Could US-Israeli Strikes on Iran Trigger World War III? Experts Weigh In
Tensions in the Middle East have intensified following military strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran. The question now is whether this conflict could trigger a Third World War.
International relations expert Teuku Rezasyah believes the conflict has the potential to spark World War III. One key reason is the involvement of major actors—namely the US and Israel.
“In theory, World War III could materialise suddenly. First, the more actors involved, directly or indirectly, in this war,” Rezasyah told reporters on Wednesday, 3 March 2026.
“The main actors are clear: the United States and Israel, attacking Iran without respecting international law,” he added.
Rezasyah identified supporting actors as a group of Middle Eastern nations with security agreements with the US and Israel. Secondary actors are countries outside the region but with arrangements to support the US if it faces threats, which they could interpret as collective threats.
“These secondary actors include NATO members, AUKUS, ANZUS, and indeed ASEAN neighbours of Indonesia with US military bases,” he said.
“The potential will grow daily, especially with multiple oil fields burning in the Middle East and Iran strengthening its control of the Strait of Hormuz, which is a critical global energy route,” he added.
Rezasyah identified the greatest trigger for World War III as an accidental explosion at a covert installation. “World War III could materialise faster if an accidental explosion occurs at a covert facility, which could trigger a total retaliatory strike,” he stated.
The US and Israel launched large-scale operations on Saturday, 28 February, targeting command and control facilities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), ballistic missile and drone launch sites, military airfields, and Iran’s air defence systems.
The US-Israeli strikes killed several Iranian senior officials, including Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
A series of explosions also rocked several Arab Gulf nations hosting US military bases on Saturday, 28 February local time. Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait all reported explosions following the US-Israeli strike on Iran.