The world is on fire. Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Gaza/Palestine, India-Pakistan. These conflicts are ongoing with no clear end in sight as the belligerents continue attacking each other. Russia’s immoral invasion of Ukraine has been going on for more than three years, contrary to what Russians said would be an easy task. The Israel-Gaza conflict also sees no end in sight, as I believe the Jewish state wants to once and for all exterminate all hopes of a Palestinian state. The humanitarian crisis brought about by this conflict, especially for the Palestinians, is horrific. I am reminded of the saying that the real casualties of war are the civilians.
Then we have two nuclear powers engaging in a standoff. A back-and-forth between India and Pakistan is ongoing, with both countries wisely keeping nuclear weapons off the battlefield, at least for now. And now, just hours ago, US President Trump has ordered an airstrike against three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, using one of their newest weapons --a 30,000-pound bunker-busting bomb capable of penetrating rock and earth to reach a nuclear enrichment facility deep inside one of Iran’s mountains. Trump has stated via his social media platform that all three were successfully bombed and that their aircraft are out of harm’s way. He ends it with an all-caps statement that now is the time for peace.
This is another example of Trump’s hypocrisy in full view. For years, he has criticized past presidents like Bush and Obama for getting the US involved in wars in the Middle East. He even said Obama would attack Iran. He ran on a campaign as a president who would stop wars and not start them, that he alone could prevent World War III, that he could stop the war in Ukraine on day one of his presidency, and all that. None of those promises have been fulfilled, and now, he has taken the US into another conflict in the Middle East. And World War III? I think we are already in it. We hope and pray no other country throws its hat into this conflict.
It is unclear how Iran will respond to this attack, but we can be certain they will not go quietly. US bases all over the Middle East have been placed on high alert for Iran’s retaliation. The world waits as well. Already, there is talk of Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz from all shipping. Oil passes through this important waterway, so we will see how the US or even the world would respond to this. We can expect prices at the pumps to rise with this development. All the world can do is watch as egos play out on the world stage.