Tristate residents with ties to the Middle East grapple with worry and uncertainty as region remains on edge

WLWT speaks with UC Law’s peace security initiatives director Julie Leftwich

As Israel and the U.S. trade missile launches with Iran, residents in Greater Cincinnati worry about escalation of the conflict. While opinions differ on the U.S. striking nuclear sites in Iran, uncertainty is a common emotion, reports WLWT.

“Everybody is on edge,” Julie Leftwich told WLWT. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen.”

Leftwich, director of international peace security initiatives at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, was in Israel about a month ago and was planning on returning in the next couple of weeks. That plan was put on hold with U.S. bombers entering Iranian airspace this week and Iran attacking American bases overseas.

Families of all backgrounds in the Middle East are caught in the middle of conflict. Leftwich says residents in Greater Cincinnati should not forget the human lives that are being impacted.

Cedric Ricks
June 23, 2025
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