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Middle East on brink as US leader’s call follows his earlier warning for Tehran residents to evacuate
Introduction
The Middle East finds itself on the precipice as the conflict between arch-foes Iran and Israel is on its fifth brutal day, with both sides escalating their attacks and the civilian toll mounting.
As Israeli strikes continue to zero in on Iran’s nuclear facilities and other targets, and Iranian missiles light up the skies over Israeli cities, a chilling new dimension has been added to the crisis: a demand from US President Donald Trump to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for an “unconditional surrender”.
Tuesday’s demand follows Trump’s warning a day earlier for residents of Iran’s capital, Tehran, to “immediately evacuate”.
Follow developments and reactions here as the world grapples with an unprecedented level of direct confrontation between Israel and Iran, and fears of an all-out war grow.