On the Brink of Fire: Fears Grow of a Gulf War That Could Engulf the World

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor

According to intelligence reports, Israel is preparing a second major strike on Iran, targeting nuclear installations in what is expected to be a massive aerial and seaborne assault involving submarines and advanced fighter aircraft.

The emerging conflict in the Gulf region is rapidly spiralling out of control. The United States has reportedly positioned F-35 and F-22 aircraft in the area to secure total air supremacy once hostilities begin. Should war break out, escalation will be swift and uncontrollable. This will not be a limited or localised conflict – the entire region will become a fire zone.

Major cities, oil fields, industrial infrastructure, military bases and offshore oil installations would all become targets. Russia is likely to deploy electronic warfare aircraft to the region, with credible reports suggesting GPS jamming of Western military systems. If a major conflict erupts, oil prices could surge beyond $120 a barrel. Oil tankers may be sunk with devastating loss of life, while warships could be destroyed by torpedoes, naval mines and sea-borne missiles.

Of even greater concern is the risk of a nuclear catastrophe. An attack on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor could release deadly radiation across much of the Middle East and into southern Europe, creating a radioactive death trap for millions of innocent civilians. Iran, in turn, is reportedly preparing long-range missile strikes against Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility.

As the ladder of escalation draws in other global powers, the prospect of a wider international conflict becomes alarmingly real. Commercial air traffic would be halted, major airports targeted, and civilians – as always – would bear the heaviest burden under relentless aerial and ground bombardment. The rules of war would be abandoned, the Geneva Conventions ignored, as unrestricted and asymmetric warfare unleashes weaponry designed for devastation on an unprecedented scale.

An area stretching more than 1 000km could be consumed by the arsenal now being assembled. The resulting death toll and refugee crisis would shake the global order. Such a conflict would not be containable. It could well serve as the catalyst for a third world war, haemorrhaging the global economy and displacing millions as the Middle East descends into chaos.

As a bolt of lightning illuminates the darkening sky before the storm breaks, so this looming conflict exposes a dangerous imbalance in world politics. At its core, this is a war over resources — oil, power, regime change and ideological supremacy.

As 2026 begins, humanity finds itself on an unsustainable path. The choices before us are narrowing sharply. Either we change course urgently, or we face the prospect of survival in a shattered and disoriented world. We may already have passed the point of no return.

War will one day destroy this planet. War is governance by bludgeon – the deliberate use of mass force to resolve disputes. History shows us where that path leads.

Farouk Araie Johannesburg

DAILY NEWS