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
Trump considering 'winding down' Iran military campaign [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:13
President Trump posted on social media that the US was getting very close to meeting its objectives in Iran. Earlier he told reporters he didn't want a ceasefire. The BBC's US partner, CBS, has reported that US military…
Iran renews attacks on Gulf countries [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:06
Tehran has fired missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours causing blazes at a Kuwait refinery and a Bahrain warehouse. Israel has launched more air attacks against Iran. Powerful explosions were reported in the capital…
Israel holds off attacking Iranian gas infrastructure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:25
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said Israel will hold off future attacks on Iranian gas fields after being asked to do so by President Trump. An Israeli attack on Iran's South Pars gas field on Wednes…
Oil and gas prices surge after energy plant strikes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:29
Energy prices have surged after strikes on key gas facilities in Qatar and Iran, as the Middle East war continues to escalate. Iran has targeted Qatar's Ras Laffan complex in response to the bombing of Iranian facilities…
Iran attacks energy facilities in the Gulf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:21
Qatar's state-owned petroleum company says an Iranian ballistic missile attack on its main gas complex at Ras Laffan has caused widespread destruction. Several Gulf states were attacked by Iran after its largest gas fiel…
Israel's third top-level assassination in two days [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:05
Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed in an overnight Israeli strike. It comes just a day after Israel assasinated Ali Larijani and another senior Iranian commander, and as thousands of mourners gath…
Deadly Israeli strikes hit central Beirut [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:10
Israel has launched a series of deadly strikes in central Beirut and ordered mass evacuations in southern Lebanon, as it ramps up its air and ground offensive against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. About a million peop…
Israel says it's killed Iran's top security chief [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:51
Israel's foreign minister said Iranians were "safer" without Ali Larijani and Basij paramilitary force commander Gholamreza Soleimani, after the Israeli military said it had killed both of them in strikes. Hours after th…
US allies reject Trump's call for help in Strait of Hormuz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:58
The US President has repeated his call for other nations, particularly Nato allies, to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump says he has been surprised more world leaders were not "eager" to be involved in secur…
Germany and UK tell Trump this is 'not Nato's war' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:56
Germany and Britain say the war against Iran has nothing to do with Nato and the alliance won't be taking part in any effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said London was workin…