The US military said it launched “self-defence” strikes on Iran overnight, and shot down ballistic missiles and drones fired at ships and Gulf countries.

The strikes on Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz, were “in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East”, US Central Command (Centcom) said.

Iran said it had attacked US bases and helicopters in a “regional country” using missiles and drones in retaliation. Centcom said Tehran fired two missiles at Kuwait and three at Bahrain, all of which broke apart or were intercepted.

Kuwait’s army later said Iranian drones had hit its international airport, causing “significant” building damage and injuries to a number of people.

The latest attacks come amid stalled ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran, after talks on a deal to end the months-long war failed to advance over the weekend.

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The US and Iran have traded strikes, as negotiations to extend their ceasefire drag on without a resolution. On Monday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted an air base used by US forces. It also threatened to open “new fronts” in the conflict, and keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, in response to Israel’s offensive in Lebanon.

So how great a threat does Iran’s military pose to the US and its allies, after more than three months of war?

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that Iran’s forces have been “decimated”. But new analysis by the BBC has found that Iran has damaged at least 20 US military sites across the Middle East since the start of the war – suggesting the attacks are more extensive than publicly acknowledged. Using cheap drones, Iran has targeted American military equipment worth millions of dollars including THAAD batteries.

Iranian forces have also reportedly reopened several missile sites damaged early in the conflict.

We ask Merlyn Thomas from BBC Verify and Parham Ghobadi from BBC Persian about Iran’s military capacity and what it means for the chances of a deal between Washington and Tehran.

New episodes of the Global News Podcast are published twice a day. You can listen here: https://link.mgln.ai/GNP-YT

And you can find more of our YouTube episodes here: https://bbc.in/GlobalNewsPodcast

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00:00 Introduction
00:47 How much damage has Iran done to US bases?
01:36 Iran’s cheap drone warfare
02:34 Iran re-opens missile sites, reportedly
03:55 US tries to limit analysis of the conflict
05:05 What Iran’s military capacity means for negotiations
06:51 How Iranian civilians feel

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The BBC’s South America correspondent Ione Wells tells us whether Venezuelans have seen the promised economic and political benefits of Nicolas Maduro’s removal as president.

Wednesday marks five months since US forces raided Maduro’s compound in Caracas. At the time, President Donald Trump said the US would run Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be ensured, vowing that American oil companies would fix the local infrastructure and start making money for the country.

This week, trade unions and student groups have planned anti-government protests to call for better wages, the release of political prisoners and a democratic transition.

Delcy Rodríguez, who served as Maduro’s vice-president, was sworn in as the country’s leader last month, with the support of the US government.

But there are long-time opposition leaders waiting in the wings. Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado – who has been living in effective exile in Norway – has said she plans to run for president again, and will to return to Venezuela before the end of 2026.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to face questions about the American involvement in Venezuela this week, as he testifies before Congress on the State Department’s budget.

New episodes of the Global News Podcast are published twice a day. You can listen here: https://link.mgln.ai/GNP-YT

And you can find more of our YouTube episodes here: https://bbc.in/GlobalNewsPodcast

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00:00 Introduction
00:23 New freedoms
01:58 Is Venezuela’s economy stronger?
03:47 Will Venezuela have elections?
06:15 How strong is Venezuela’s political opposition?
07:24 Will María Corina Machado run for president?
08:23 America’s influence on Venezuelan politics

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