Within minutes of the war beginning on Saturday, allies Israel and the US had achieved a stated goal: Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed alongside his powerful inner circle.
His death would, according to both US president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, pave the way for regime change, allowing opposition forces in Tehran to rise up and take control.
Iran retaliated with attacks on Israel, while Iranian drones have also hit countries across the Middle East. Hizbullah, an Iranian-backed militia, fired missiles into Israel in the early days of the war, and by Wednesday Israeli forces entered Lebanon.
The death toll – notably in Iran – is mounting.
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And the rest of the world is feeling the impact with threats of economic instability, oil shortages and travel and trade chaos.
But are the US and Israel on the same page when it comes to the war’s objectives? And are they equal partners in this or is this Israel’s war with the US providing military support?
Irish Times contributor Mark Weiss in Jerusalem explains how the US and Israel are looking for different outcomes from this war.
And Shashank Joshi, defence editor with The Economist, explores how the war might end – and when – and why the Kurds might be drawn in to war.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon.
