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[00:00:10] Live from Washington. This is
[00:00:12] BBC News. The US Senate passes a
[00:00:15] a sanctions package aimed at helping helping Ukraine by cutting off funds
[00:00:19] funds to Russia. It now faces a vote
[00:00:20] vote in the House of Representatives. Representatives. Thailand's Prime
[00:00:24] Prime Minister pledges new gun laws laws after a 14-year-old student
[00:00:27] student shoots dead. Six people at
[00:00:29] at a school after killing two of
[00:00:31] of his grandparents. And in an exclusive
[00:00:34] exclusive interview with BBC Newsnight, Newsnight, Hunter Biden sheds light
[00:00:38] light on his father's health and and decision to run for a second
[00:00:42] second term against Donald Trump.
[00:00:53] Helena Humphrey. Good to have you with us. We begin with some developing developing news from Ukraine. The
[00:00:57] The capital, Kyiv, is under attack attack from ballistic missiles. Russian
[00:01:00] Russian missile attacks have become become an almost nightly occurrence, occurrence, with Ukraine saying that
[00:01:04] that it lacks enough air defences defences to intercept them. Earlier,
[00:01:08] Earlier, Russian strikes killed three three people in the Kyiv region,
[00:01:12] region, including a child, according according to the local governor.
[00:01:15] governor. Meanwhile, here in the the US., the Senate has overwhelmingly
[00:01:18] overwhelmingly passed a sanctions sanctions bill against Russia. It
[00:01:21] It aims to choke off the country's country's economy and bring an end
[00:01:24] end to the war in Ukraine. Well, Well, the legislation targets major
[00:01:27] major buyers of Russian oil and gas gas and imposes additional sanctions
[00:01:31] sanctions on Russian leaders and and oligarchs. The measure, which
[00:01:34] which was championed by the late late Senator Lindsey Graham, still
[00:01:36] still needs to pass the House of of Representatives where it may face
[00:01:40] face some resistance. Now that's that's largely because of a provision provision in the bill that would
[00:01:44] would give President Trump the ability
[00:01:46] ability to impose tariffs of up to
[00:01:48] to 100% on countries that are major major consumers of Russian energy.
[00:01:52] energy. Lindsey Graham's sister, sister, South Carolina Republican
[00:01:55] Republican Senator Darline Graham Graham and Richard Blumenthal, the
[00:01:58] the Democratic senator from Connecticut, Connecticut, are among lawmakers
[00:02:01] lawmakers voicing support for that
[00:02:03] that bill. An emotional day in a
[00:02:06] a very exciting day for me. Russia
[00:02:08] Russia has waged war against Ukraine
[00:02:11] Ukraine for far too long. And this this bill assists President Trump
[00:02:14] Trump and his noble efforts to bring bring it to a close. This legislation
[00:02:18] legislation was deeply important important to my brother Lindsey,
[00:02:21] Lindsey, and I am grateful that this
[00:02:22] this bill has achieved such a wide
[00:02:25] wide coalition of support. He believed believed that this was the most consequential
[00:02:29] consequential piece of legislation legislation that he had ever led.
[00:02:33] led. Vladimir Putin is watching in in Moscow. I'd like to thank Lindsey
[00:02:36] Lindsey Graham is watching as well well and proud of what we've done,
[00:02:40] done, because today we send a message
[00:02:42] message to Vladimir Putin, you will
[00:02:45] will not win this war. Time to come
[00:02:48] come to the table for peace. Your
[00:02:51] Your economy already on its heels
[00:02:55] heels is going to be throttled, even even decimated. Ukrainian President
[00:02:59] President Volodymyr Zelensky has has thanked US senators for passing
[00:03:02] passing the sanctions bill. Meanwhile, Meanwhile, Russia has seized tens
[00:03:05] tens of thousands of homes across
[00:03:07] across regions of Ukraine that it it has illegally annexed since its
[00:03:11] its invasion of the country. The The Russian government told the BBC
[00:03:13] BBC the scheme is part of the legal
[00:03:16] legal framework for integrating the the reunited regions into the Russian
[00:03:19] Russian system. Well, the BBC has has analysed hundreds of publicly
[00:03:23] publicly available documents detailing detailing how occupying authorities
[00:03:26] authorities are taking away Ukrainian
[00:03:28] Ukrainian homes. BBC Verify's Olga
[00:03:30] Olga Robinson has more. Ihor Ivashchuk
[00:03:35] Ivashchuk hasn't seen his home in in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol
[00:03:38] Mariupol for years. The evangelical evangelical pastor fled the city
[00:03:41] city in September 2022, shortly before
[00:03:44] before Russia illegally annexed the the region. He hasn't been able to
[00:03:47] to return since. In his absence, absence, Ihor says a man in military
[00:03:51] military uniform turned up on his
[00:03:54] his doorstep. He asked what kind
[00:03:56] kind of housing it was, where the the owner was, what documents there
[00:04:00] there were and things like that.
[00:04:03] that. His house is among more than
[00:04:06] than 34,000 homes that are being being seized by Moscow installed
[00:04:09] installed authorities across four four occupied regions of Ukraine.
[00:04:12] Ukraine. The BBC has analysed hundreds
[00:04:14] hundreds of official documents published published since 2024. This is how
[00:04:18] how the process works. Moscow installed installed officials first declare
[00:04:22] declare properties as having signs signs of being ownerless. They then then require the Ukrainian owners
[00:04:26] owners to obtain a Russian passport
[00:04:28] passport and prove ownership in person, person, all within just 30 days.
[00:04:32] days. If Ukrainians fail to do so,
[00:04:35] so, their homes are declared ownerless ownerless transferred to the local
[00:04:39] local authority and can be reassigned reassigned to someone else. Mariupol
[00:04:42] Mariupol has seen most of the seizures. seizures. The city was bitterly fought
[00:04:45] fought over in the early days of of the invasion, and thousands of
[00:04:48] of people fled more than 14,000 homes
[00:04:52] homes and properties here have been
[00:04:54] been labelled ownerless and are being being seized. And it's not just a
[00:04:58] a local initiative. It has the personal
[00:05:01] personal endorsement from President President Putin, a law he signed
[00:05:03] signed in December last year formalised formalised the process allowing the
[00:05:07] the properties to be given or temporarily temporarily leased to Russian citizens
[00:05:11] citizens only. Experts say this appears
[00:05:13] appears to be part of the wider efforts
[00:05:15] efforts to russify the occupied regions.
[00:05:17] regions. The Russian government told told us this scheme established procedures
[00:05:21] procedures for managing residential residential property whose owners
[00:05:24] owners cannot be identified or contacted.
[00:05:28] contacted. Igor says he doesn't know know if someone lives in his home
[00:05:30] home now, but still hopes to see
[00:05:34] see it one day. For me or my family, family, the question is where we
[00:05:38] we will live to see that time. I
[00:05:40] I would like to. Ukrainians we spoke
[00:05:42] spoke to say it's not just homes homes they're losing but their memories
[00:05:46] memories and heritage. Olga Robinson,
[00:05:49] Robinson, BBC News. Police in Thailand Thailand say that a 14-year-old student
[00:05:53] student killed at least eight people people in gun attacks at his home
[00:05:56] home in school on the outskirts of of Bangkok. The Thai Prime Minister
[00:06:00] Minister said the teenager killed killed his grandparents and five
[00:06:03] five teachers before taking his own own life. Thai media later reported
[00:06:07] reported that a school student had had died from their injuries. Well,
[00:06:10] Well, at least 30 other people were were injured in those attacks. These
[00:06:14] These are some live pictures that that we have showing the exterior
[00:06:16] exterior of the school in Bangkok. Bangkok. And despite strict gun laws
[00:06:20] laws that punish illegal firearm firearm possession with up to ten
[00:06:23] ten years in prison, Thailand has has one of the highest rates of civilian
[00:06:26] civilian gun ownership in South East
[00:06:28] East Asia. It is estimated that 40%
[00:06:31] 40% of guns there are possessed illegally.
[00:06:34] illegally. Well, turning now to the the UK, where there has been a new
[00:06:37] new development in the investigation investigation into the murder of
[00:06:40] of the former Conservative Minister Minister Ann Widdecombe. British British counter-terrorism police
[00:06:44] police say that they are reopening reopening an investigation into an
[00:06:47] an attempted burglary that happened happened last year after they identified
[00:06:50] identified a new line of inquiry inquiry that may be relevant. The
[00:06:54] The BBC understands this refers to to an incident at Nigel Farage's
[00:06:58] Farage's home in south London, which which the reform UK leader previously
[00:07:02] previously described as a lit incendiary
[00:07:04] incendiary device being pushed through through his letterbox. Ann Widdecombe,
[00:07:07] Widdecombe, a prominent member of of the reform UK party, was found
[00:07:11] found dead at her home last month.
[00:07:13] month. The Spanish government has has introduced controls at its borders
[00:07:17] borders for travellers arriving from
[00:07:19] from Italy as a row over migration migration continues to escalate.
[00:07:22] escalate. Madrid says that it will will temporarily impose controls
[00:07:25] controls at internal borders, ports ports and airports from midnight
[00:07:29] midnight to. Well, Spain has been
[00:07:32] been angered by Italy's response response to the sudden influx last
[00:07:35] last week of tens of thousands of of Moroccans into the Spanish North
[00:07:38] North African territory of Ceuta.
[00:07:41] Ceuta. Italy promptly imposed border border restrictions on travellers
[00:07:44] travellers from Spain and today said said that it intended to keep them
[00:07:47] them in place for at least another
[00:07:50] another week. Hunter Biden, the son
[00:07:52] son of former US President Joe Biden,
[00:07:55] Biden, has defended the controversial controversial presidential pardon
[00:07:58] pardon granted by his father in an an interview with the BBC's Newsnight.
[00:08:02] Newsnight. He said that he feels feels like the most privileged person
[00:08:06] person there is, while acknowledging acknowledging that people would find
[00:08:08] find it unfair. The former president's
[00:08:10] president's son also spoke candidly candidly about his father's cancer
[00:08:14] cancer and his own battle with addiction. addiction. Well, Hunter Biden also
[00:08:17] also said that he did not advise advise his father to run for a second
[00:08:21] second term against Donald Trump. Trump. He spoke to BBC Newsnight
[00:08:24] Newsnight presenter Paddy O'Connell.
[00:08:26] O'Connell. Did you advise him to
[00:08:28] to run again? No, I did not because
[00:08:33] because what was it like for you
[00:08:35] you explaining this love and respect,
[00:08:39] respect, watching the 2024 presidential presidential debate, where were you,
[00:08:43] you, Hunter, when your father failed
[00:08:44] failed to complete a sentence on
[00:08:47] on prime time television during a
[00:08:51] a presidential election campaign?
[00:08:52] campaign? Where were you watching
[00:08:55] watching that? I was alone in. I
[00:08:58] I wasn't alone, I was at my house house in here in California, and
[00:09:02] and I was watching it. And I always always like to if I'm not with him,
[00:09:05] him, to be able to watch alone. And
[00:09:08] And so I was alone in a room with with the TV and I was watching it.
[00:09:12] it. And like everybody else, I was
[00:09:14] was shocked. I could tell as soon soon as my father came out that something
[00:09:17] something was wrong. I've never seen
[00:09:20] seen him with a kind of the hundred
[00:09:22] hundred yard stare that he had and
[00:09:26] and you know, everybody has their their questions, you know, of. But
[00:09:30] But the reason that we know about
[00:09:32] about that is not because Joe Biden
[00:09:34] Biden wasn't on TV or in public a
[00:09:38] a million and a half times before before and after. The reason that
[00:09:41] that was so shocking is because it it had never happened before, and
[00:09:44] and it hasn't happened since. And
[00:09:47] And so I can't necessarily explain explain it. I have theories about
[00:09:50] about it. I have theories about the the fact that he had travelled as
[00:09:53] as much as he did, and he was taking
[00:09:55] taking Ambien, I believe, which they they I'm positive they gave him when
[00:09:59] when he was going back and forth
[00:10:01] forth from Asia. I think he had flown
[00:10:04] flown I think, eight different legs legs in a three week period of time.
[00:10:08] time. But regardless, these are just just theories of mine. I also know
[00:10:11] know that he obviously had cancer.
[00:10:13] cancer. Whether it impacted him or
[00:10:15] or not, he had by nine months later later he was diagnosed with stage
[00:10:19] stage four prostate cancer and stage stage four metastatic bone cancer,
[00:10:23] cancer, none of which we knew. But
[00:10:25] But my reaction to it was that I I was as shocked, I think, as anyone
[00:10:28] anyone who knew Joe Biden was. Well,
[00:10:32] Well, now on BBC News, my colleague colleague Annita McVeigh has an in
[00:10:34] in depth look at the day's developments
[00:10:37] developments in the US Iran war with with our recorded programme, the
[00:10:40] the Iran War. Today. Hello, I'm Annita
[00:10:48] Annita McVeigh and this is the Iran Iran War. Today our daily news briefing
[00:10:52] briefing bringing you up to date date with all you need to know from
[00:10:55] from the last 24 hours in the US
[00:10:58] US war with Iran. Let's start with
[00:10:59] with some of today's key developments. developments. Tensions escalate in
[00:11:03] in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia and and the Iran backed Houthi rebels
[00:11:07] rebels continue their blockade of of one another as 11 people are injured
[00:11:11] injured in a suspected Houthi strike
[00:11:13] strike inside Saudi. Meanwhile, Saudi Saudi Arabia signs a defence agreement
[00:11:17] agreement with Turkey and Pakistan, Pakistan, saying an attack on one
[00:11:21] one of them would be seen as an attack
[00:11:23] attack on all three. Reports from from Iran say the country's leaders
[00:11:27] leaders have drafted a bill to regulate regulate traffic in the Strait of
[00:11:30] of Hormuz. We'll assess what the the options could be to reopen that
[00:11:34] that vital waterway. Donald Trump
[00:11:36] Trump again dismisses reports of
[00:11:38] of dwindling US munitions stockpiles stockpiles and again insists the
[00:11:41] the war with Iran is close to being
[00:11:44] being over. I think it's going in
[00:11:46] in pretty soon. I don't think they
[00:11:48] they can go much longer. We begin
[00:11:55] begin with one of the deadliest days days in recent years between Saudi
[00:11:59] Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen, Yemen, as control over shipping in
[00:12:02] in the Red Sea leads to fresh strikes.
[00:12:05] strikes. 11 civilians were injured injured in a Houthi attack on Saudi
[00:12:08] Saudi Arabia's border region of Najran.
[00:12:11] Najran. The attack comes two days days after the Houthis said they
[00:12:14] they had carried out a drone strike
[00:12:16] strike on Najran Airport. Houthi
[00:12:19] Houthi attacks in central Yemen also also reportedly killed at least 30
[00:12:23] 30 Yemeni government troops who are
[00:12:25] are backed by Saudi Arabia. Tensions
[00:12:28] Tensions have escalated in recent recent weeks after the Iranian backed
[00:12:30] backed group announced a naval blockade blockade in the Red Sea and attacked
[00:12:34] attacked Saudi tankers and oil facilities. facilities. Riyadh has responded
[00:12:38] responded with strikes on military military sites in Yemen. And don't
[00:12:41] don't forget that Red Sea is one one of the world's most important
[00:12:45] important shipping routes. Since Since the war started, Saudi Arabia
[00:12:48] Arabia had been using the Red Sea
[00:12:50] Sea to export oil, bypassing the
[00:12:52] the Strait of Hormuz. Let's speak speak to our security correspondent,
[00:12:56] correspondent, Frank Gardner. And And Frank, you spoke to us earlier
[00:12:58] earlier in the week about the Saudi
[00:13:00] Saudi Houthi conflict being a second
[00:13:02] second front in the US Iran war. war. Give us your thoughts on the
[00:13:06] the escalation that we're seeing.
[00:13:09] seeing. Well, this is a case of old old scores being settled to some some extent because Saudi Arabia
[00:13:13] Arabia went to war with the Houthis
[00:13:16] Houthis in March 2015 after the Houthis Houthis had taken over the whole
[00:13:20] whole country or most of it. They They tried to reverse that takeover.
[00:13:24] takeover. They fought for seven years,
[00:13:26] years, a bitter war against the Houthis, Houthis, mostly bombarding them from
[00:13:30] from the air. But they had ground ground battles as well. The Saudis
[00:13:34] Saudis completely failed to dislodge
[00:13:36] dislodge the Houthis. An estimated
[00:13:39] estimated 370 thousand people died
[00:13:41] died in the ensuing conflict through
[00:13:44] through displacement, hunger and
[00:13:46] and air strikes. There was then a
[00:13:51] a ceasefire since 2022, but basically basically the plaster has been ripped
[00:13:53] ripped off. This wound and they're
[00:13:55] they're at each other's throats again.
[00:13:58] again. Partly prompted by Saudi Arabia
[00:14:01] Arabia bombing Sanaa airport to try
[00:14:03] try to stop a plane landing from
[00:14:06] from Iran. And the Houthis are in,
[00:14:09] in, although they are in charge of of the poorest Arab country, they
[00:14:13] they are in quite a strong position, position, rather like Iran. They're
[00:14:17] They're militarily weak but strategically strategically strong because they
[00:14:20] they sit right next to the Bab el el Mandeb Strait the choke point
[00:14:24] point at the southern end of the the Red Sea, as you mentioned there. there. So they're able to threaten
[00:14:28] threaten shipping and they have indeed, indeed, they say, targeted eight
[00:14:32] eight Saudi tankers, which makes makes it very difficult for Saudi
[00:14:34] Saudi Arabia to get its oil to market. market. It can't go through the Strait
[00:14:38] Strait of Hormuz or it's very difficult difficult and dangerous to export
[00:14:40] export it that way at the moment
[00:14:43] moment because of the Iran-us conflict, conflict, it was exporting it through
[00:14:46] through the Red Sea from Yanbu, further
[00:14:48] further south. That's now difficult.
[00:14:50] difficult. So this is going to impact
[00:14:52] impact the global economy as well well as making life difficult for
[00:14:56] for Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Frank, Frank, we've seen Saudi Arabia sign
[00:14:59] sign a defence pact with Pakistan Pakistan and Turkey, which essentially
[00:15:02] essentially says an attack on one one is an attack on all. How significant
[00:15:06] significant is that? Well, on paper paper it is significant, but I think
[00:15:10] think this may turn out to be largely largely performative. Saudi Arabia
[00:15:13] Arabia loves forming big international international alliances. I remember
[00:15:17] remember it with a huge fanfare in
[00:15:19] in 2016. It announced some big Islamic
[00:15:22] Islamic nations, a sort of Islamic Islamic Nato, and we went down to
[00:15:25] to Saudi to inspect a big sort of
[00:15:28] of parade with people abseiling from from helicopters. Nothing came of
[00:15:31] of that. This particular pact. It
[00:15:34] It is significant because these are
[00:15:35] are three important countries. Pakistan
[00:15:39] Pakistan has mediated with some degree
[00:15:41] degree of success, although not ultimately
[00:15:44] ultimately successful between the the US and Iran. It signed a defence
[00:15:47] defence pact already with Saudi Arabia Arabia last year, and it's a nuclear
[00:15:50] nuclear armed state. But there's there's no suggestion in this pact
[00:15:54] pact that Pakistan would make its its nuclear warheads available to
[00:15:57] to Saudi Arabia. Likewise, Turkey
[00:15:59] Turkey has got a huge army, the second
[00:16:01] second biggest in Nato after the the United States. But again, there
[00:16:05] there is nothing in this defence defence pact signed very symbolically
[00:16:09] symbolically in Mecca that actually
[00:16:11] actually obliges these countries countries to come to the aid of another
[00:16:15] another one if attacked. And Saudi Saudi Arabia is being attacked from
[00:16:18] from both sides, from Iranian backed
[00:16:21] backed militias in Iraq and Iranian Iranian backed Houthis in Yemen.
[00:16:24] Yemen. So the test of this alliance, alliance, whether it's worth anything
[00:16:28] anything more than the paper it's it's written on, will be if Saudi
[00:16:31] Saudi Arabia is attacked, are they they going to do anything? OK, Frank,
[00:16:34] Frank, thank you very much. Frank Frank Gardner, our security correspondent.
[00:16:37] correspondent. Well, let's turn to to the Strait of Hormuz. It's been
[00:16:40] been days since Iran and Oman said said they'd reached an agreement
[00:16:44] agreement on the exact shipping routes routes commercial ships could use
[00:16:47] use to transit the vital waterway. waterway. And that agreement is yet
[00:16:51] yet to be published. But let's just just take a moment to look through
[00:16:53] through what's been proposed so far. far. So we've got a series of graphics
[00:16:57] graphics of maps for you to show
[00:16:59] show you the various options. Currently Currently there are three distinct
[00:17:02] distinct routes. First of all, we
[00:17:05] we have the northern corridor. Now
[00:17:07] Now this is approved by Iran and
[00:17:09] and mostly within their own territorial territorial waters. As you can see
[00:17:13] see here, Tehran has asked ships ships to use this route since mid
[00:17:16] mid June, giving them greater oversight
[00:17:19] oversight and control of marine traffic
[00:17:21] traffic in the strait. Then you have have the southern corridor. Now this
[00:17:25] this route is approved by Oman as
[00:17:29] as well as the International Maritime Maritime Organisation. It's also also backed by the United States
[00:17:32] States and would see ships transit transit through the territorial waters
[00:17:36] waters of Oman and the UAE. You can
[00:17:38] can see here much closer to the shore
[00:17:42] shore of Oman and crucially, away
[00:17:44] away from Iranian waters. And then
[00:17:47] then you have the two shipping lanes
[00:17:49] lanes that were in use before the
[00:17:52] the war with inbound traffic transiting
[00:17:54] transiting via a more northerly route
[00:17:56] route closer to Iran's coast. So So here and then outbound traffic
[00:18:00] traffic moving back out to the Gulf Gulf of Oman on a path closer to
[00:18:04] to the coastlines of the UAE and
[00:18:07] and Oman. Early reports in Iranian Iranian media suggest that this could
[00:18:10] could be the basis of the new Iran
[00:18:13] Iran Oman agreement. But of course
[00:18:15] course that is yet to be published. published. Well, Donald Trump has
[00:18:18] has again repeated his claim the the war is close to being over. Just
[00:18:22] Just days after he called off an an attack which he said would have
[00:18:25] have been greater than anything seen seen since World War II. We've also
[00:18:29] also heard from the President in in the last 24 hours addressing extensive
[00:18:32] extensive reporting, both here at
[00:18:34] at the BBC and across the American American media that suggested the
[00:18:37] the war with Iran has severely depleted
[00:18:40] depleted US weapons stockpiles. Here's
[00:18:42] Here's what he told reporters. We
[00:18:45] We have certain types of munitions munitions which are very. They may
[00:18:49] may not be as accurate. They may may not be. You know, they're not
[00:18:52] not as elite. We have elite two,
[00:18:55] two, but we're watching that very
[00:18:56] very closely. But we have certain
[00:19:00] certain types which are very powerful
[00:19:01] powerful and very good. And we have
[00:19:04] have an unlimited supply. And so
[00:19:07] so we're in great shape. But with
[00:19:09] with that being said, we always want want more. We have to have more.
[00:19:13] more. We have other things maybe maybe come up, maybe come up and and maybe don't come up. Hopefully
[00:19:16] Hopefully nothing else does come come up, but we're in very good shape.
[00:19:19] shape. We have literally massive massive amounts of ammunition. Well,
[00:19:22] Well, let's speak to our Washington Washington correspondent Daniel Bush
[00:19:26] Bush Daniel. What exactly is the
[00:19:28] the US strategy at this point? Well,
[00:19:31] Well, the strategy has not seemed seemed to change all that much. President
[00:19:34] President Trump is insisting that that if he wants to, he can step
[00:19:37] step up attacks militarily against against Iran at any time, then backing
[00:19:40] backing away, claiming a deal is is at hand right now. Washington
[00:19:43] Washington and the White House in in particular are really keeping keeping a close eye on these talks
[00:19:47] talks between Oman and Iran to see see what comes out of that, and it
[00:19:50] it will present a major challenge challenge for President Trump if
[00:19:54] if those two countries agree to some
[00:19:55] some sort of a fee or tolling system
[00:19:58] system for shipping through that that route, that is something that
[00:20:01] that the administration has said said categorically should not happen
[00:20:05] happen is against international law, law, and they may have to accept
[00:20:08] accept that as a concession or a a compromise to get shipping through
[00:20:12] through the Strait of Hormuz fully fully reopen and move one step closer
[00:20:16] closer to some sort of a longer term term ceasefire with Iran. And at
[00:20:19] at the same time, President Trump
[00:20:21] Trump is addressing these reports reports about munitions shortages.
[00:20:25] shortages. And yesterday telling telling reporters at the White House
[00:20:27] House on the one hand, that the munitions munitions stockpiles are in good
[00:20:30] good shape. But it was telling that that he did say that certain munitions munitions and he didn't specify which
[00:20:34] which ones are, quote, a little bit
[00:20:36] bit tighter. So as perhaps a small small acknowledgement from the President
[00:20:39] President that indeed the US is facing facing some shortages as this war
[00:20:43] war goes on for months and months. months. And Daniel, how much pressure
[00:20:46] pressure is the President under domestically domestically to cut a deal that ends
[00:20:49] ends the US involvement in this war.
[00:20:52] war. That pressure is going up day day by day because with each passing
[00:20:56] passing day and week, we're coming coming closer and closer to the mid-term
[00:21:00] mid-term elections in November. For For months now in the United States,
[00:21:02] States, polls show that a majority majority of Americans disapprove
[00:21:05] disapprove of President Trump's handling handling of the war. That includes
[00:21:08] includes some Republicans and crucially, crucially, a lot of independent voters
[00:21:12] voters as well. This is a losing losing issue politically for the
[00:21:15] the Republican Party. And Republicans, Republicans, in fact, have been pressing pressing the White House to pivot
[00:21:19] pivot away from the war to talk about about the economy, to talk about
[00:21:22] about other issues. But President President Trump has no choice but but to continue to address this.
[00:21:26] this. So from the President's perspective perspective and his team, they've they've been looking for a way out,
[00:21:30] out, a way to wind down this conflict. conflict. Now for the last two months.
[00:21:33] months. Plus, there is nothing at at hand. But the longer this goes
[00:21:36] goes on, the more pressure, especially especially after the August recess
[00:21:39] recess when Republicans and Democrats Democrats come back and campaigning campaigning gets into full swing,
[00:21:43] swing, there will be even more pressure pressure on President Trump to get get a resolution and get it quickly.
[00:21:47] quickly. OK, Daniel, thank you very very much. Daniel Bush. Well, let's
[00:21:51] let's end with the latest from inside
[00:21:53] inside Iran after yesterday's reporting reporting that the country's intelligence
[00:21:56] intelligence ministry had arrested arrested 21 people over alleged links
[00:22:00] links to Israel's Mossad intelligence intelligence service. Well, with
[00:22:02] with me now is BBC Persian special
[00:22:05] special correspondent Kasra Naji Naji Kasra. Talk to us about what
[00:22:08] what we know about these arrests arrests and what life is like for
[00:22:11] for people inside Iran at the moment. moment. What do we know about that?
[00:22:14] that? We know very little about these
[00:22:17] these 21 people. We know that they they were arrested by Iran's intelligence
[00:22:21] intelligence ministry in southwest southwest of the country. This is
[00:22:24] is an area of Iran which is bordering
[00:22:27] bordering Baluchistan in Pakistan.
[00:22:29] Pakistan. And there's a history of of insurgency there these days. The
[00:22:33] The Iranian authorities are very very concerned that Iran's enemies,
[00:22:37] enemies, like the US., Israel and
[00:22:40] and others might want to fan the
[00:22:43] the flame of insurgency in that part part of the world. So these kinds
[00:22:47] kinds of reports of arrests sort sort of fits into all that. At the
[00:22:51] the same time, there is almost a
[00:22:54] a paranoia that there are a lot of
[00:22:57] of collaborators with Israel, particularly particularly after this past year
[00:23:01] year or so when we have seen Israel
[00:23:06] Israel killing top officials in Iran
[00:23:09] Iran with precise targeting. So the
[00:23:11] the general feeling is that there
[00:23:14] there is a lot of collaboration collaborators
[00:23:16] collaborators with Israel and this
[00:23:19] this kind of news items and announcements
[00:23:22] announcements are designed to warn
[00:23:26] warn people against collaborating collaborating with Israel. And then
[00:23:29] then Kasra looking at the big picture
[00:23:32] picture here, there are back channel
[00:23:34] channel contacts, conversations going
[00:23:36] going on between Iran and the United United States. So from the Iranian
[00:23:40] Iranian perspective, what are the the chances of the two sides, you
[00:23:43] you know, getting back to sitting sitting down together, perhaps getting
[00:23:47] getting back to that memorandum of of understanding that we heard about
[00:23:50] about a month or so ago? I think
[00:23:52] think it will happen sooner or later later because both sides want to
[00:23:56] to go back to the negotiating table. table. Both sides know that they
[00:23:59] they cannot win this war militarily.
[00:24:01] militarily. There's no answer to to this really. And they have to
[00:24:04] to sort of sit down and negotiate.
[00:24:07] negotiate. So that's the what is is happening is that there are two
[00:24:10] two channels. One is between Oman
[00:24:12] Oman and Iran talks going on with
[00:24:15] with the Americans involved in this
[00:24:17] this to open the Strait of Hormuz Hormuz as you were just reporting.
[00:24:21] reporting. And the second channel
[00:24:23] channel is the back and forth of
[00:24:25] of messages between the US and Iran Iran through the Pakistanis, the
[00:24:29] the one the second channel is basically
[00:24:31] basically for going back to the memorandum
[00:24:34] memorandum of understanding, but but probably not exactly the same
[00:24:37] same thing because it was very vaguely vaguely worded and it was open to
[00:24:41] to all sorts of interpretations.
[00:24:43] interpretations. Maybe they will
[00:24:45] will be discussing a new version
[00:24:49] version of that memorandum of understanding, understanding, but nevertheless keeping
[00:24:53] keeping the main, main, main concessions,
[00:24:56] concessions, main points in there. there. So these two things are going
[00:24:59] going on at the same time. But the the first channel, I'm not sure they
[00:25:03] they are as close to achieving some
[00:25:07] some kind of a deal yet. Iranians
[00:25:10] Iranians are very optimistic. Americans Americans are very optimistic. I
[00:25:14] I don't see Omanis being very optimistic
[00:25:16] optimistic the way that you were
[00:25:19] were just explaining that. The bottom
[00:25:21] bottom line of that was basically
[00:25:25] basically if Oman allows Iranian
[00:25:29] Iranian oversight on how what happens happens in the southern part of the
[00:25:33] the Strait of Hormuz, this is sort
[00:25:34] sort of goes against the sovereignty
[00:25:37] sovereignty of Oman. And I'm not
[00:25:39] not sure whether Oman is is ready
[00:25:42] ready to accept that from the Iranians. Iranians. OK. Difficult to fix. Kasra
[00:25:45] Kasra thank you very much. Kasra
[00:25:48] Kasra Naji BBC Persians special correspondent correspondent and whether you are
[00:25:51] are joining us on YouTube sounds sounds or TV. Thanks very much for
[00:25:55] for your time. And that's it for
[00:25:57] for this edition of the Iran War.
[00:26:00] War. Today.
[00:29:55] you are. Business on BBC News. Make
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