Hello everyone and welcome to Ammanpur. Here's what's coming up.

An exclusive from Tehran as Trump weighs joining Netanyahu's war, I reach Iran's deputy

foreign minister, talking to the Western press for the first time and vowing not to surrender.

Then amidst the turmoil in the Middle East,

the Ukraine war keeps raging on,

and I talk to the Russian ambassador

to the UK, Andre Kelly.

Plus as Gaza descends further into hell,

Palestinian-American poet Hala Alian talks to Michel Martin

about identity, motherhood, and the experience of exile.

The Welcome to the program, everyone. I'm Christiana Manpur in London. I may do it. I may not do it. President Trump, urged on by Israel's prime minister, is bringing the United States to the edge of war with Iran.

But whether he decides to actually pull that trigger, nobody knows. Residents of Tehran called upon to evacuate

are afraid, mired in traffic gridlock without enough gasoline for their vehicles, as Israel continues to sow chaos and destruction,

even amongst the civilians who are desperate to figure out what's happening,

also hitting leadership targets and nuclear sites.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Harmony rejected Trump's call for unconditional surrender

in a taped video message aired on State TV.

Surrender to what? The Iranian nation cannot be surrendered. We have not been subjected to anyone,

and we will not accept any kind of submission.

So now a rare chance to hear from a high-level Iranian official.

Majid Tahrir Avanchi is the deputy foreign minister and is a key player in the nuclear negotiations

that were.

...