The Global Story: Are we heading for World War Three?

The Global Story: Are we heading for World War Three?

Author: BBC World Service March 29, 2026 Duration: 28:13

It’s been almost a month since Israel and the US launched their war against Iran, and already there have been strikes in more than a dozen countries, with reports of over 2,000 people killed across the region. As the war drags on and more countries get involved, there are concerns this conflict could escalate into something truly global.

We speak to Emeritus Professor of International History at the University of Oxford, Margaret MacMillan, and explore how world wars start, how they end and what can be done to avoid them.

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Producers: Chris Benderev and Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: U.S. Military aircraft perform 4th of July flyover past New York City and New Jersey, 4 July 2020. Photo: credit: Reuters/Mike Segar


Staying informed means navigating a constant stream of events, and the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service provides a grounded, thorough digest of that flow. This isn't just a headline service; it's a twice-daily briefing that situates you within the day's most pressing stories, particularly focusing on complex, unfolding situations. Right now, that means dedicated coverage from across the Middle East, including Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and the Gulf states, offering clarity on regional dynamics and their global implications. Alongside that essential regional focus, the podcast consistently pulls back for a wider lens, bringing reports and context from every corner of the world. What you'll hear is the BBC's signature blend of on-the-ground reporting and measured expert analysis, all designed to build understanding rather than just summarize events. For a reliable, in-depth audio briefing that updates each weekday morning and evening, this podcast delivers a comprehensive picture of our world as it happens.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Global News Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Artemis II splashdown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:24
Nasa's four Artemis astronauts: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen have safely returned to Earth, after a nine-day mission around the Moon.…
JD Vance heads to Pakistan for talks with Iran [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:34
Islamabad warns that the gap between the negotiating positions of the US and Iran remains wide. Each has accused the other of breaking the terms of the tentative ceasefire agreed this week. Also: on the first visit by a…
Israel to hold direct talks with Lebanon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:33
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructs his cabinet to begin direct talks with Lebanon, but states "there is no ceasefire" and Israel will "continue to strike Hezbollah with force". Also: the US warns Iran against pl…
Iran: Attacks on Lebanon are 'grave violation' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:41
The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Israel's attacks on Lebanon violate the ceasefire agreement with the United States, and warns that upcoming negotiations will be meaningless if strikes continue. In Beirut, re…
US-Iran ceasefire under strain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:03
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard says it will deliver a "regret-inducing response" if Israeli strikes on Lebanon don't stop immediately, according to state media. Lebanese officials say Israel has killed more than 250 peo…
Hegseth claims 'historic battlefield victory' over Iran [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:25
As a fragile ceasefire begins, both the United States and Iran claim victory. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says Iran will no longer enrich uranium, and that Operation Epic Fury has destroyed Tehran's ability to buil…
The US, Israel and Iran announce two-week ceasefire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:08
Iran and the US have announced a two-week ceasefire which includes the reoping of the Strait of Hormuz and safe passage for ships. Peace talks will continue between the US and Iran in Islamabad on Friday. We have reactio…
Trump warns Iran 'whole civilisation will die tonight' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
President Trump has warned that "a whole civilisation will die tonight", as his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approaches. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have said they'll retaliate beyond the Middle East,…
Artemis II astronauts fly around the Moon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:56
The Artemis II astronauts have travelled farther from Earth than any human in history and successfully looped around the far side of the Moon. The NASA crew is now on its way back home after taking photographs of the lun…
Intelligence chief of Iranian Revolutionary Guard killed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:47
The intelligence chief of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps, general Majid Khademi, has been killed in a US-Israeli air strike. An Iranian statement said he'd been "martyred" in an attack at dawn. His unit had b…