Is World War III on the rise? Due to the continuous bombardment of Palestinians by Israelis, other countries have stepped up to support Palestine. Caught in the crossfire, Yemen finds itself at the center of increasing tensions between the United States and United Kingdom.
Since Nov. 2024, Yemen Houthis have been blocking and targeting ships around the Red Sea, in solidarity with Palestine and in protest against the multiple war crimes that Israel has committed along the Gaza strip.
On Jan. 11, President Joe Biden, after warning Iranian backed groups they would suffer consequences, ordered strikes against the Houthi targets, in retaliation. However, the Houthis did not back down, firing missiles at U.S. owned ships along the coast of Yemen. Despite the attacks, Yemen has shown they will not relent until a permanent ceasefire is put into effect and the war in Palestine is put to a permanent end.
The United States, joined by the United Kingdom, has launched several missiles on Houthis in Yemen, as a counterattack. Strikes have been continuously fired back and forth between Yemen Houthis and the U.S. On Jan. 28, the U.S. and UK, supported by other countries including Australia, Denmark, Canada, and New Zealand, launched 36 strikes at 13 locations in Yemen.
This occurred less than 24 hours after the U.S. sent military strikes in Syria and Iraq, which were in response to the drone attack on a remote post in Jordan. Thirty-nine people were killed in this attack, including civilians.
As tensions continue to rise within the Middle East, the world is in threat of another World War. In preparation for a possible World War III, Britain has already been discussing the need to expand their military, leaving the question of, “What will happen next?”
Vance Whipple, a veteran who teaches social sciences and math at Riordan, gives insight on the current issues and possible threats of a World War. He poses a compelling question: “What is a world war? What even constitutes a world war?”
Whipple continues, “There’s tons of conflict going on all over the place, whether it’s the Middle East, whether it’s Asia, whether it is Arica, whether it is even here in the Americas. There isn’t one spot. There’s a lot of discontent.”
