Iran-Israel War: Middle East Embers and the Death of the World Conscience

The Iran-Israel hot war has entered its sixth day. Casualties continue to mount on both sides. In Iran, at least 224 people were killed, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, by Israeli airstrikes. Meanwhile in Israel, 24 people were killed by Iranian ballistic missiles that hit a number of residential areas. The world watches these tensions with anxiety, but has yet to act decisively.

Instead of easing tensions, the United States - Israel's main ally - has made things worse. President Donald Trump publicly urged Iran to surrender unconditionally and stated that the US was considering direct military engagement against Iran. The statement not only sparked international public outrage, but also reinforced the impression that the US and Israel are trying to maintain unilateral nuclear dominance in the region. They feel that only their bloc deserves to possess such destructive power.

Source: Reuters.com

But Iran is not budging. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, insists that his country will not bow to any military intimidation. “Any form of foreign intervention will lead to great destruction,” he said in a nationally broadcast speech. This statement is a sign that Iran is ready to fight it out to defend its sovereignty and national dignity.

What started as a bilateral conflict is now showing the potential to become a regional war. Hezbollah in Lebanon has launched rockets into Israel in support of Iran. In Syria, pro-Iranian militias have begun attacking military bases occupied by foreign troops. Russia-though it has not directly intervened-expressed concern over the West's unilateral domination and demanded a halt to aggression. China voiced strong warnings against any violation of sovereignty and urged an end to the conflict in order to maintain the stability of global energy lines.

Turkey, which has been playing on two feet, appears to be calculating to take a strategic position in the midst of this chaos. Meanwhile, Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are in a dilemma between concerns over Iran's strengthening and the risk of regional economic collapse if the war continues to grow.

This is the true face of geopolitics: great powers compete to exert influence over the suffering of other countries. The Middle East has once again become a stage for proxy wars directed by the ambitions of global power, not the interests of its own people.

But behind the guns and ideological jargon, it is the civilians who suffer the most. In Iran and Israel, thousands have lost their homes, relatives and access to basic services. Hospitals have collapsed. Water and electricity sources are cut off. Logistics lines are jammed. Children, who should be learning and playing, are hiding in bunkers, haunted by trauma and fear.

Humanitarian agencies face major obstacles in delivering aid. Many volunteers have been victimized or caught up in the fighting. Air and land blockades have hampered logistics distribution. Even international journalists are restricted, making coverage one-sided and limited to narratives of power.

This suffering is exacerbated by extreme narratives that frame war as a “holy war” or “the last moral battle”. In fact, there is nothing holy about a war that kills children and destroys schools and hospitals.

The international community seems to have lost power. The United Nations (UN) is divided. The Security Council has never passed a resolution due to the veto of major countries. The Arab League, European Union, and ASEAN have only issued statements of concern without any real action.

The world is witnessing a real threat that the Middle East could again burn into a major battlefield that not only damages the region, but also shakes the global economy and stability. If the US does get directly involved, it is not impossible for this war to trigger an open confrontation with the Eastern bloc - which could spill over into World War III.

History teaches that conflicts that are not resolved with justice will continue to recur. The world cannot remain silent in the face of aggression in the name of military superiority. International civil society, religious institutions and global intellectual networks must speak out against war and call for a total ceasefire.

We must remember: war is not just about winning and losing, but about the destruction of humanity. If the world allows the Iran-Israel conflict to continue, then we are witnessing not only the collapse of Middle East peace, but also the death of global conscience.