US says it aims to ‘lower temperature’ in Middle East

Since the war between Hamas and Israel erupted in October 2023, the fear has been that the conflict in Gaza could lead to a wider regional war across the Middle East. Questions are growing as to whether Iran will retaliate against Israel, which is widely believed to be responsible for a strike that killed former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. US President Joe Biden thinks a ceasefire deal could make all the difference. We hear from a former Israeli diplomat and an expert on Iranian politics.

Also in the programme: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky claims Ukrainian forces have continued to advance further into Russia's Kursk region; and an Australian weather presenter tells us what it was like to experience a panic attack live on air.

(Photo: Smoke rises after an explosion following an Israeli airstrike in the Central Gaza Strip, 20 July, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Omar Naaman)