BBC World Business Report

Hostility fears escalate in the Persian Gulf

Loading player...
Are ships moving in the Persian Gulf and could it lead to the resumption of hostilities between the US and Iran? Andrew Peach finds out more on the latest developments and speaks to maritime expert Captain John Konrad.

Meanwhile, with two clubs celebrating joining the English Premier League, we hear about the financial challenges facing those joining football's elite.

And, why the success of the vintage clothing industry is attracting criminals.

Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia, Europe and the USA.

(Picture: Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, on 4 May 2026. Credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi / ISNA / West Asia News Agency, via Reuters.)
4 May 6PM English United Kingdom Business

Other recent episodes

Will Donald Trump's visit to China benefit the global economy?

The US president and his Chinese counterpart struck a positive tone at a banquet dinner in Beijing today. But what was actually achieved in a day of meetings between the two world leaders? Protests have broken out in Havana following ongoing power blackouts described as the worst in decades. Cuba's…
14 May 6PM 26 min

The start of the deal: Trump and Xi meet

Presidents Trump and Xi meet in Beijing: What's at stake for both in terms of trade and tariffs? And Honda reports its first annual loss in 70 years. Has the Japanese car giant misjudged its electric vehicle strategy? Also, Cuba runs out of diesel and fuel oil as a US-led…
14 May 12PM 10 min

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping discuss tariffs, trade, and AI

US President Donald Trump is in China to meet with his counterpart Xi Jinping. They're expected to discuss their current tense trade relationship, the Middle East war, and negotiate an extension of their trade truce agreed in October that paused tariff escalation between the two nations. India has raised import…
13 May 6PM 27 min

Trump flies to China for talks with Xi

Tariffs, tech competition, the Iran war and Taiwan top the agenda for the two superpowers. Trump, last visited in 2017. He returns to a stronger, more assertive China. Tens of thousands take to the streets of Buenos Aires to protest the economic policies of Argentina's President Javier Milei. And India…
13 May 11AM 10 min

US price worries: customers tighten purse strings

Are higher prices in the US starting to show up in household bills as inflation moves closer to 4%? We’ll be looking at where that pressure is coming from, how long it might last, and what it means for businesses and consumers already feeling the squeeze. Also today, after an…
12 May 6PM 26 min
All episodes