The Middle East is at war, but how does it end? What role will the UK play and what could it mean for the future of the region and beyond?

I'm Hannah White and this is Inside Briefing, the podcast from the Institute for Government.

The US and Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran just days ago, but the conflict has already

spread across the region. Recent examples of Western military intervention in the Middle

East have not gone to plan, so will this time be different? Kirstama has said the UK will not

join regime change from the skies, but huge questions remain over the extent of British involvement

in this crisis, and the conflict is the extent of British involvement in this crisis.

And the conflict is certain to have lasting consequences for this country. We'll explore

the fallout and the UK's readiness. The economy is sure to be affected. And we are recording

this podcast in two halves today, this first half before the spring statement, so we will see what Rachel

Reeves has to say later this afternoon and come back to record our reaction to that then.

All that to come.

Joining me today is IFG executive director Alex Thomas.

Hi, Alex.

Hello, Anna.

And I'm delighted that we are joined down the line by Sir Alex Younger,

who served as Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service from 2014 to 2020. Thank you for joining us,

Sir Alex, I'm going to have to call you, in order to distinguish you. Thank you. It's good to be here.

I want to start by looking at what has happened so far and the UK's involvement. Sir Alex,

so much has happened in just a few days. And to timestamp this recording, we are recording

this on Tuesday morning and things may move fast hereafter. How consequential would you say

are the events that we are seeing?

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