Numerous credible academics, analysts and politicians have suggested that the conflict in Ukraine could potentially blow up into a World War 3 scenario with states around the world being dragged in.

If Israel really did target Iranian military facilities with the specific intent to inhibit Iranian supply of weapon systems to Russia, that would be a huge escalation, not just between Israel and Iran, nor just between Israel and Russia, but it would mark the first time that the Ukrainian conflict had spread outside of the immediate theatre – countries aligned with and supplying arms to either the West-backed Kiev Putsch regime or Russia directly attacking each other over the conflict in Ukraine.

Historical parallels can be drawn to the way that World War I expanded globally with states being dragged into the conflict through webs of alliances and relations.

And there is plenty of potential for the Ukrainian conflict to spread further as well – to neighboring Moldova or Belarus, to NATO member states, to the divided Korean peninsula, and beyond.

The conflict in Ukraine has just definitively spread out of theatre and gone global.

 Perhaps we really are in the early stages of World War 3.

Has the Ukrainian Conflict Spread to the Middle East?