this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2025
337 points (99.1% liked)

World News

47689 readers
2658 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works 29 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

This could very easily spiral into a full-on WW3 scenario. Note, WW3 may not look like what you expect it to look like. We've been culturally conditioned to think WW3 will look like thousands of mushroom clouds over major cities, but that need not be the case. WW3 could be a large conventional war just like the previous world wars.

Russia is already bogged down in Ukraine, and the US and NATO are supplying them. Israel is at war with a half a dozen countries, and the US is supporting them, including directly entering the war on Iran. The danger of WW3 lies is revealed when you ask, why did Israel choose this time to attack Iran? They chose to because now was simply the perfect opportunity. With Iran's proxy fighters around Israel devastated, with the Gaza a smoking ruin, Iranian power is lower than it has been in years. That's why they decided to do this now - kick them while they're down.

Us getting bogged down in Iran, however, presents other countries with their own windows of opportunity. And the biggest one is China invading Taiwan. China has been saber-rattling and openly planning an invasion of Taiwan, to be done at some point in the next few years. What better time to launch it than when the US has already been depleting their limited weapon stocks in Ukraine, and just got bogged down in Iran?

China is already involved in the Ukraine conflict; they're one of Russia's biggest suppliers. Iran also is a Russian ally, providing them thousands of drones. The alliance system of a potential world war is already laid out. It would be Russia/Iran/China vs the US, NATO, and assorted allies.

This would be unlikely to end up in a full nuclear exchange. Direct invasion of the homelands of Russia, China, or the US are not going to happen. But we could see multiple large conventional armed conflicts breaking out in multiple theaters, a conflict between two vast alliance systems that between them encompass most of the world's population.

If that isn't a world war, I don't know what is. Nukes don't need to fly to have a conflict that leaves millions dead.

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 1 points 42 minutes ago* (last edited 40 minutes ago) (1 children)

It would be Russia/Iran/China vs the US, NATO, and assorted allies.

I honestly don't think the US has its traditional allies any more. Why should Canada get involved in defense of a bully who is threatening to invade it?

Israel is the third variable in the equation since everyone is subservient to it, so who knows what will happen there

[–] WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works 1 points 34 minutes ago

Why should Canada get involved in defense of a bully who is threatening to invade it?

Precisely so it doesn't end up on the wrong side and end up getting invaded.

[–] lemmydividebyzero@reddthat.com 11 points 11 hours ago

Us getting bogged down in Iran, however, presents other countries with their own windows of opportunity. And the biggest one is China invading Taiwan. China has been saber-rattling and openly planning an invasion of Taiwan, to be done at some point in the next few years. What better time to launch it than when the US has already been depleting their limited weapon stocks in Ukraine, and just got bogged down in Iran?

IMO, there is a lot of conjuntive in it.

For now, there were only bombs on nuclear facilities from the US side... No foot troops getting bogged down. Nothing getting bogged down for now...

You can always imagine how something could link to a word war. That would have already worked for Ukraine. That would have worked with Afghanistan as well.

The question is how realistic it is. I'm not a fan of painting the devil on the wall by declaring WW3 myself on Lemmy and saying goodbye to others....

[–] torrentialgrain@lemm.ee 9 points 11 hours ago

US weapons stockpiles aren’t depleted in the slightest. You guys sent your old stuff to Ukraine and not much more, and you haven’t sent anything substantial in over a year.

Iran will, most likely, not involve more than an air campaign and the US can do that with a bomber wing and a carrier strike group. I can’t imagine a case where this evolves into a full invasion (but of course with trump you can never be sure).

If anything, seeing Iran getting dominated by Israel and the US would probably give China some doubts about a possible operation against Taiwan.