IT IS a day too early to predict a definitive outcome of the current conflict between US-Israel and Iran. No matter the strikes both warring parties are inflicting upon each other, no clear gains are being recorded by either side. There are strikes and there is damage, but there is no sign of gain or loss or of victory or defeat. Such is a chaos that has already engulfed dozens of countries the Middle East -- with reason for some, and without it for others. In other words, it is like a badly played football match between two teams whose players are only hitting ball back and forth -- with no clear goal, with no discernible objective. Because the US-Israel strikes right on the first day claimed the life of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some of his close associates, there was a feeling of an early success. In the next 48 hours, Iran retaliated with precision missile and drone strikes on several countries with the military bases of the United States and other countries like the United Kingdom.

 

Thus, in no time, the war escalated -- but seemed to serve no clear objective. The world might not have seen such a scatter-brain war in quite some time. Of course, for record, the United States and Israel appear to have more friends on their side than does Iran. There is also an impression that Iran is buying enmity of many Muslim countries for no reason by hitting them with drones and missiles -- just because those places have American military bases. In other words, this conflict does not seem to taking place between clearly divided sides -- or religious or geopolitical or geographical lines. In still other words, the current conflict also does not seem to support Professor Samuel Hunttington’s famous and widely-accepted theory of clash of civilisations. To tag this conflict with a name, thus, appears confusing, to say the least. A rather simplistic explanation of this conflict is that the United States and Israel are fired by one objective -- to cut down the increasing prowess of Iran -- in nuclear or conventional weapons, and to dominate its oil reserves in whatever manner possible. For the US, the conflict is only a vindication of its superpower status, while for Israel and Iran, it is an existential crisis of sorts.

 

Iran is fighting for its survival against the American invasion strongly supported by Israel. Yet, with no boots on the ground until now, the nature of warfare is yet to become clear. The implications for the world can be critical and serious. The global economy could get thrown out of gear in the next some months, and a heavy recession may set in and dare conventional wisdom that has run the world in recent years. There is no doubt that Iran is fighting back -- having been pushed into a tight corner without its supreme leader of the past four-plus decades. It is trying to widen the scope of war by involving other countries -- mostly Muslim -- so that the US can be pressurised by them all into acceptance of ceasefire. Of course, President Mr. Donald Trump who is using war to garner a Nobel Peace Prize is less likely to listen to any word of caution and wisdom even from his own allies.

 

No matter that, the leaderships of either US-Israel and Iran cannot be called lunatically inclined. Both have their own goals to serve, but at least for the present their actions appear chaotic. For example, Iran’s threat to destroy regional infrastructure in Middle East does not seem to serve any purpose, so to say. Such actions may hit the enemy’s operational capabilities to a vast extent. And that may alter the tone and tenor of the war. But one thing stands out clearly through this confusing situation -- the idea of Islamic brotherhood -- Muslim Ummah -- stands shattered, thanks to the Iranian strikes on several Muslim countries. Over time, cracks had developed in that so-called impregnable fortress because of the West’s persuasive diplomacy and relentless pursuit of developmental goals as per changing geopolitical equations. But the current conflict has made things appear far more chaotic for global Islamic unity.