– Mohammed Talha Siddi Bapa
On the eve of World War II, as Hitler’s army marched through Europe unchecked, Winston Churchill warned, “Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last.” The world ignored this warning until it was too late. Today, with Israel’s aggressive strikes on Iran and American belligerence under Donald Trump’s leadership, we seem to be replaying history – not just rhetorically but dangerously, inching toward a global catastrophe.
The Israeli air assault on Iranian territory – codenamed Operation Rising Lion – targeted multiple military and nuclear installations, killing senior IRGC officials and scientists. This escalation came just days before a scheduled meeting between Iranian and American diplomats in Oman – a meeting intended to revive back‑channel negotiations and reduce tensions in the Gulf. It is no coincidence that the strike occurred precisely when diplomacy showed a flicker of hope. Israel, under Prime Minister Netanyahu, has long opposed any U.S.-Iran rapprochement and has acted as a spoiler in every significant attempt at diplomacy.
A Historical Echo: The Road to World War II
World War II didn’t start overnight. The seeds were sown through unchecked fascism, expansionist ambition, and a global failure to act in time. Germany’s annexation of Austria in 1938 went unanswered; the Munich Agreement allowed Hitler to absorb Czechoslovakia under false assurances. Only when Germany invaded Poland in 1939 did Britain and France declare war – after ignoring successive warnings.
Appeasement was the watchword then – today it’s strategic silence. The world watches Gaza starve, Lebanon burn, Syria reel under sanctions, and now watches Iran bleed. Each time a regional aggressor enjoys political immunity backed by the United States, just as the Axis powers once did.
Iran: Demonised Without Evidence
One of the most dangerous myths in western media is that Iran is on the brink of developing nuclear weapons. But Iran is a signatory to the NPT, allowing regular IAEA inspections, and as of the most recent reports, it has not diverted nuclear material for military use.
By contrast, Israel is believed to possess approximately 80-90 nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists. Israel is not an NPT signatory, and it refuses IAEA inspections. Yet the world threatens Iran, not Israel. This reversal of moral logic is not only hypocritical – it is dangerous.
The Trump Doctrine: Might Over Mind
Under Trump’s renewed leadership, U.S. foreign policy has shifted sharply toward unilateralism and militarism. The 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA, despite Iran’s compliance, shattered trust. Trump’s support for Israeli aggression, coupled with inflammatory rhetoric, signals that Washington now acts as a belligerent participant – not an honest broker.
This mirrors 1930s authoritarian arrogance: reliance on brute force, contempt for diplomacy, and glorification of power. In such an environment, diplomacy is not abandoned – it is deliberately buried.
The Spoiling of Peace: Why Oman Matters
The proposed U.S.-Iran talks in Oman were a glimmer of hope. Oman famously mediated the initial JCPOA discussions in 2013. The sixth round, scheduled for June 15 in Muscat, held promise. Yet Israel struck just before the meeting, derailing dialogue once again. History shows this pattern repeats: whenever diplomacy gains traction, military escalation follows – the message being clear: peace that threatens Israel’s dominance is unacceptable.
The Syria-Yemen-Ukraine Parallel
From Syria to Yemen, the region is already inflammable. Israel has repeatedly struck Iranian-linked sites in Syria, while Saudi and U.S.-backed coalitions waged war in Yemen – where Iran supports Houthi rebels and the U.S. has provided logistical and intelligence aid. These conflicts risk merging into a single, uncontrollable blaze.
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Meanwhile, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 caught the world off guard, despite multiple early warnings. The lesson is clear: even the West failed to avert war on its own continent. If diplomacy cannot prevent conflict there, what hope remains for the Middle East?
Iran Strikes Back: Operation True Promise
Within 48 hours of Israel’s air assault, Iran launched a swift and calculated retaliatory attack under the codename Operation True Promise (Wada Sadiq). The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed missile and drone strikes targeting military facilities in Israel’s southern and northern regions, asserting the response was proportionate and within the framework of self-defence.
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While the full scale and damage assessment remain contested, Iranian media hailed the operation as a symbol of strategic resolve and deterrence. Western analysts noted that the naming of the operation – a direct nod to promises made by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – signals Iran’s intent to shift from passive resistance to calibrated retaliation. The operation has deepened fears that the tit-for-tat exchange may spiral into a broader regional confrontation.
Are We Already in World War III?
The term “World War III” once seemed hyperbole. Today, with overlapping regional proxies, nuclear-armed states confronting each other, and diplomatic channels closing, it no longer feels far‑fetched. Consider the ingredients:
- A nuclear‑armed Israel acting with impunity
- A besieged yet non-nuclear Iran under threat
- A militarised United States backing escalation
- A silent or complicit global community
- Widespread civilian suffering from Gaza to Lebanon to Yemen
If this isn’t a slow-motion march toward global war, what is?
A Last Chance for Sanity
Time remains – barely – to alter this course. The world must demand immediate cessation of hostilities and a UN-mandated peace process. Iran and the U.S. must return to the negotiating table, perhaps again in Oman. The IAEA must have full access to both Iran and Israel – for nuclear accountability to have meaning.
Civil society, media, religious leaders, and countries in the global South must raise their voices. The choice is no longer between peace and delay – it is between diplomacy and destruction.
Diplomacy Is the Harder Path, but the Only One Left
History may not repeat, but it often rhymes. We are not living in the 1930s – but the echoes are unmistakable. The world failed to confront fascism early once before. Will it fail again, now in the face of Zionist exceptionalism and American militarism?
It is not too late – but the clock is ticking. The price of failure may be unspeakable.
Mohammed Talha Siddi Bapa is a journalist and writer focused on international affairs, Muslim geopolitics, and humanitarian justice.
