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World War III Panic: What the Heck Is Going On and How Serious Is It?

World War III Panic: What the Heck Is Going On and How Serious Is It?

Jan 10, 2020   •   Kyzia Maramara

Less than a week into 2020 and news of a possible brewing World War 3 was already trending online. Amidst all the Tala dance covers, KPop hashtags, and celebrity pun name memes is news of an imminent threat that could signal the start of more chaos and destruction. Are we really on the cusp of another terrible war that tear apart nations and cost countless innocent lives?

How did the countries involved even get here? Here’s what you need to know

 

On January 3, Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani was reportedly killed in a drone strike by the United States

Via Express Co.

To understand the gravity of this act, one must first understand who Soleimani is and the power he holds. Quasem Soleimani is the second most powerful man in Iran next to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and has been the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force (Iran’s elite unit that handles overseas operations) since 1998. He is considered by many Iranians as a national hero.

Also killed in the attack was Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

 

Pentagon released a statement confirming Soleimani’s death

The US airstrike that killed Soleimani was ordered by American President Donald Trump. CNN reports that it was meant to “’terminate’ a top Iranian commander who was plotting ‘imminent and sinister attacks’ on Americans.”

The US believes Soleimani to be a terrorist and had at one point called him and his troops a “foreign terrorist organization.”

Iranian general Esmail Ghaani, Soliemani’s successor, has stated that Iran will be taking “actions” against the US as revenge for the general’s death.

 

But what’s the root of the problem?

While the United States has long been blaming Soleimani for hundreds of deaths of Americans from various attacks in recent months including the December 27 strike that killed an American contractor, tensions between Iran and the US date back for decades.

In the 2000s, it was known that Iran was developing its nuclear program. Iran said their nuclear activities were peaceful but many countries did not believe that. In 2015, a special agreement was made between Iran, US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany. It stated that Iran had to limit sensitive nuclear activities and allow international inspectors to monitor their practices. In return, the United Nations had to lift the sanctions they put on Iran that crippled the country’s economy.

In 2018, President Trump decided to pull the US out of the agreement and put the sanctions back on Iran especially keeping an eye out for their oil exports. This move clearly put a strain on the Iran-US relations and every action after that was delicate.

 

In the age of social media, everything is turned into a joke

I’m sure you’ve all seen the WW3 memes and Americans joking about avoiding being drafted to the army. Sure, anybody could appreciate the humor in times of distress, but we feel that you have to draw a line somewhere. We have to be grounded in the fact that war is real. There are real people dying, real societies being torn apart. It’s time to pack up the memes and instead create awareness that this war should be avoided at all costs.

 

On January 8, Iran carried out a ballistic missile attack on airbases housing US troops in Iraq

No casualties were reported from the more than a dozen ballistic missiles launched. After the Iranian missile attacks, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to Twitter to say that they “do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.”

For his part, President Trump also posted boasting about America’s military saying “We have the most powerful and equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!”

Which countries will be involved in the mess once it turns into a full-blown war?

In the event of a future war, alliances are going to be forged. Those who are poised to support Iran could be found both inside and outside the Middle East. Islamic nations such as Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria are loyal to the late General Soleimani, therefore, they will side with Iran. Outside of the Middle East, Iran is allied with Russia and Venezuela.

Via Tonymappedit.com

On top of being a global superpower since the 18th century and a military superpower today, the United States also has a lot of allies to choose from—including, potentially, the Philippines.

 

Currently, there is yet no declaration of war between Iran and the US

While tensions between the two countries are still high, they’ve yet to actually declare war. All these news of attacks are just the two countries skirting around the idea. But it’s not too late for Iran and the US to step away from the brink of World War 3.

 

Because nobody ever really wins in war

Resources from entire countries get depleted, innocent lives are taken, anger and mistrust are sown, and millions mourn over war. There is nothing good about war. If anything, it clearly shows how little humans have progressed since the last two World Wars. The weapons being used might be advanced and the tactics might be new but the results are the same: bloodshed and death. Maybe we shouldn’t mock beauty queens after all when all they wish for is “world peace.” We clearly need it.

 

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Kyzia spends most of her time capturing the world around her through photos, paragraphs, and playlists. She is constantly on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, and a great paperback thriller to pair with it.

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