Looking at the past five years of conflict, in fact, the Third World War has already begun—only no one dares to name it outright.

The U.S.-Iran confrontation, the Russia-Ukraine slaughter—no matter how you define it, this is war, global war. There's no need to deceive ourselves.

No world war has ever come with prior notice.

World War I only became "worldwide" after that gunshot in Sarajevo.

World War II acquired its name only after Poland was conquered. The common thread? No trailers, no warnings.

There's no need to wait for some old man from the White House or the United Nations to stand at a podium and solemnly declare, “The Third World War has officially begun.”

It’s better to be realistic.

The phrase “Third World War” carries too heavy a weight—it would trigger stock market crashes and capital flight. So everyone is playing pretend.

Not even Trump dared call it that; he labeled the Iran conflict “limited strikes,” while Iranians referred to it as “retaliatory response.”

In reality, what’s been happening? Bombing nuclear facilities, attacking military bases, targeting oil tankers, blocking energy routes—aren’t these all clear signs of a world war?

Even Zelenskyy’s drones have flown all the way to the Caspian Sea to attack Iranian vessels and Russian oil fields.

The latest: Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia have signed a new defense pact. On the surface, it’s anti-terrorism—but in truth, they’re forming their own bloc outside the U.S.-Russia binary monopoly, securing seats at the table of the coming world war, refusing to be left off the menu.

The Third World War has already started—only no one has the courage to say so aloud.

War is no longer about “whether it will happen,” but about who will finally remove their masks.

Because no one wants to be defined as the one who triggered the Third World War.

The U.S. and Iran bombing each other back and forth is no longer news.

The real drama lies in how every nation is secretly calculating its own interests, using the guise of “allies” to slip their own agendas into someone else’s war.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872926167378953/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.