.png?width=1200&auto=webp&trim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&ssl=1 "Escalating war in the Middle East: Ask our world affairs editor anything")
Welcome to an exclusive Ask Me Anything session with me, Sam Kiley, The Independent’s world affairs editor.
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The Middle East is on edge. Over a week has passed since the war between Israel and the Islamic Republic began. A shaky ceasefire is holding between Israel and Iran – but for how long?
Donald Trump says US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites have “ended the war.” He even compared the attacks to the Hiroshima bombing. But leaked US intelligence suggests Iran’s nuclear program may recover within months, not years, as the CIA claims.
Trump’s defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, will hold a press conference today to defend the strikes and respond to the leak.
With all sides reeling, the US is on high alert for cyberattacks – and across the Middle East, it feels like hostilities could resume at any moment. This could be a turning point – or the beginning of something far worse.
Will the ceasefire hold? Has Trump’s strategy worked? What comes next for Iran, Israel, and the wider world?
If you have a question, submit it now or join me live for our Ask Me Anything event on Thursday, 26 June at 12pm BST.
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