Are we heading for World War III? Iran-Israel conflict triggers global alarm

In response, Britain has deployed fighter jets and refuelling aircraft to the region, describing the move as 'contingency support' amid rising tensions. The escalation has led many to ask: are we really on the brink of World War III?

The situation erupted on June 13 when Israel launched a major air operation—codenamed Operation Rising Lion—targeting key Iranian nuclear, military, and intelligence facilities in Natanz, Tehran, and Fordow. Israel claimed the strikes established “complete aerial superiority over Tehran.”

Iran retaliated with a large-scale missile and drone assault, firing over 150 ballistic missiles and 100 drones at major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa. Explosions were also reported near US diplomatic sites in Tel Aviv, prompting fresh concerns of an international fallout.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a stark warning to the US: any direct involvement would result in “serious irreparable consequences.” Iran’s foreign ministry echoed this, stating that US intervention “risks all-out war.”

In London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has convened multiple emergency Cobra meetings to assess the growing threat, including safeguarding strategic UK assets such as the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean. He has also urged all parties to de-escalate.

British military aircraft have been dispatched to the Middle East in what officials describe as a defensive move to “protect UK assets and potentially assist allies.” Chancellor Rachel Reeves told Sky News the UK could “potentially” use military assets to defend Israel, though she stressed the mission is defensive in nature.

The growing instability in the Middle East comes amid a series of global flashpoints that are reshaping international security dynamics:

• Ukraine: Russia’s prolonged invasion continues to stir fears of direct confrontation with NATO, particularly as fighting nears the borders of member states.
• North Korea: Pyongyang has stepped up testing of submarine-launched, nuclear-capable missiles, deepening concerns of a broader regional conflict.
• Taiwan Strait: China’s military provocations around Taiwan mirror tactics used in Russia’s Ukraine campaign, raising alarms in Washington and among Indo-Pacific allies.

The symbolic Doomsday Clock remains at 90 seconds to midnight—the closest it has ever been to global catastrophe—signalling heightened risk of nuclear or conventional war. The clock, maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, reflects a consensus among experts that the world is edging dangerously close to a tipping point.

With the UK and US supporting Israel, Iran backed by Russia and China, and North Korea flexing its nuclear ambitions, some analysts warn the world is seeing an unprecedented convergence of military tensions.

Still, many experts caution that while the risks are severe, a third world war is not inevitable.