Iran War: A sharp escalation in the Gulf

Kate Adie presents stories from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Latvia, South Korea and Finland The US-Israeli war with Iran saw a marked escalation this week with strikes on some of the world’s biggest gas fields. Israel’s attack on Iran’s south Pars gas field triggered a swift response from Tehran, who launched strikes on the Ras Laffan terminal – the world’s largest liquefied natural gas facility, and other gulf countries. The attacks caused oil and gas prices to spike. Frank Gardner has been in Riyadh and Doha. In Venezuela, billboards and banners of former President, Nicolas Maduro still line the roads of Caracas after he was seized in January by US forces. Washington has outlined a plan for Venezuela and eased sanctions but hasn’t provided a timeframe for elections. And many young Venezuelans are sceptical that much will change, says Ione Wells. Next week the BBC’s Russian Service marks its 80th anniversary. The service’s editor Jenny Norton reflects on how the team have found ways to adapt after the clampdown on media freedoms and the invasion of Ukraine, and setting up a new base in Latvia. In South Korea, a new genre of movies is taking the entertainment world by storm: the “micro-drama.” They’re carefully curated one- or two-minute-long shows with intense plotlines, made to be watched on your phone. Jake Kwon in Seoul went behind the scenes. The BBC's climate editor, Justin Rowlatt, isn’t just interested in our warming world, he’s also a keen cold-water swimmer. And he recently found himself competing in the Winter Swimming World Championships in Oulu, a town in northern Finland, about 100 miles south of the Arctic circle. Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Vadon

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Iran War: A sharp escalation in the Gulf is an episode from From Our Own Correspondent Podcast by BBC.

This episode is 28:47 long.

This episode was published on Mar 21, 2026.

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