground. |
| 1:24.4 | People feel anxious and elated all at once. |
| 1:30.5 | With every explosion, some shot with joy from their windows. We're devoting all of this edition to the U.S. Israel War with Iran. Day |
| 1:41.6 | three now. And the conflict has been broadening, affecting a whole list of |
| 1:46.1 | countries in the region. And inside Iran, the aerial assaults are continuing. A short while ago, |
| 1:52.6 | the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, |
| 1:58.2 | General Dan Kane, gave a news conference at the Pentagon. |
| 2:01.9 | Mr. Hegset says the U.S. is carrying out what he described as a devastating mission. |
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