WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
Regime change, rescue flights, and the meteoric rise of Chinese EVs

 
today's international story

Trump floats regime change as Iran promises 'response'

What happened
In apparent defiance of calls for restraint from world leaders, Donald Trump yesterday raised the prospect of toppling Iran's leadership in the wake of US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. The US president posted yesterday: "If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???" In response, Iran's parliament voted to shut the vital Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route, sparking fears of a spike in oil prices and potential global recession.

Who said what
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran "reserves all options to defend its security interests", while its UN ambassador accused the US of sacrificing its own security "to safeguard Netanyahu". Meanwhile, despite Trump's calls for regime change, his administration allies insisted that US strikes were limited. "We're not at war with Iran," said Vice President JD Vance.

This is an "unprecedented moment", said Lyse Doucet on the BBC, "but what the US and Iran do next could be even more momentous". Iran's options to strike back "are limited and fraught with risk", said Julian Borger in The Guardian. But Trump's options also "bring risks at every turn", said David E. Sanger in The New York Times, and the "largest perils" may lie in the aftermath of the initial strikes – "just as they did in Afghanistan and Iraq".

What next?
Iran's final decision on the Strait of Hormuz rests with its national security council, but analysts warn oil could surge $5 a barrel or more when markets open. US officials are reportedly already seeing signs that Iran-backed militias may retaliate regionally – potentially pushing the crisis into a broader and more dangerous conflict.

 
 
today's security story

UK to arrange rescue flight for Britons fleeing Israel

What happened
The UK government has announced a first charter flight this week to evacuate vulnerable British nationals and their dependents from Israel following a surge in regional tensions after the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The Foreign Office (FCDO) is urging citizens to register online, but not to go to the airport unless instructed. Israeli airspace, closed since 13 June after its attack on Iran, briefly reopened yesterday to allow some departures.

Who said what
"The safety of British Nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories continues to be our utmost priority," said a UK government spokesperson.

The Independent predicts that the way any flights will be organised is "one or more aircraft will be 'positioned' to Larnaca in Cyprus". The proximity means that pilots can then "decide tactically whether or not it is safe to land" in Israel.

What next?
Further flights may be arranged depending on demand and conditions. Other countries including the US, India, China and Australia have also begun evacuating citizens from the region. The FCDO has now advised against all travel to both Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

 
 
Today's industrial story

Starmer unveils plan to slash energy costs by 25%

What happened
The UK government will scrap green levies from electricity bills for more than 7,000 manufacturing firms in a move to reduce costs by up to 25%. The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, starting in 2027, will be a core pillar of Keir Starmer's 10-year industrial strategy aimed at reviving growth and tackling the UK's sluggish economic performance. Additional relief will be extended to energy-intensive sectors like steel, chemicals and glassmaking, with discounts on network charges rising from 60% to 90% from next year.

Who said what
"This industrial strategy marks a turning point for Britain's economy," said Starmer, calling it a "clear break" from short-term policies. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the long-term plan to boost wind and nuclear power would help "bring down bills for households and businesses for good".

Businesses have "felt the impact of Donald Trump's tariffs" this year, but "there are also concerns within industry about the impact of the government's Employment Rights Bill, which could add to business costs", said The Independent.

What next?
Sector-specific plans for five key industries will be released today. Business groups and unions have urged ministers to follow through swiftly, particularly as April's GDP figures showed the UK economy contracting by 0.3%.

 
 

It's not all bad

As electric vehicle manufacturer BYD launched its Dolphin Surf in the UK this month, China’s global lead in EV production has been on full display. With nearly half of all cars sold in China last year being electric, the country has used long-term planning, huge subsidies and tight supply chain controls to reshape the auto industry. Companies like BYD and XPeng are now expanding abroad, offering high-tech, low-cost models that, according to the BBC, are rapidly winning over British and European customers.

 
 
under the radar

Morales seeks re-election, defying constitution again

Enduring support for former president Evo Morales continues to boil over into violence in Bolivia, deepening the nation's political and economic crisis.

At least four first responders are dead after clashes between anti-government protesters and authorities, according to former justice minister César Siles, who resigned last week, adding that some had been shot. "We can't call these civilian protests any more," said Siles. "We are talking about paramilitary groups, groups that carry weapons, and we have to respond firmly."

More than 300 people have been injured in weeks of unrest after the courts blocked Morales, 65, from seeking a fourth term in the 17 August election and thus defying Bolivia's constitutional two-term limit.

After Morales became the first Indigenous leader of Bolivia in 2006, the former coca farmer presided over a decade of economic prosperity driven by a boom in natural gas. But in 2016, Bolivians narrowly voted against his attempt to remove presidential term limits from the constitution in a referendum. Morales chose to ignore it, running again in 2019 for an unprecedented third term as president at the head of the Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas) party.

But Morales is also facing criminal charges. A warrant was issued in December for his arrest over the human trafficking of a minor. The claim is that he had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl while in office and allegedly fathered a child with her in 2016.

"Morales wants to enter the elections at all costs, and he won't succeed," said economic analyst Gonzalo Chávez Alvarez, a professor at the Universidad Católica Boliviana. "So there's uncertainty over whether the elections will really happen because it's hard to say whether Morales will have enough strength to stop them."

 
 
on this day

23 June 2016

The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in the Brexit referendum. Nine years on, new YouGov polling shows that the British public is "Bregretful" about the decision, with 56% of people saying it was wrong to leave the EU.

 
 
Today's newspapers

"Stick it up your bunker" says The Sun, reporting on the US attack on Iran. Tehran has vowed "revenge" on the US, says The Times, but this would be Iran's "worst mistake", says The Telegraph, quoting the White House. Donald Trump's decision to attack was a "gamble", says the Financial Times, while The Guardian says that the US may be pulled into a "drawn-out war Trump had promised to avoid". The UK's terror threat has increased following the US intervention, says the Daily Express. 

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Red alert

A hotel in southwestern China that offered the opportunity for guests to be roused by red pandas has been told to stop its unusual wake-up call offer on safety grounds. The Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel allowed a red panda to visit tourists in their room, but that has now been halted after The Global Times, a Communist Party newspaper, issued a severe warning that the practice might be an abuse of animal rights. The local forestry bureau has now stepped in, sending inspectors to put an end to the red panda practice.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Jamie Timson, Harriet Marsden, Ross Couzens and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly.

Image credits, from top: Getty Images; Nir Keidar / Anadolu / Getty Images; Danny Lawson – WPA Pool / Getty Images; Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images.