Are we on the cusp of WWIII? Here's where we stand as Iran considers retaliation following US strikes

US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Darragh Nolan

As Iran weighs the possibility of retaliation following US bombing of its nuclear sites, the possibility of a Third World War breaking out is more realistic than it has been in many years.

While the conflict in the Middle East threatens to spill over and draw in countries surrounding Israel and Iran – as well as other allies of both countries – there is also the threat posed by the war in Ukraine, more than three years on from Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the country.