The Gulf is ticking.

Iran’s relentless drone and missile barrage has Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates staring down the barrel of an open war with Tehran, signaling that a rare regional alliance could join the US-Israeli forces and push a simmering conflict into a broader, world‑shaking confrontation over oil, power, survival.

“Persia” has pummeled military bases, airports, energy infrastructure across Gulf states, injuring soldiers and civilians, stretching air defenses thin, erasing whatever line existed between measured deterrence and unavoidable war.

Trump, it seems, is no longer just signaling; the US is actively preparing for a much broader war, moving thousands of troops and heavy equipment, daring Tehran to call its bluff.

But Tehran sneers at the notion of talks. Instead of negotiations, maximalist demands: constraints on US basing in the region and leverage over Hormuz.

That’s how big wars begin, step by step. Until they’re too big to stop.

In World War 1, one killing, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, set off a chain reaction. Countries made alliances and promises to defend each other. Pride. One moved, then another followed, then another.

Within weeks, a regional problem became a global war. Not because everyone wanted it. No one could stop once it started.

In World War 2, it was slower. Countries pushed limits, took small steps, tested how far they could go.

When Germany’s invasion of Poland happened, it crossed a line that forced others to respond.

In the Cuban Missile Crisis, the world teetered on nuclear war over misread signals and delayed communications. One blip. Bam. It could have triggered annihilation.

The 1991 Gulf War. Minor miscalculations in high-stakes environments can cascade into uncontrollable escalation.

Today, the Gulf mirrors those dynamics. Attacks lead to counterattacks. More countries get pulled in. The risk is that events will pile up until backing down becomes harder than pushing forward.

The world now has ultrafast missiles, drones, cyber and global finance, so escalation could be both instantaneous. Accumulative.

Russia and China are the missing pieces. They sit cautiously on the sidelines, supporting Iran with money for oil, diplomatic cover, but stopping short of combat.

That restraint is fragile. Beyond states, militias, Hezbollah, Houthis, cyber actors act independently. Small, autonomous, unpredictable — can ignite conflicts that major powers would feel compelled to answer. A single rogue strike can be interpreted as state action. Then, the national forces retaliate.

What begins as indirect support can turn into direct involvement. And when Moscow or Beijing enters, the war ceases to be regional. Alliances trigger, economies spiral, global supply chains. Suddenly, the Middle East is a flashpoint dragging every major power onto the battlefield.