The world today stands dangerously close to a war that could have consequences beyond imagination. The United States appears to be cornering Iran in a confrontation that many fear could become an Armageddon unlike anything humanity has witnessed.
War could break out at any moment, and if it does, its effects will not be limited to one region. Every human being, in one way or another, will feel its impact. Yet, strangely, there is no widespread global anxiety. The silence is as alarming as the threat itself.
Negotiators from the United States and Iran are expected to meet in Geneva on February 26 to give diplomacy another chance. This meeting may be the last window of hope before the world slips into a devastating conflict.
But uncertainty hangs in the air, largely because of the unpredictable nature of American President Donald Trump. His record shows an ability to shock not only his political opponents but also his own citizens and allies.
Trump’s unpredictability was evident when he refused to accept an electoral verdict that unseated him and encouraged his supporters to block a smooth transition of power. Such actions shook the foundations of democratic norms in the U.S. Today, that same unpredictability shapes global politics. No one knows what decision he may take next, or whether diplomacy will be abandoned in favour of military action.
What is particularly troubling is that Trump has not clearly told Americans—let alone the rest of the world—why Iran must be punished. Historically, the United States has attempted to justify its wars, even when those justifications were later questioned.
During the Vietnam War, Washington claimed it was preventing the spread of communism. In Iraq, it was argued that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction—an assertion never supported by credible evidence. Iraq was destroyed, but the alleged weapons were never found.
Similarly, the United States attacked Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, claiming that the operation was planned there by Osama bin Laden. Yet none of the hijackers who carried out the attacks was Afghan; most were Saudi nationals. Even so, the U.S. administration at least attempted to provide a rationale for its actions. Today, in the case of Iran, there is not even an effort to explain to the American people why a new war is necessary.
On June 22, 2025, the United States dropped bombs to destroy Iranian nuclear assets. Trump declared the attack a success. If that claim were true, one must ask why the same targets are being identified for another, more comprehensive assault. The contradiction raises serious questions about the real objectives behind the escalating tensions.
History offers chilling lessons about the dangers of silence and indifference. When Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, triggering the Second World War, the global response was slow and hesitant. Within Germany, the persecution of Jews and their deportation to concentration camps became the “new normal,” met with little protest. The cost of that silence was measured in millions of lives.
Today, as U.S. aircraft carriers gather off the Iranian coast, similar warning bells should be ringing across world capitals. The United Nations should be taking urgent steps to prevent a war that could spiral into a third world war. Instead, the global response has been muted. This indifference emboldens aggressive actions.
Meanwhile, troubling developments within the United States itself raise further concerns. Reports have emerged of authorities referring to “illegal immigrants” as animals and of police shooting citizens deemed suspicious, with little accountability. Such trends point to a normalisation of extreme measures and a weakening of institutional restraints.
There was brief relief when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the high trade tariffs Trump imposed on countries such as India and China. In a clear 6–3 verdict, the Court ruled that the President did not have the authority to impose punitive tariffs; that power rests with Congress. Some of the judges who ruled against Trump were his own nominees, underscoring the independence of the judiciary.
In a mature democracy, such a verdict might have been treated as a serious rebuke. At the very least, it would have prompted introspection. Instead, Trump publicly named and shamed the judges who ruled against him while praising those who supported him. His actions appeared to invite contempt of court proceedings, yet no offering of accountability followed. Rather than stepping back, he continued to manipulate tariff provisions to suit his political agenda.
Adding to the climate of unease are ongoing revelations linked to the disgraced financier and child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Several public figures across the world have faced scrutiny for their associations with him. On Monday, a senior CBS News official resigned after his name surfaced in the Epstein files, while Britain’s “Prince Andrew” was detained for questioning over alleged disclosures of confidential information linked to Epstein.
According to media reviews, Trump’s name appears tens of thousands of times in the latest batch of Epstein-related documents, including references to his residence in Florida and his family. Yet these revelations have not triggered significant public demands for accountability. Instead, Trump continues to wield power and issue threats that could push the world toward war.
One of Trump’s close aides reportedly expressed surprise that Iran has not capitulated to U.S. threats. Such a surrender would be suicidal for any sovereign nation. No country can accept humiliation without resistance, and history shows that coercion often leads to conflict rather than compliance.
The most disturbing aspect of this moment is not merely the possibility of war but the global indifference that surrounds it. The world appears distracted, fragmented, and unwilling to confront the looming danger. International institutions seem paralysed. Public protests are rare. Political leaders speak in cautious tones, if at all.
As the drums of war grow louder, the world seems determined to keep its eyes shut. The silence recalls the dark years of the Third Reich, when fear, denial and indifference allowed Hitler to hold much of the world in thrall.
If humanity fails to raise its voice now, history may once again record that the greatest tragedy was not the aggression of one leader, but the silence of many nations that chose not to see.