Israel's third top-level assassination in two days

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0:59on the world's largest natural gas field. Tehran continues its retaliation against Gulf neighbours who are meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss their response. Also in this podcast, Disney has a new chief executive. We'll find out what's in his inbox and how Venezuela defeated the US to win the World Baseball Classic. All our fellow Venezuelans living abroad are celebrating this victory by the Venezuelan national team. Long live Venezuela, the best country in the world.

1:37Just as Iran was preparing to bury the country's security chief, Ali Lairjani, who was killed by Israel on Tuesday, Israel announced it had assassinated another senior Iranian official. Iran's President Mazur Pazeshkian confirmed the death of the intelligence minister, Esmar Khatib, calling it a cowardly assassination. The Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said the military had been authorised to kill any senior figure of the Islamic Republic in its sights. The BBC's Persian service has been receiving messages from Iranians reacting to the death. Their words here spoken by our team. It seems like this killing of Khatib might help the people since he was among the leadership, though more so Larry Johnny.

2:17It might be that when people come out after a call to protest, the likelihood of them being killed is lower now. Even though they all have replacement, these were the main figures. Perhaps the IRGC will see the situation and eventually back down. I've honestly never gone to a protest at all. My family wouldn't let me. They said it was dangerous. If I decide to go this time, I need to wait things up. They could actually act much more harshly this time if they feel the end is near. I'd be happy for any of the leaders to be taken out. But at the same time, I'd rather America and Israel didn't go after someone like Pezashkian, because I feel he's like someone you could ultimately negotiate with and get to concede.

3:02I don't know. It feels like his heart isn't really in it. And he's being forced. Having an official you can deal with and who might eventually give in is a good thing. In Tehran, thousands of mourners gathered at a funeral possession for Ali Lairjani, as well as another senior Iranian commander who was killed in Tuesday's Israeli airstrike.

3:27Some Iranians kiss the coffins as they pass through the streets. There are also chants of death to America. Our security correspondent Frank Gardner, who's in Doha, told me more about the latest Iranian official to be killed by the Israelis. Ismail Khatib was one of the really early adopters, as it were, of the Islamic Revolution. He joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps back in 1980, so just one year after the Islamic Revolution. And he is very much kind of embodied in that. He was very close to the previous supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He looked after his security. He's been at various times minister of intelligence, very highly placed within the kind of security intelligence apparatus.

4:12He's close to the revolutionary guards as opposed to being close to the kind of conventional ministry of intelligence. These are two almost rival organizations, and he belonged to the more hardcore one. An extraordinary degree of penetration that Israel's Mossad intelligence agency has in Iran. I mean, there's no surprises there. They've been able to assassinate nuclear scientists and various people in the past. And of course, on the very first day of this conflict, on February the 28th, when they were able to assassinate the supreme leader himself, Ayatollah al-Khamenei, they hit him with deep penetration, bunker-busting bombs, and that was in broad daylight.

4:54So obviously they know where all these people are. I mean, all of these senior members in Iran, whether they be in the Revolutionary Guards Corps or, you know, in other branches of the military or the regime, nevertheless, there seems to be no hiding place for them. Still we hear claims that the regime hasn't been significantly weakened despite these losses. Is that credible? I think it's only half true. I mean, look, the fact that it is still functioning and that it's still there is cocking a snook at America. That is a snub to America because by now, President Trump, I'm quite certain, will have expected the Islamic Republic to have either capitulated to America's demand, saying, OK, all right, let's discuss what you wanted to discuss in Geneva, which we refused back in February, or collapsed altogether.

5:45But it hasn't. Now, it's possible that when the shooting stops, there could be mass protests. but I wouldn't hold your breath for that because look who's got the guns it's not the protesters it's still the deep state and there are an awful lot of people who've got a vested interest in maintaining that deep state that's our security correspondent frank gardner with me from qatar meanwhile an iranian petrochemical complex on the south paths gas field has been hit by airstrikes it's the world's largest natural gas field shared by iran and qatar whose foreign ministry has condemn the attack as dangerous and irresponsible.

6:21The details from our Middle East analyst, Sebastian Usher. The attack on the South Park's gas field, which Israel has confirmed it carried out, is a significant new escalation by Israel and the US against Iran's energy infrastructure. Iranian media say there were a number of explosions in a refinery complex with emergency services trying to contain the fires. Iran immediately threatened a strong response, saying that it would target oil facilities in several Gulf countries. Qatar, which shares the gas field, has expressed its displeasure at the attack, saying it was a threat to global energy security as well as to people in the region and their environment.

6:58In Lebanon, the government says more than a million people have been displaced since Israel renewed its military campaign against the Iran-backed militia group Hezbollah. That's around one in seven people in Lebanon. Firas Abiyad is a former Lebanese health minister and now a surgeon at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. You're seeing a lot of blast injuries. You're seeing burns. You're also seeing injuries that are resulting from the damaged buildings as people are trapped. We're seeing much more civilian casualties than, for example, the last war. They've reported up to now 111 children who have been killed and more than 350 were wounded.

7:39In Beirut alone, in the greater Beirut, there has been five hospitals that were part of this evacuation order by the IDF and we've had to transfer all of their patients to receive care to other hospitals and now they're working 24-7. A lot of the healthcare personnel are displaced themselves and that means that we have less nurses, sometimes doctors, available for work because at the moment they are trying to find shelters for their families. We've reported 38 healthcare workers or first responders who have been killed. We have reported more than 60 direct attacks on whether healthcare facilities or ambulances.

8:21Now, the situation in the people who have been displaced, we're talking about more than a million people who have been displaced. This is almost a quarter of the population. A lot of them are in shelters that are crowded with not proper access to water and sanitation. And, you know, from a public health perspective, this is a disaster waiting to happen. The Israeli army shows no sign of letting up its attacks in Lebanon, striking not only Hezbollah strongholds in the south, but also the centre of Beirut.

8:59that was the moment a building crumpled to the ground in a neighborhood near downtown beirut local officials there say two israeli strikes overnight killed at least 10 people israel has confirmed the director of a hezbollah affiliated tv network was also killed the bbc's hugo b'sheger is in beirut so i lived just 10 minutes from where this attack happened and i was woken up by the sound of a huge blast. And you heard that, you know, how powerful this explosion was. And the windows of my flat rattled. So this gives you an idea of the power of this attack, which happened at around 5.30 in the morning.

9:36So this happened about an hour after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for this building on social media. So obviously this came in the middle of the night. A lot of people would have been sleeping when that happened. there's no early warning system here in beirut in lebanon no system to alert people that an attack is imminent and for listeners familiar with beirut this is not really far from marty square which is the main square in central beirut so you know in the central part of the city and i think this is adding to this feeling that many lebanese have that no place is really safe because israel is obviously targeting Hezbollah fighters and Hezbollah strongholds, but what we're seeing here is not that.

10:21I guess one justification might be about targeting the funders of Hezbollah. Yeah, I think to be honest, what we're seeing here is that any building or facility or organisation that is linked to Hezbollah is now being considered as a legitimate military target by Israel. So there was a statement from the Israeli military earlier today saying that they They had targeted what they described as assets of the Al-Qaeda Al-Hassan, which is the financial institution run by Hezbollah. Israel says this is an institution that is used by Hezbollah to support its operations. Some people say that these are civilian facilities, not military targets, but that hasn't really stopped these massive Israeli attacks.

11:06But I think, again, this is another example of Hezbollah's network of institutions here in Lebanon. Hezbollah is more than a militia. It is also a political party with representation in the government, in parliament, also a social organisation that runs hospitals, emergency services, schools, and also this financial institution that is now being targeted by Israel. Let's go to Israel now because it too has been targeted by Iranian drones and Hezbollah rockets. There for us, our correspondent Yolan Nel in Jerusalem. After Iran confirmed Israel's killing of its security chief Ali Lerajani, it promised a retaliation and that came swiftly in the form of these missile launches overnight, particularly targeting Tel Aviv.

11:54Footage shows that there were cluster munitions used on some of the warheads that were sent across. And this couple in their 70s in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv were killed in their apartment building. And when it was hit by bomb fragments, a local official said that they were not in the protected room in their apartment after warning sirens had gone off. And there were other impact sites, particularly in the center of Israel, with other people with injuries, not life-threatening. The sirens also went off in Jerusalem this morning to warn of incoming Iranian missiles that were then intercepted. We heard loud thuds overhead once again.

12:36And in the north of Israel, there have been something like 40 rockets fired by Hezbollah there overnight. There was a senior military source telling Israel's army radio that every day Hezbollah is still firing about 150 rockets towards Israel, about half of which make it into Israeli territory. Our correspondent Yolan Nell. Moving away from the Middle East for now, there's been a big change at the top of one of the world's most recognisable entertainment corporations. The chief executive of Walt Disney, Bob Iger, is stepping down after two decades leading the company. And the next boss, Josh DeMauro, starts today.

13:15So what's in his inbox? Alice Enders is a media analyst for Enders Analysis. Running a very, very large mixed company in terms of both, on the one hand, the media experiences, you know, the Disney +, the films, the TV experiences. And then on the other hand, the physical experiences, the parks, the cruises, and of course, the merchandise. about 40 60 really so it's a very successful very large conglomerate that stretches across these media and these physical experiences and Iger stepping down it's a big change at the same time he's staying on till the end of the year so a transition mentorship situation for Josh DiMaro He has a very ambitious plan to build up the cruise ship side of things, launching new boats and launching more experiences, as it were, immersive experiences, and of course also renewing the parks.

14:24So at this moment, you know, what you're seeing is, of course, continued investment in that side of the business, which has been more profitable for Disney. Media analyst Alice Enders. Still to come in this podcast, how Cubans are struggling without enough fuel Sometimes the power comes on at three in the morning and we just have to get up and start cooking rice and beans because food is the most important

14:58We focus on the part of the internet that most people don't know about It's called the dark web Undercover in the furthest corners of the dark web, US special agents are on a mission to locate and rescue children from abuse. Moving in now. From the BBC World Service, World of Secrets, the darkest web follows their shocking investigations. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

15:31Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky has told BBC News he has a very bad feeling about the impact of the Middle East conflict on the situation in Ukraine. He said Washington's focus had now shifted and diplomatic meetings with him were being postponed as a result. On a trip to the UK, President Zelensky referred to the Russians and the Iranians as brothers in hatred and said the Kremlin is benefiting from the war in Iran. He's been speaking to my colleague Laura Koonsberg. Putin will want a long war. For Putin, a long war in Iran is a plus. In addition to energy prices, it means the depletion of US reserves and the depletion of air defence manufacturers.

16:16So we have a depletion of resources. So it is beneficial for Putin that the resources do not go to Ukraine against whom he has directed his army and is fighting with. He needs to weaken us, and this is a long process. The release is one of the ways to do that. And indeed, as you say, there are only so many resources in the world. There are only so many missiles in the world. There are only so many patriot missiles in the world that are being used by Gulf states. Are you worried that those vital patriot missiles could not be there for you when you need them.

16:54There will definitely be a deficit. I understand that, absolutely. And I absolutely know that the question now is when will all the stockpiles in the Middle East be exhausted? And today, America produces 60, 65 missiles per month. Imagine, 65 missiles per month is about 700, 800 missiles per year produced each year, yeah? And on the first day in the Middle East war, 803 missiles were used. So what will that mean for Ukraine if those missiles are all depleted? A challenge. Another challenge. Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky. The head of the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan has told the BBC that more than 140 people were killed in Monday's Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul.

17:41Pakistan continues to deny that it targeted civilians and says the operation was aimed at military installations and terrorist infrastructure. It's the deadliest attack in the recent violence between the two neighbours. At the time we record this podcast, rescue teams are still working at the scene. Georgette Gagnon from the UN is in Kabul. What we know at this point is that the situation is indeed very difficult on the ground. The facility itself was devastated. We've been able to verify at this point in time at least 143 people have been killed and at least 120 wounded. Those are our numbers at this point in time, which of course we're continuing to verify and follow up on.

18:27But for families and communities, it's been a very, very tragic, difficult incident, and we certainly condemn it. The Afghan authorities have at least four different hospitals treating the injured. The situation is escalating, and we've called for all parties to de-escalate, recommit to a ceasefire to prevent further civilian casualties and deaths to civilians in areas where there are airstrikes. We've also urged the parties, particularly those with military aircraft, to take all necessary measures to protect civilians. And we've urged also both parties to undertake dialogue and try and get a diplomatic resolution to the underlying political and security issues fueling the conflict.

19:26Your listeners may be aware that at this point in time, China has also offered its good offices to provide mediation, which, you know, certainly the UN supports any effort on the part of countries to try and get a de-escalation. And we've also called on the parties themselves to accept mediation. George-Ak Kanyan. Both Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have said they're temporarily suspending military operations ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr. A Pakistani minister said that decision followed requests from the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. We go to Cuba now, which continues to struggle amid a three-month fuel blockade by the Trump administration.

20:11President Trump has said he could take Cuba soon, adding he could do anything he wants with the island. The comments come soon after the Cuban government recognised it is holding talks with the US. And two days ago, the Cuban Deputy Prime Minister announced an apparent economic easing in Cuba, saying that US-based Cuban citizens could own businesses there. Ordinary Cubans, though, are becoming increasingly desperate, as our correspondent Will Grant reports from Havana.

20:42After 26 hours without electricity, fraying tempers in the central Cuban town of Morón finally snapped. Residents took to the streets on Friday night and descended on the local headquarters of the Cuban Communist Party. To chants of libertad, meaning freedom, some in the crowd began to smash windows before attempting to set the building on fire. After the protest died down, the authorities made numerous arrests. Even amid the extreme economic and energy crisis, such public outbursts of anger are rare in Cuba. What stands out is the extent to which the frustration was directed at the Cuban authorities, rather than the Trump administration, which since January has imposed a near-total fuel blockade on the island.

21:29With Cuba experiencing its first nationwide blackout since Washington began its fuel blockade, much of ordinary life is shut down. All my life I've been hearing about the United States and Cuba. President Trump seems convinced the end is nigh for the Cuban revolution and that it will happen on his watch. I do believe I'll be the honour of having the honour of taking Cuba. That's a big honour. Taking Cuba. Taking Cuba in some form, yeah. Taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it. You want to know the truth? For its part, the government has blamed the island's problems on the US fuel blockade.

22:10Yet now Havana has confirmed it's in talks with the Trump administration with a view to finding a route out of the crisis. Clearly there are things that Cuba can do in terms of reducing tensions with the United States. And I would imagine that given the pressure that they're under, they will be willing to make considerable concessions. Victor Bulma-Thomas is the former director of the Chatham House think tank and one of the world's leading experts on the economies of Latin America. But the Cubans have limits. Let us not forget that the Cubans have, one way or another, had to deal with a bullying United States since 1898.

22:50And they have become very adept at doing so. And this is not a people, I'm talking about a people now, who would, I think, tolerate too many concessions to the United States. Now, Havana has made its first apparent concession. Talking to NBC News, the deputy prime minister said foreign-based Cuban nationals, whether in Miami or Madrid, will be allowed to own private businesses on the island. Cuba is open to having a fluid commercial relationship with US companies, as well as with Cubans residing in the United States and their descendants, he said. On the face of it, it sounds like a significant easing of the strict economic rules.

23:33However, the measure still faces major restrictions inside the US.

23:42And in truth, it means little to impoverished Cubans, like retiree Gregorio Matagirri. Aguirre. Between his diabetes and related ill health, he is struggling with the new challenges of daily life, which were already hard enough. Sometimes the power comes on at three in the morning and we just have to get up and start cooking rice and beans because food is the most important. Then we worry about charging our phones and so on. But often the electricity comes back for such a short period, it's not enough time to cook anything. And the prices, even simple foods, are so expensive. The food issue is very serious in this country.

24:25While the demonstration in Morón was the most significant, there have been smaller protests, mainly via the banging of pots and pans, known as casarolasos, in the darkness of the power cuts. Given the public anger, there's widespread speculation about President Miguel Díaz-Quernel's future. The New York Times reports his removal is one of Washington's preconditions in the negotiations. That report from our correspondent Will Grant in Havana. It was a thrilling final that went way beyond sport. Venezuela defeated a star-studied American team to win the World Baseball Classic in Miami and become the sports world champions.

25:04The victory against the backdrop of the US's invasion of the country at the start of the year sent Venezuelans pouring into the streets of the capital Caracas to celebrate as the game ended.

25:19Our global affairs reporter Mimi Swaby told me more. All eyes were on the match. It was a power-packed line-up. The stadium was sold out. People at home in Venezuela and abroad, remember Venezuelans, there is a very large diaspora, nearly 8 million Venezuelans living abroad, were all united together, regardless of their political views, watching this match. And beating the US to win the World Baseball Classic for the first time ever means everything to Venezuelans, the players and the fans. From state media, the front page today was saying, from dream to legend, baseball is massive in Venezuela, much bigger than football, which is a little bit different to lots of its neighbours in South America.

25:59And just to give you an idea, here are some people who've been celebrating.

26:05This is a feeling shared by all Venezuelans wherever we may be in the world. All our fellow Venezuelans living abroad are celebrating this victory by the Venezuelan national team. Long live Venezuela, the best country in the world.