The World Tonight

The UK has agreed to allow the United States to use British bases to launch strikes on Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously allowed US forces to use the bases only for defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles that put British interests or lives at risk.Also on the programme: Dame Jenni Murray, who hosted BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour for more than three decades, has died at the age of 75. Broadcaster Ritula Shah reflects on her former colleague.And after 70 years of service, the British Army announces plans to retire its fleet of Land Rovers. We get the reaction of motoring journalist, Top Gear veteran and Land Rover owner, James May.

The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that US-Israeli attacks are massively degrading Iran's capacity to attack its neighbours as he insisted Israel had not dragged the US into war. He claimed Iran could no longer make ballistic missiles and the war could end sooner than people think. We hear from a former Trump administration official on whether the US and Israel are on the same page when it comes to conducting the war. Also on the programme: We speak to a survivor of county lines grooming in London. And we hear from the 89 year old scientist who has made it her life's work to study the links between chemicals and fertility.

Israel has ordered Lebanese civilians as far as 25 miles from the border to leave their homes. The UK, German, French and Italian governments have warned of "devastating humanitarian consequences" if Israel does not halt its ground operation. We report from southern Lebanon and hear from an Israeli government spokesperson.Also on the programme: the government says the adoption system needs to change after a BBC investigation finds parents were left without support and even faced false accusations by adoptive children.And a decision that's rocked African football, people in Senegal react to their team being stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Members of the Scottish Parliament have voted 67 to 59 against legalising assisted dying. The debate featured tears, applause and impassioned pleas, and we hear from MSPs on both sides of the debate.Also on the programme: in the US a top counter-terrorism official resigns over the Iran war, saying the country posed “no imminent threat" to America. And remembering the writer Len Deighton, who rode the wave of social change in post-war Britain, and created the working-class spy.

The University of Canterbury has moved away from face-to-face teaching and students have been queueing for antibiotics amidst a meningitis outbreak that has killed two people. We get the latest from the BBC’s health editor and speak to a survivor of meningitis. Also on the programme: Donald Trump hits out at the US’s allies over their perceived inaction in the Strait of Hormuz. And the earliest recording of whale song has been rediscovered. What does it tell us about the changing song of the sea?

The US is expected to send a marine unit and more warships to the Middle East, two officials tell the BBC's US partner CBS News. It comes as the Trump administration loosens sanctions on Russian oil as prices spike because of the US-Israeli war against Iran. US Democratic Senator Jack Reed tells us the decision is "a great gift to Russia".Also in the programme: Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel says his government is in talks with the Trump administration to find solutions to the two countries' differences. We hear from a resident of Havana where residents struggle to afford food.And ahead of Oscars on Sunday, we explore how small controversies about Academy Awards nominees can make big headlines.

Israeli strikes in Tehran are continuing tonight after Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader said the country would keep blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane through which 20% of the world's oil supply flows. Mojtaba Khameini, son of former leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini, provided a statement that was read out on state TV, his physical condition remains unknown. We hear from Iranian refugees at the border with Turkey and from inside Lebanon, where Israel has expanded its operation against Hezbollah.Also on the programme: does the resignation of the head chef at one of the world's most highly-esteemed restaurants auger a change in kitchen culture? We speak to a protege of Gordon Ramsey.And after a widely praised speech on the scrapping of jury trials in the House of Commons by Geoffrey Cox, we analyse the ancient art of oratory.

The prime minister was warned that Lord Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein posed a "reputational risk" before he was confirmed as US ambassador. Documents released by the government include advice sent to the prime minister which said the pair's relationship continued after the financier's conviction for procuring an underage girl in 2008. We’ll hear from Karl Turner, the Labour MP for Kingston Upon Hull East.Also on the programme: Why more than 400 of the UK's church pipe organs are being junked or falling silent.And English language music is losing its stranglehold on the charts, according to new data from music streaming giant Spotify. We speak to the Welsh rock duo, Alffa.

The BBC understands the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has written to the home secretary saying the controversial Al Quds Day march - which was set to take place in London this weekend - should not be allowed to go ahead. The annual event has been criticised for representing the views of the Iranian regime and for antisemitic and anti-Israel hostility. We'll hear from Lord Walney who supports a ban, and from one of the organisers of the march.Also on the programme:The creator of Wordle tells us why he's moving from a simple word game to cryptic crosswords:And if you're a woman who drives an Uber or hails one in the United States, you can now ask for a women-only journey. We talk to a female cabbie and the owner of a new women's taxi business here in the UK.

President Trump tonight described the war in Iran as "a short term excursion" after he'd told CBS the war was "ahead of schedule" and "very complete, pretty much".He spoke as the economic impact of the war became clearer. With oil prices rising - and inflation likely to rise as well - we hear advice on how to drive more efficiently.Also on the programme: After chaotic ticket sales for Taylor Swift's Eras tour, Live Nation and Ticketmaster settle a lawsuit in the United States. What will it mean for ticket prices here?

The US has said only Iran's unconditional surrender will end American and Israeli bombardment. President Trump has warned the war could last four to six weeks. We hear from people on the ground in Tehran and assess the conflict one week on with Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet.Also on the programme, the opening of the Paralympics sees Russia return from sporting exile.And the story of a 19th century lesbian landowner brought to life by the Northern Ballet.

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.

Fresh strikes by the US and Israel have begun in Iran tonight. Earlier in the day US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also confirmed an American submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile the US Senate failes in a bid to pass curbs on President Trump's war powers.We hear how the war is unfolding on the ground in Iran, and how the country's remaining leadership is responding. We also speak to a MAGA supporter who says Trump has abandoned his non-interventionist stance, and a US Republican Congressman who defends the military action.Also on the programme: how pregnancy changes a woman's brain, and the dog breeds that some owners fear could be phased out under new guidelines.

The US President doubled down on criticism of Keir Starmer for delays in allowing the Americans to launch strikes on Iran from Diego Garcia. We ask if the Transatlantic relationship can weather the conflict with Iran. Also on the programme: oil and gas prices rocket as Iran attacks shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. And which piece of music gives you the chills? A study finds that spine-tingling response to emotive music and art could be genetic.

Iran has threatened shipping in the Persian Gulf and Straits of Hormuz as fighting between the country and the US and Israel escalates. Today, US President Donald Trump says he took the decision to launch a war against Iran because it was the "last, best chance" to stop the country's regime. We devote the entire programme to the conflict, and enlist a panel of experts to guide us through it: Rana Rahimpour is an Iranian-British journalist and former BBC Persian presenter and reporter; Kirsten Fontenrose was senior director for the Gulf at The US National Security Council in the first Trump Administration; and Sir Simon Fraser is a former head of the Foreign Office, now Chair of the British foreign policy institute Chatham House.Here in the UK, Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK's decision not to join the US-Israeli strikes on Iran was "deliberate", adding his government "does not believe in regime change from the skies". We assess the state of relations between the US and UK.

Allegations of 'family voting' in the Gorton and Denton by-election are to be raised in parliament on Monday. We speak to Lord Pickles, whose report into electoral fraud called for action a decade ago. We also look at where the by-election leaves Labour strategy: are Reform or the Greens their main opposition now? Also:Bill Clinton testifies in front of a Congressional committee; President Trump says he's "not happy" as concerns grow about a possible US attack. And 30 years of Pokemon.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi has been defending her department's handling of the release of millions of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. She's been giving evidence today to a committee in the US Congress. Meanwhile, the former prime minister, Gordon Brown, has called for detectives to interview Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor about allegations that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women and girls through the UK. The former Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing - or that he derived any benefit - from his association with Jeffrey Epstein. Also in the programme: the UK Supreme Court rules the plant-based drink maker Oatly cannot use the word "milk" in its marketing; and how the latest Hollywood remake of Wuthering Heights is going down in the birthplace of its author Emily Brontë.