THE headlines on the daily destruction caused by the Iran war are extremely disturbing. However, the wider reality is grim and worrying. When seen together with several other recent trends as well as the circumstances leading up to the start of the Iran war, it is increasingly clear now that the world has now entered the most dangerous times ever, more dangerous than the two world wars, because of the availability and massive accumulation of weapons of mass destruction and the race to add them further.
To confirm that in early 2026, the world is in the most dangerous times ever, consider the following facts
· There are enough nuclear weapons in the world to destroy almost all life several times over. The treaties to reduce their dangers, inadequate though, have been breaking down or ending without renewal. Due to several factors, the risks of accidental or intentional start of nuclear war have increased. Relations between nuclear powers have worsened. Risks associated with more countries striving to acquire nuclear weapons have increased. The hidden risks of other weapons of mass destruction remain high. The race for space warfare has started. AI weapons are bringing in many new risks. Terrorists and terror groups are acquiring ever more dangerous weapons and getting open or disguised help from some governments, including very powerful ones.
· Policy-makers in some of the most powerful countries and in powerful positions are showing hardly any regard for the most important peace and disarmament objectives. Some of them appear to be almost unaware of the most important concerns of the world, or even to be in denial of these. By training and inclination, an increasing number of them appear to prefer high-risk pathways, showing extreme disregard for wider and most urgent concerns of humanity and all life forms.
· There is an increasing breakdown of international law and order. While this is widely seen in the context of many countries, more recently in the most brazen and arrogant forms, this has been seen in the context of the world’s biggest power, the United States and its very close regional power ally, Israel.
· There is increasing marginalisation of the United Nations and other international organisations that are supposed to have very important roles for peace, disarmament, humanitarian assistance and protection of the environment.
· Conflict zones in the world are increasing and wars or civil wars are dragging on for longer periods. The Ukraine war, with its very high costs and escalatory risks, has continued for a very long time. The Sudan civil war, with its extremely distressing costs, has continued for a long time with expansion risks, while South Sudan continues to simmer, too. The Rwanda-Congo belt, with its potential for very violent conflict, has continued to be a danger zone for a long time. The Sahel region has many simmering conflict situations. Somaliland can become the centre for igniting a wider conflict. There are signs of Middle East divides too, crossing over into Africa, as in Sudan and Somaliland. The entire Middle East is in a very high-risk situation. Arrogant exercise of power has led to new concerns emerging fast in Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Greenland, and even Canada. South Asia continues to be a region of great concern. China-US tensions remain the biggest concern for those worried about the real possibilities of a third world war. Europe, instead of being a force for peace, is briskly marching in the opposite direction with increasing militarisation of Germany in particular and non-rational pursuit of persistent hostility towards Russia. Huge zones like the Arctic region, which are best nurtured as zones of peace and environmental protection, are instead being increasingly militarised or set for ecologically destructive mining practices. In brazen and unapologetic ways, resource grabs are taking place with arbitrary exercise of power, creating possibilities of more conflicts to follow.
· All this is on top of the very disturbing reality that the basic life-nurturing conditions of the planet are seriously threatened by nearly a dozen serious and interrelated environmental problems. In fact, this threat is serious enough to call for a no-war future in which adequate international cooperation can be secured for resolving these problems before it is too late or before some of them reach certain tipping points beyond which they can spiral out of control. Instead, what is happening is the steadily worsening of war and conflict situations, making it impossible to secure the kind of cooperation needed for resolving these issues in time.
· The humanitarian crisis caused by conflict, ecological disruptions and breakdown of food and farming systems is increasing with millions of affected people being added, while at the same time, the conditions for making available help are deteriorating, putting at risk the lives of millions of people, particularly children.
· Independent scholars, media-persons, true spiritual teachers and whistle blowers are finding it increasingly difficult to play a sustained protective role in a threatened world, while think-tanks, big media and sectarian organisations have increasing power and resources to spread and justify a divisive and destructive agenda.
· Sustainable and safe food and farming systems, well integrated with the livelihoods of small farmers, including women, are being pushed back by big corporate interests trying to control world food and farming systems, often using technologies that are harmful for health and the environment.
· High profit-oriented technologies and strategies controlled by a few have been gaining more control in crucial sectors like health, communications and education, pushing back concerns of welfare and protection. In particular, the military industrial complex is assuming the form of a monstrous force that not only extracts huge profits from wars but also keeps pushing for forever wars.
A combination of these factors has led to our once bountiful and beautiful world entering its most dangerous phase in recent years, fast forward in 2025-26 and finally confirmed by the Iran war and the events and statements leading up to it.
Where do we go from here? Should we remain silent onlookers, or can each one of us–who are deeply concerned and understand what is happening—contribute in our own small and humble ways in reducing these high risks and threats, keeping alive hope and possibly creating a situation where millions of such small efforts, sincere an thoughtful, can prove to be a crucial turning point for the world where it finally starts moving towards a safe and protective future based on peace and harmony, justice and equality, protection of environment and biodiversity?
It is important that whatever solutions we seek are sought in peaceful ways, avoiding violence. It is equally important to remember that true and stable peace means peace based on justice and just solutions.
Our efforts must be transparent and open. In our efforts to create a safe and protective world, we have nothing to hide.
The reason why small efforts of the ordinary people are important is that millions of them with success/continuity for justice, peace and protection of the environment, can create pressure at the top levels, forcing the echelons of power to take positive steps. As such, sincere efforts at the family and community level reduce distress, people benefiting from this can feel motivated to contribute to wider efforts for peace, justice and protection of the environment, particularly when well-thought-out efforts to create local and global linkages are initiated.
These processes will be helped if more thoughtful and experienced persons can contribute to linking objectives of peace, justice and protection of the environment in mutually consistent and supportive ways in local, national and global contexts.
While all people can contribute in their own important ways, the efforts of some sections can contribute more. In particular, as it is above all the younger people who are being denied a safe and protective future, movements of youth, which take up the most important issues relating to a safe and protective future for the entire humanity, have a very important role in bringing the desired changes. Side by side, a movement of all mothers, cutting across all narrow boundaries, demanding a safe and protective future for their children, can have a very important supportive role with great emotional appeal.
Efforts of spiritual leaders, which call for the unity and peace of people of all religions to achieve the most important aims of peace, safety and protection, can be very helpful.
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Bharat Dogra writes extensively on environment, development and welfare issues. The views expressed here are the writer’s own, and Clarion India does not necessarily subscribe to them. He can be reached at:bharatdogra1956@gmail.com
