Newshour

Iran and the US have agreed a deal that would end their war, with the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel set to reopen in due course. The agreement is expected to be formalised on Friday. With Pakistan having helped mediate, we hear from the country’s planning and development minister.
Also in the programme: The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak worsens with 782 cases now confirmed; and we speak to the Japanese writer Asako Yuzuki about her books Butter and Hooked which have proved a hit in the literary world.
(Photo: US President Donald Trump looks on during a Cabinet meeting in the White House, May 2026. Credit: Samuel Corum/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock)

A deal between the US and Iran, which was reported to be on the verge of being signed, now appears at risk after Israel struck the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Also on the programme: Swiss voters reject a proposal to cap the country's population at 10 million; and the heart-wrenching story of a Syrian family disappeared by the Assad regime.

(Photo: An Iranian woman walks past a billboard featuring Iran's national flag at Enqelab Square in Tehran on June 14, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

Israel has attacked the southern suburbs of Beirut at what it says was a Hezbollah infrastructure, in response to Hezbollah firing into its territory. The strikes could put the agreement between Iran and the United States to halt their war at risk. We hear from Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director for the International Crisis Group.  Also on the programme;  Switzerland's proposal to limit the country's population to ten million has been rejected according to early projections, and the New York Knicks win their first NBA title in 53 years.
(Photo: Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Marjayoun, Lebanon, June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer)

President Trump has said that a deal with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, hours after Tehran cast doubt on whether this would happen so soon. We look into Iran's proposal on its frozen assets. 

Also on the programme: a new blood test that can detect thousands of serious genetic conditions in the developing foetus, limiting the need for invasive screening during pregnancy; and why Anthropic has suspended its powerful new AI model just days following its public release.

(Photo: A woman holds an Iranian flag on a street in Tehran on June 10, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

Lebanese state media say Israel carried out airstrikes in the south shortly after ordering residents to leave about twenty locations. They say three injured people have been pulled from rubble following a strike near Tyre. Iran says that peace in Lebanon must be part of any agreement with the US. Tehran and Washington have both indicated that they're close to an accord, but there have been further hostilities. The US military said it shot down several Iranian drones in the Strait of Hormuz.
Also in the programme: President Trump says the US has killed the leader of a Venezuelan criminal cartel, Tren de Aragua; the UN condemns increasing levels of aggression and intimidation in the occupied West bank; and a new documentary speaks to the people who have worked as private chefs for some of the world's most notorious dictators!
(Photo: Daily life in Tehran as tension between Iran and US continues, Iran Islamic Republic Of - 21 Feb 2026. Credit: EPA)