What in the World - Can you steal another country’s rain clouds?

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Tensions are high in the Middle East, not just because of the US-Israeli war with Iran but also because the region has been dealing with a long period of severe drought. The social and economic consequences of these events has fuelled a lot of online misinformation. It’s led some people to speculate that the extreme weather is being caused by foreign interference. This theory has spread all the way up to senior officials, with an Iraqi MP even discussing cloud theft on TV.

We unpack the possible roots of the ‘cloud stealing’ conspiracy with BBC climate disinformation reporter Marco Silva.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden
Editor: Verity Wilde

Published on Friday, 1st May 2026.

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