Alex Ritson

Helena Humphrey in Washington.

Regardless of the political fallout from the attacks on Iran, are they legally justified under international law?

Faisal al-Istrabadi is the founding director of the Centre for the Study of the Middle East at Indiana University in Bloomington in the US.

He was also the Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations just after the overthrow of that country's former leader, Saddam Hussein.

Faisal al-Istrabadi from the Center for the Study of the Middle East at Indiana University in the U.S.

To end this edition of the Global News Podcast, I spoke to the BBC's chief international correspondent, Lise Doucette.

She's been covering Iran for years and is one of the few Western journalists who've been able to report from inside the country in recent months.

I asked her how she views the next few days unfolding for Tehran.

The criticism after the Iraq war was that the Americans didn't have a plan.

Do the Americans and the Israelis have a plan this time?

Lise, you've observed the region for a long time.

You're only just back from Iran.

Are you optimistic or not?

And that's all for this special edition of the Global News Podcast.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk.

You can also find us on X at BBC World Service.

Use the hashtag Global News Pod.

This edition of the Global News Podcast was produced by Peter Goffin and Mickey Bristow.

It was mixed by Nicola Brough and the editor is Karen Martin.

I'm Alex Ritson.