Wars suck you in, but the ceasefire that Donald Trump imposed on Iran and Israel on June 24th is a moment to stand back. Although the American president called this the Twelve Day War, I see America’s spectacular bombing raid on Iran as the culmination of a long conflict between the Jewish state and the Islamic Republic that had become hot after the massacres of October 7th 2023. To understand where today’s uneasy peace leaves the Middle East, you need to grasp how much has changed in that time.

Our coverage this week assesses the damage the bombing did to Iran’s nuclear programme, and reports on Mr Trump as a wartime president. It also takes the long view, looking back at how Mr Trump fits into America’s tormented relationship with the Islamic Republic and forward to the prospects for Iran, Israel and the Gulf. A violent part of the world now has a rare, if slender, chance to turn the page.

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