BBC

The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the amount of firepower over Iran was about to surge dramatically. The Israeli military said it had begun a "broad scale" wave of strikes against infrastructure in Tehran. The head of US central command, Admiral Brad Cooper, said Iran's current and future missile capabilities were being destroyed. Iran, for its part, has continued to hit back and several Gulf states, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have said they have intercepted several Iranian missiles. Meanwhile, the United States has eased its embargo on Russian oil, after prices rose because of the Iran war. President Trump has sacked his Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem. Also, scientists in Britain discover the dietary habits in the Stone Age, and how to tell if a Stradivarius violin is real or fake?

In 2014, Tareena Shakil, then 24, made a decision that would change her life forever. She secretly left the UK, telling her family she was on holiday, and travelled with her young son to Syria to join the Islamic State group. Within months she found herself in the heart of the extremist stronghold and later fled to Turkey before returning to the UK, where she was arrested and became one of the first British women to be convicted for membership of Isis and encouraging terrorism. Shakil was sentenced to six years in prison but was released after serving half her term. In the years since, she has publicly expressed regret for her actions, accepted responsibility for lying about her journey when first questioned by police, and described her experience as a time when she “lost her way”. Rajeev Gupta meets Tareena in Birmingham as she reflects on a path that took her from belief to extremism.

This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Heart and Soul, exploring personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

What do people in Iran think about the war? We hear from Iranians across the country who tell us how life is changed and how it stayed the same.

Also, we look at the life of the foreign workers living in neighbouring countries. We've received the thoughts of two Indian construction workers from Qatar. We asked how they were feeling since the war started?

But others are willing to pay over $250 000 just to escape from the United Arab Emirates.

President Trump has just urged Iranian diplomats to apply for asylum as he set out the scale of damage inflicted on Iran's military. A former Pentagon analyst joins us to assess America's objectives. We also hear from Iran’s teachers’ union about the strikes in the south of the country that killed over 100 children.

Also on the programme, we hear from a British national stranded with her family in Qatar after her flight transfer was interrupted by Iranian missile attacks.

And why bad vibes could disrupt the first F1 Grand Prix of the year.

Explosions have again been heard in locations across Tehran, as darkness fell in Iran's capital. Earlier the United States and Israel stepped up their attacks on Iranian cities, including Karaj and Isfahan, where eyewitnesses described bodies lying in the street. Also, President Trump has said he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader.

Also in the programme: US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is replaced; and how to recognise a real Stradivarius.

(Photo: A view of the Azadi sports complex after the airstrikes in Tehran, Iran, 05 March 2026. CREDIT: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock)

It all comes down to head or heart for Helen, and Amber and George have the first pregnancy scan.

Massive explosions are reported in Tehran and in Karaj to its west as the United States and Israel step up their attacks on Iranian cities. We hear what life is like for those living there. Iran continues to retaliate with attacks on Israel and other countries in the region -- although it denies carrying out drone strikes in Azerbaijan. Ukraine's President Zelensky says he is prepared to lend his support to Gulf states facing Iran's missile attacks and we ask what that help might look like. Also: we take you to Nepal's election, the first since Gen-Z protests brought down the last government. Conservatives from the Anglican church deny they are splitting from the communion after choosing a Rwandan bishop to head a new religious council. And new research suggests stopping weight loss jabs can lead to rapid weight regain in one year.

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As global oil prices continue to climb, crude oil supplies from Iraq and Kuwait could stop shipping within days if travel through the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually halted.

Plus, China cuts its economic growth forecast to the lowest level since 1991.

As the US-Israel war with Iran escalates, its global effects are becoming increasingly apparent, particularly in the petroleum products supply chain.

The situation follows the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route between Iran and Oman that handles the transit of more than 20 million barrels of crude oil daily.

We take a closer look at how African countries are responding and how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is impacting the continent.

And ahead of Ghana’s 69th Independence Day on Friday, hip-hop artist Sarkodie shares insights on the country’s music scene and the push for greater female representation.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Ayuba Iliya

Technical Producer: Jonathan Mwangi

Senior Producers: Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba

Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

The United States and Israel have carried out a sixth day of attacks. Columns of smoke are towering in the sky in the capital, Tehran, where the Azadi football stadium appears to have been severely damaged. We'll also investigate unconfirmed reports that the US is trying to foment a Kurdish rebellion in the north of Iran.

Also in the programme: people in Nepal have been voting for the first time since last year's "Gen Z" demonstrations, in which dozens of young protesters died; and the drug trials that have had some terrific results for children with the severest epilepsy.

(Photo: People gather on the sides of a road as smoke rises in the background following an explosion, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 5, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via REUTERS)