Introduction
The war now raging across West Asia is no longer a shadow conflict. Triggered by Operation Rising Lion and escalated through precision strikes, targeted assassinations, and relentless missile and drone campaigns, it has drawn Iran, Israel, and the United States into a dangerously public and volatile confrontation. What was once contained within the realm of proxy warfare—via Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other IRGC-backed forces—has erupted into direct confrontation, collapsing long-maintained strategic ambiguity.
Israel’s expanding use of the Iron Dome, bunker busters, and air defenses signals a new phase in its doctrine of anticipatory self-defense, while Iran’s retaliatory barrage, using Kheibar Shekan missiles, long-range drones, and cyber-attacks, illustrates its intent to challenge both Israel and U.S. dominance in the region. This has reignited concerns about Iran’s nuclear breakout time, uranium enrichment, and IAEA monitoring—further complicating already-stalled nuclear negotiations.
Framing this conflict is a deeply fraught geopolitical theater: the unraveling of the Abraham Accords, the wavering influence of Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, and the fragility of efforts at regional de-escalation, collective security, and Gulf mediation. Meanwhile, the U.S. faces internal tension—torn between GOP base support for war, foreign aid debates, and a renewed populist surge under slogans like “Make Iran Great Again”.
The Axis of Resistance, led by Iran and supported by Popular Mobilisation Forces and the Assad regime, is under heavy strain. Its media arsenal—laden with psychological operations, disinformation, and media censorship—runs parallel to kinetic warfare, amplifying tensions while suppressing dissent. The result is a widening humanitarian crisis: civilian casualties, displacement, hostage risks, and aid access restrictions. Journalists barred from conflict zones, press freedom declines, and internet shutdowns further obscure the ground truth.
At the heart of public confusion lies a potent mix of conspiracism and anxiety. Some narratives invoke the Rothschilds, feeding into older tropes of hidden influence, clandestine power, and shadow governance. While fact-checkers emphasize the need to reject such disinformation, the public imagination—shaped by information warfare and moral failure in news coverage—struggles to separate reality from narrative fog.
What emerges is a war with global implications: from energy market disruptions and inflation to rising fears of regime change, mutual assured destruction, and war crimes allegations under international law. As the UN Security Council calls emergency sessions and the ICRC demands civilian protections, the question remains: Can diplomacy still temper a conflict driven by expanding militarism, or has the region crossed its final red line?
Dive in and discover more from the following article by Robert J. Burrowes, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service
Robert Burrowes, Ph.D. is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment and has a lifetime commitment to understanding and ending human violence. He was a member of the Gulf Peace Team in 1991. Robert has done extensive research since 1966 in an effort to understand why human beings are violent and has been a nonviolent activist since 1981. He is the author of Why Violence?
Email: flametree@riseup.net
