WASHINGTON/TEHRAN/NEW DELHI: A dangerous new era is no longer dawning—it has arrived. The Iran-Israel war, already a grave geopolitical flashpoint, has entered a catastrophic new phase following targeted U.S. airstrikes inside Iran. What was once a regional escalation is now rapidly spiraling into a broader confrontation, marking a decisive breakdown of global diplomacy and the erosion of post-Cold War strategic norms. The fragile edifice of international order is collapsing, with diplomacy overtaken by deterrence, and dialogue replaced by drone strikes.
Late Saturday night, the U.S. military confirmed airstrikes on what it called “select military and command infrastructure” in western and southern Iran. According to Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the operation was a “limited and proportionate” response to Iran’s alleged involvement in an attack on a U.S. naval vessel in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. But Tehran’s version of events differs dramatically, calling the U.S. move “an unprovoked act of aggression and open war.” Iranian authorities report at least 97 casualties, including 34 civilians, and have vowed “punishing retaliation.”
President Donald Trump addressed the nation Sunday morning, stating that the strikes were meant to “send a clear message” that Iran’s “destabilizing actions in the region will not go unanswered.” He stopped short of declaring war but warned that “all options remain on the table.” Trump’s rhetoric has effectively shattered any illusion of U.S. neutrality, and Washington has now decisively entered the conflict it had previously tried to keep at arm’s length.
The Geneva diplomatic channel is now effectively dead. European efforts, led by the E3—France, Germany, and the UK—to salvage nuclear diplomacy have collapsed under the weight of American bombs and Israeli defiance. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who had shown conditional willingness to resume negotiations, left Geneva hours before the U.S. strikes began. “We will not negotiate under fire,” he declared. “The West cannot speak of peace while lighting the fuse of war.”
The European response has been one of alarm and impotence. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the U.S. action “deeply regrettable,” while Germany’s Annalena Baerbock warned that “we are now one miscalculation away from a multi-front war.” France suspended its backchannel efforts, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stating, “Diplomacy requires air, and tonight, that oxygen was taken away.”
Across the Islamic world, fury has erupted. In an emergency late-night session in Istanbul, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a unanimous condemnation of the U.S. strikes, branding them a violation of Iranian sovereignty and international law. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that “Washington has crossed a red line,” and hinted at possible economic retaliation. Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Sarfraz Bugti called for a joint military deterrent posture, though concrete measures remain elusive.
Saudi Arabia, historically cautious, has issued an unusually harsh statement condemning both Israel’s ongoing air campaign and the American strikes, while calling for “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” Observers say Riyadh is increasingly concerned about domestic unrest and the fragility of oil markets. Gulf states such as Qatar and Kuwait have begun urgent consultations with China and Russia, further signaling a drift away from U.S. strategic leadership in the region.
In Tehran, nationalist fervor is boiling. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei declared the U.S. strikes as “a second-front war,” and vowed retaliation “at a time and place of our choosing.” Reports from Iranian state media suggest ballistic missile units have been placed on high alert, and that Revolutionary Guard naval assets are regrouping in the Persian Gulf. Iran has also begun mass mobilization of its Basij paramilitary forces, signaling a readiness for prolonged confrontation.
The prospect of regional spillover is no longer speculative. In Lebanon, Hezbollah has intensified rocket fire into northern Israel. Israeli Defense Forces have responded with airstrikes deep into the Bekaa Valley. Syria has seen renewed drone activity and shelling near the Deir ez-Zor region, raising fears of a second U.S.-Iran confrontation zone there. In Iraq, anti-American militias aligned with Iran have issued a 48-hour ultimatum for all U.S. personnel to evacuate military bases.
Markets reacted swiftly. Brent crude surged past $94 per barrel, its highest since 2022, amid fears of retaliatory attacks on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. crude spiked 13%, while gold jumped 4% as investors fled to safe havens. The S&P 500 opened down 3.1% in premarket trading, and analysts warn of further volatility. “We are now pricing in not just a regional war, but potential disruption to 20% of global oil flows,” said Rystad Energy analyst Nadia Martin.
The economic shockwaves are already being felt in Asia. India and China have issued separate statements urging restraint, while quietly boosting their strategic oil reserves. Japan has begun contingency planning for fuel rationing. Meanwhile, Russia has called an emergency session of the UN Security Council, though prospects for meaningful intervention are dim amid a U.S. veto.
The human toll is mounting fast. Iranian sources report the death toll from both Israeli and U.S. strikes has crossed 500, with over 2,000 injured. Cities like Shiraz, Kerman, and Ahvaz are experiencing electricity blackouts and supply chain breakdowns. In Israel, meanwhile, civil defense measures have expanded to include Tel Aviv and Haifa, as rocket sirens wail daily. The region teeters on the brink of total war, with civilians trapped in a spiral of destruction beyond their control.
Netanyahu remains defiant. “This is a historic opportunity to end Iran’s nuclear threat once and for all,” he said Sunday. But many Israelis, including members of the opposition, fear a Pyrrhic victory. In Tehran, Araghchi responded, “Every bomb unites us more than a thousand sermons.”
The Iran-Israel conflict—now with full U.S. military involvement—has laid bare the failings of the current international order. Multilateral diplomacy is paralyzed, global institutions are toothless, and great powers are reverting to Cold War-style posturing. The U.S. has sacrificed diplomatic credibility for kinetic dominance; Europe is sidelined; and rising powers like China and Russia are quietly building influence in the vacuum.
A new multipolar world is no longer just emerging—it is being forged in fire. In West Asia, the arc of history bends not toward justice, but toward fragmentation. As cities burn and diplomacy dies, the world watches—no longer just with bated breath, but with grim foreboding.
- By Dr. Shahid Siddiqui. He is a Senior Editor of WNN and an accredited international journalist, covers Middle East geopolitics, diplomacy, and global security.
— Follow on X: @shahidsiddiqui
