US announces 'economic onslaught' against Iran

US announces 'economic onslaught' against Iran

The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has unveiled a wave of sanctions aimed at isolating Iran's economy and says that other countries will be pressured to comply. But will the US deliver on its threats? Also in the programme: a group of cricket legends urges Pakistan to give the former prime minister, Imran Khan, proper medical care; and the edible cookie made from plastic waste. (Photo: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a press conference to outline further sanctions against Iran in Washington, August 24, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein.)

US warns of 'economic D-Day' against Iran

The US treasury secretary has threatened Iran with "the single greatest financial offensive ever", claiming the US-Israel war with Iran was "entering its endgame". Scott Bessent said the US would sever all economic ties with the country in "an economic D-Day" and that any nation partnering with Iran financially would also be isolated. Will it work? Also in the programme: A blueprint for new weapons for Ukraine; the Taliban answers questions about its treatment of women; and the rare British bird on the rise. (Photo shows US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent speaks to reporters in Washington, DC, USA on 20 August 2026. Credit: Shawn Thew/EPA)

Iran’s currency hits an all-time low against the US dollar

Iran’s currency, the rial, has hit a record low, trading at over 2 million rials to the dollar on unofficial markets. The devaluation comes a day before the United States is due to impose what US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant described as “the toughest sanctions in history” on Tehran. Iran was struggling financially even before the start of its ongoing conflict with the US and Israel, nearly six months ago. Also in the programme: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns against holding wartime elections, following repeated calls from his sacked defence minister to hold a nationwide vote; Syria’s foreign minister says he expects peace talks with Israel to resume soon; and we hear from the director of London’s Natural History Museum, where a gallery which has remained hidden from view since World War Two is about to reopen. (Photo: Iranian woman buys vegetables at a street market in Tehran, Iran, 22 August 2026. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)

Ukraine's former defence minister repeats call for elections

Ukraine's popular former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov tells the BBC he still wants nationwide elections, despite his country being at war. We hear a response from a supporter of President Zelensky. Also in the programme: how the Trump White House has turned one of the US's big sporting occasions into a political event; and diplomatic conflict between the UK and Russia, as Moscow apparently withdraws its ambassador from London. (IMAGE: Mykhailo Fedorov, who was at the time Ukraine's minister of defence, speaks at a press conference, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, July 1, 2026 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Alina Smutko/File Photo)

Canada to impose retaliatory tariffs on US

Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, has confirmed he'll impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States next month, saying trade talks collapsed because Washington made unacceptable demands. Also on the programme, the editor-in-chief and a reporter from the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes have been fired for 'insubordination', South Korea's first container ship to trial the much shorter and safer route to Europe via the Arctic has begun its journey, and a look at the event dubbed the "Robot Olympics". Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with the news media after he suspended trade negotiations with the United States, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada August 22, 2026. REUTERS/Chris Tanouye