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Iran taking steps to prevent anti-establishment protests, Tehran residents tell BBC7 hours agoShareSaveGhoncheh HabibiazadSenior reporter, BBC PersianShareSaveSuppliedA police special forces vehicle at a road block in west Tehran on 4 MarchIran is taking steps to prevent anti-establishment protests, with checkpoints appearing across the streets of the capital, internet access restricted, and mass text warnings sent to residents.
In Tehran, people have been telling the BBC about new security checkpoints around the city, where they say residents are stopped and searched.
They have told BBC Persian that some checkpoints are positioned under footbridges and inside road tunnels, after reports that several checkpoints in the middle of roads had been targeted by drone strikes.
A number of Iranian security personnel were killed in Israeli strikes on four checkpoints across Tehran, the hardline Fars News Agency reported on 11 March.
Fars said unofficial counts indicated that around 10 members o..

How US groups are driving a new generation of anti-abortion activism in the UK11 hours agoShareSaveEve WebsterBBC NewsShareSaveBBCFor 21-year-old John Alexander, being against abortion came before finding faith.
As a teenager at school in Buckinghamshire, he was confused as to why most of his peers supported access to abortion. On social media he argued vocally against it.
Then, shortly after the pandemic, he became more interested in Christianity. He was raised in the Church of England (CofE), but thought the denomination was “dry” and involved “people sitting in pews not doing much”. He was inspired by the young pastor at a Pentecostal Church which discussed social issues like abortion more than CofE churches, he says. He also watched social media videos of street preachers.
At university he joined the pro-life society and later he became a fan of the American right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.
“In the UK, people want to be polite, so they don't tackle abortion in the same way..

US names six crew killed in refuelling plane crash in Iraq4 hours agoShareSaveJaroslav LukivShareSaveEPAA file photo of a US Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling tankerThe US military has named all six crew members who were killed when their refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq.
The Pentagon said those on board the KC-135 plane were: John Klinner, 33, from Alabama; Ariana Savino, 31, from Washington; Ashley Pruitt, 34, from Kentucky; Seth Koval, 38, from Indiana; Curtis Angst, 30, from Ohio; and Tyler Simmons, 28, also from Ohio.
The first three were Air Force personnel, and the latter three served in the National Guard.
The US military previously said neither hostile nor friendly fire were involved in the loss of the plane in western Iraq on Thursday.
The aircraft was on a combat mission as part of ongoing US operations against Iran and was one of two planes involved in the incident. The second landed safely.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed the aircraft'..

BBC visits aftermath of Israeli strike on Lebanon that killed family as IDF targets Hezbollah13 hours agoShareSaveAlice CuddyYounine, northeastern LebanonShareSaveBBCThe yellow flag of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah was hanging on top of a pile of rubbleWarning – this article contains a graphic description of the aftermath of an explosion.
As Israel continues to attack targets connected to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the BBC visited the remains of a home where eight members of a family, including three children, were killed in a strike.
The yellow flag of the Iran-backed armed group was hanging on top of a pile of rubble in the northeastern town of Younine. There were children's toys and packets of sweets among the debris.
The Israeli military told the BBC it had targeted “Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure while Hezbollah operatives were present”.
Neighbours and relatives at the scene said they had no knowledge of this.
The strike hit a home and shop on Wednesday evening as an e..