The popular image of a world war is sudden catastrophe, mass mobilization, and unmistakable collapse. That is not what we see today. However, the world is in a great power competition, a distributed struggle for influence, security, and control of critical resources. World War III is not looming. It is underway right now.
It is hard to determine an exact moment when this comprehensive conflict began, but it took shape sometime around the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of China as the major global competitor of the United States.
The kinetic conflict is visible in interconnected wars. The war involving Iran has drawn in the Gulf region and rippled into Europe through energy markets and security concerns. Pressure points involving Azerbaijan, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus add strain across Europe, which is already dealing with Russia’s war in Ukraine. In the Western Hemisphere, Venezuela is a focal point for oil and mineral reserves. Somaliland could serve as a counterweight to Chinese and Russian influence in Africa.
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These conflicts are linked by alliances shifting in real time. Latin America is tilting toward the U.S. Gulf States are deepening alignment with Washington on security and technology. India has moved closer to Israel and the United States.
The traditional map of global blocs no longer holds, and new alignments are emerging based on interests rather than ideology. Remember BRICS? That’s not a thing anymore.
War with Iran has pushed energy prices upward, not catastrophically so far, but enough to remind the global economy of its vulnerability. India’s shift away from Russian energy purchases further isolates Moscow and reshapes supply chains. Europe’s gradual movement away from Russian energy dependence, if sustained, will squeeze Russia’s strategic options.
At the center of this conflict is competition over resources. Venezuela represents reserves that can either flow toward China or remain accessible to the U.S. and its partners. Greenland holds rare-earth minerals vital for artificial intelligence and advanced military systems. The Panama Canal remains a critical artery of global trade, and reducing Chinese control over it is a strategic priority. Iran sits astride the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global energy supply moves, with direct implications for China’s and Europe’s energy security.
Opposing American interests, a loose alignment has formed among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. The strength and value of these ties vary, but the links are clear. Iran supplies drones to Russia for use in Ukraine and provides cheap oil to China. Russia shares intelligence with and sells military systems to Iran. China also supplies military equipment to Iran and provides it with an avenue to evade U.S. sanctions. North Korea provides troops to Russia and slave labor to China.
Israel’s importance for global security is growing. Its primary objective remains the security of its homeland. That includes confronting Iran and its proxy network and removing external threats by targeting those who possess dangerous weapons, the means to deploy them, and the will to use them.
But Israel also recognizes the long-term threat posed by Chinese control of resources and influence in the Middle East and Africa. Its partnership with the U.S. reflects a model of future alliances built on trusted partners, shared responsibilities, and combined military and intelligence capabilities.
Israel is to America today what Great Britain was in World War II. This is a military alliance transforming the planet for the better.
For the U.S., the objectives are structural. The goal is to shift the alignment of countries away from China and toward a U.S.-led system. Venezuela appears to be moving cautiously in that direction. Bolivia and Chile have new governments that may alter regional dynamics. And due to the American-Israeli partnership, Iran is now headed in the right direction.
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World wars are not defined by declarations or singular flashpoints. They are defined by scope, interconnectedness, and the clash of major powers across multiple regions. By that standard, the current moment already qualifies. The absence of universal mobilization does not mean the absence of global war. It means this war is being fought differently.
The most dangerous assumption may be that the world is still waiting for World War III to begin. In reality, the challenge is navigating a conflict that has already arrived, and making sure America wins it.
EJ Kimball is the director of policy and strategic operations at the U.S. Israel Education Association and a foreign policy and national security consultant.
