Two key conflicts around the world could be possible flashpoints for the escalation of global war, experts have explained.
The news comes as China has begun conducting what have been described as “punishment drills” in the media coinciding with Taiwan’s election of President Lai Ching-te. Along with ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and beyond, concerns have been simmering about any of these fights spilling over and pulling the world’s major powers.
“I don’t think that it’s going to be China or Taiwan,” said Matthew Powell, a conflict and defence specialist from the University of Portsmouth. “I think that [because of] the way the West, in general, responded to the invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese feel any action over Taiwan will yield a major reaction from the US and so won’t want to do anything too overt.
“I still think that the biggest flashpoint is going to be Israel [and] Gaza. I think that’s got the potential with all the interests in the region [like] Saudia Arabia, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt. You’ve got all these nations that are increasing their predominance of the Middle East.
