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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Tell us about DNA. DNA-free is a new generation connection with a safe network connection. This is a special edition of the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson, and at 14 hours GMT on Saturday 28th February, these are our main stories.
The US and Israel have launched what Donald Trump calls major combat operations against Iran, bombing Tehran and, Iran says, five other cities.
We are going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally obliterated. We are going to annihilate their navy. We are going to ensure that the region's terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world.
The president urged Iranians to use the moment to overthrow the Ayatollah.
When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.
Plus reporting from our correspondents in the region and analysis from our team, including experts from BBC Persian. It was a little before 10 o'clock on a bright Tehran morning when the first missiles struck, arriving out of a clear blue sky. Blasts were heard in cities across Iran as the United States and Israel carried out multiple strikes.
In a video message on social media, President Trump accused the Iranian regime of waging an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder targeting the United States.
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Chapter 2: What are the details of the US and Israel's military operations against Iran?
Now that the Islamic Republic is collapsing, my message to the country's military, police and security forces is clear. You've sworn an oath to protect Iran and the Iranian people, not the Islamic Republic and its leaders. Your duty is to defend the people, not a regime that's taken our homeland hostage through repression and crime.
Join the people and help bring about a stable and secure transition. Otherwise, you will go down with Khamenei's sinking ship and his regime. To find out more about the reaction inside Iran, I spoke to Gia Gol from BBC Persian.
Well, the footage we are receiving from inside the country and the voices we hear from the people in the street all indicates there has been a massive attack on many different locations in Tehran and several cities across the country. And in one video, a lady was shouting. The office of the supreme leader hit. Another woman joyfully said, finally, he was hit.
And it all indicates the mood in Iran for so many people who just more than a month ago, thousands of people, thousands of protesters were killed and gunned down. And so many people are not happy with the situation in the country. But, of course, there are also many people who are afraid of the war. They don't know what is the outcome. Just a few minutes ago, Iranian officials said,
18 students have been killed in the city of Minab. And what we are seeing also, we see the anti-riot police and security forces also being deployed to different locations in the city in Tehran. But it is not just Tehran which witnessed so many explosions and airstrikes. Also in several cities. In the border city of Kermanshah, we know from last year there are numbers of missile launching sites
There have been also attacks. It seems what we are hearing from them and what we are hearing from underground, also they are targeting Revolutionary Guards bases in different cities, in small towns, in hopes that some of those people come out to the street, so rise up against the government.
This is a joint operation between the US and Israel. The US will have access, presumably, to the intelligence of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency. The US has indicated this is about regime change. What are the chances that the Ayatollah will have been hit by any of these strikes?
I think we know they were expecting some sort of attack. And we know from the last year also when he was the target of Israeli airstrike, he was moved to the safe and underground bunker. That was what we are hearing. That's what we were expecting. Yes, his office may have been hit, but most likely he has been moved to a safe place.
But what we are hearing from President Trump, if you would have asked me before President Trump's speech today, what is the purpose of this attack, I might say, you know what, maybe this is a limited attack against Iran to get more concession on a negotiation table. But what he said to this, it was clearly a declaration of war.
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Chapter 3: What messages did President Trump convey to the Iranian people?
The planning for this military operation has clearly been in place for some time. And now President Trump has decided to go ahead with the aim of regime change, which is, frankly, the most drastic outcome that could have been the case. There was questions about what an Israeli a U.S. military operation might involve?
Would it be limited strikes to kind of force the Iranians further along in the negotiations? Would it be strikes on just military targets like the ballistic missiles sites, the nuclear sites? But no, Mr. Trump has made it clear that they're going further than that.
And again, that is a source of concern for the Arab neighbors and the Arabs in the Gulf, because who knows what will come afterwards and whether they will be subject to flows of refugees and weapons coming across the borders if the worst case scenario comes true. Barbara Platt-Usher, she was talking to Mariam Mashiri. And we have more on this on our YouTube channel.
Search for BBC News on YouTube and you'll find Global News Podcast in the podcast section. There's a new story available every weekday. Still to come in this podcast, the view from Israel and the internet blackout that's also hitting the people of Iran.
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This is the Global News Podcast. The US government went ahead with its military action without seeking approval from Congress. Here's Helena Humphrey in Washington.
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Chapter 4: How is the situation unfolding in Tehran during the attacks?
And, you know, depending on how long this operation takes, by the Americans, by Israel and Iran goes on, we're going to have to wait and see what the extent of the Iranian response is going to be this time. Their military capabilities have been hugely diminished in recent years because of those various conflicts, but they still have the capacity to hit all parts of Israel pretty hard.
John Donaldson speaking to the BBC's Marion Mashiri. Iran is now under an internet blackout, according to NetBlocks, an internet monitoring agency. My colleague Merlin Thomas from BBC Verify told me more.
There is a near total internet blackout with national connectivity at about 4%. And NetBlocks, this international watchdog of internet connectivity, has basically published this graph showing a steep fall in the internet connectivity in Iran. And this isn't the first time we've seen this.
It was just in January, just a few weeks ago, that we saw a near total internet blackout during the nationwide protests. And that remained in place for weeks. And it meant that It made it really difficult to get any information out of Iran.
So it meant that any videos, information, messages that were being sent were being sent through other methods such as SpaceX's Starlink, that's a satellite internet method that people are using, or VPN. So those are virtual private networks. And it's likely that those who have access to those methods will try to use them again eventually. this time round.
But it does make it very difficult to find out exactly what's happening inside the country. And as we're continuing to verify video, we're just seeing, you know, when these videos first emerged.
And Merlin, what is the purpose of the blackout?
It's not clear yet. You know, obviously, the first time this happened earlier on this year, it seemed to be an internet government imposed internet blackout. It's still unclear whether the same thing has been done in this case. We've had no reports as of yet that their connectivity issues are due to strikes. But that could very well be the case. But it also could be government imposed.
So we're still waiting to see. And as I said, it still makes it very difficult to actually find out the causes of that.
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Chapter 5: What is the reaction from Iranian opposition leaders to the military actions?
when and how it will end. Lise Doucette talking to Samantha Simmons. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. You can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag Global News Pod. And don't forget our sister podcast, The Global Story, which goes in-depth and behind the headlines on one big story.
This edition of The Global News Podcast was mixed by Philip Bull and the producers were Pete Ross and Peter Hyatt. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time, goodbye.
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