Tensions have ramped up between Israel and Iran, marked by direct, deadly missile strikes.

Cities are burning, casualties are mounting, and the world is watching with growing alarm. As leaders of the G7 huddle in the Canadian Rockies, the threat of a broader regional war looms large.

Has the red line been crossed? Can diplomacy still pull this back from the brink? And what’s really at stake if this spiral continues unchecked?

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Eyal Mayroz, Senior Lecturer of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney to find out more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.