This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog. 

Prominent leaders all over the globe are starting to publicly acknowledge that World War III is coming.  In many cases, they are expressing hope that it can still be avoided, but that becomes less likely with each passing day.

Multiple parties are escalating the conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine has entered a dangerous new phase, and the election that just happened in Taiwan has made a Chinese invasion much more probable.  So what is going to happen if major powers start tangling with one another all over the planet?  We really are on the brink of the unthinkable, but most people in the general population have no idea how dire things have become.

On Monday, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps warned that we are now in a “pre-war world” and that Western powers could soon find themselves fighting Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea…

…now is the time for all allies and democratic nations across the world to… make sure their defence spending is growing too. Because as discussed, the era of the peace dividend is over. In five years time we could be looking at multiple theatres including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.

…we find ourselves at the dawn of this new era. [The] Berlin Wall a distant memory but we have come full circle, moving from a post-war to a pre-war world. An age of idealism has been replaced by a period of hard-headed realism.

I was stunned that he was willing to give the public such an honest assessment.

But of course, he is right.

Multiple wars are coming.

U.S. officials are issuing similar warnings.  Here is one example…

A source inside the Pentagon has warned Daily Express US that “we are on the brink of World War 3” amid surging conflict in the Middle East sparked largely by Iran.

The source inside the Pentagon that issued this rather ominous warning is a man named Nicholas Drummond, and he claims that the current war in the Middle East could literally result in “the end of Iran”…

Defence expert Nicholas Drummond echoed concerns that the conflict in the Middle East could potentially escalate but warned that if Tehran directly attacked Israel, the ensuing war would be “the end of Iran”.

So exactly what sort of weapons would be required to bring about “the end of Iran”?

You might want to reflect on that for a moment.

There is also a lot of talk about World War III in Russia.  In fact, one of Russia’s most prominent news anchors named Vladimir Solovyov recently told his audience that our planet is “moving towards World War III”…

“We are moving towards World War III. In my opinion, it’s already underway. By the way Trump thinks so too,” the Russian presenter added, as he tried to cut to a soundbite of the former president condemning U.S. strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

Yes, he was actually quite correct about Donald Trump.

Not too long ago, Trump publicly warned a crowd in Iowa that “we’re very close to World War III”…

“World War III, we’re very close. I don’t know if you feel it. I don’t know, madam attorney general, if you feel it, but we’re very close to World War III when you see these discussions taking place.”

Personally, I am entirely convinced that World War III has already started, but what Trump and others are talking about is the hot phase when missiles start flying all over the place and millions of people die.

And we are so close to that right now.  The following comes from a Daily Mail article entitled “The descent into World War 3: How Russia, Iran and China are simultaneously making moves that will drag us all into conflict”…

Leaked German intelligence documents suggest Berlin expects Russia to launch another wave of attacks to overwhelm Ukraine, and is scrambling to come up with contingency plans in the event Russian troops march westward from Belarus.

The Israel-Hamas conflict threatens to spread violence across the Middle East, with Iran’s so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’ – including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels – increasing their attacks on Israel and commercial shipping routes, prompting the UK and US to launch a series of devastating strikes by air and sea.

Further East, Taiwan’s election of a new democracy-loving president has angered Beijing even further, with a Chinese invasion of the island nation in the coming years looking ever more likely.

It is likely that the Middle East will be the first flashpoint to fully erupt.

The region has become so unstable over the past couple of months, and the entire world was stunned this week when Iran decided to launch missiles and drones into Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan…

Within 24 hours, Iran launched missile and drone strikes on targets in three countries — Iraq, Syria and Pakistan — and took the extraordinary step of announcing its responsibility for the attacks, triggering anger from its neighbors.

So why did Iran do this?

The Iranians claim that the strike in Iraq targeted “an Israeli spy hub”…

Baghdad recalled its ambassador to Iran after the Monday night attack on its northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region killed four civilians and injured at least six. Tehran said the strike targeted an Israeli spy hub near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the Kurdistan regional capital city. Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani rejected the Iranian claim, describing the attack as a “crime against the Kurdish people.”

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, called the attacks a “violation of international law” and said it would file a complaint with the U.N. Security Council. France’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Iran was “contributing to the escalation of regional tensions — and it must stop.”

As for the strikes in Syria and Pakistan, the Iranians claim that they were trying to hit Sunni groups that commit acts of terrorism…

Tehran also hit what it said were Islamic State targets in northern Syria in tandem with its strikes on Iraq. It then went on to target the headquarters of a Sunni armed group in Pakistan’s western Balochistan province near the Iranian border.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it “strongly condemns the unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran” which it said killed two children and injured three more. It added that “it is even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran.”

This could potentially draw Pakistan into the war in the Middle East.

And let us not forget that Pakistan has nuclear weapons.

It is very unusual for Iran to be this aggressive.

And Iran’s Defense Minister is promising that his nation will not hesitate to conduct similar missile strikes in the future…

The morning after Iranian attacks on neighboring Pakistan and Iraq, Iran’s defense minister vowed Wednesday that his country would “not set any limits” on using its missile capabilities against enemies whenever necessary.

“We are a missile power in the world,” the minister, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, told reporters at a Cabinet meeting, according to state media. “Wherever they want to threaten the Islamic Republic of Iran, we will react, and this reaction will definitely be proportionate, tough and decisive.”

Meanwhile, the IDF and Hezbollah continue to pummel one another along Israel’s northern border…

The Israeli armed forces carried out a massive wave of airstrikes and artillery fire against targets in the Saluki valley in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, following repeated attacks against Israeli targets by the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah.

According to Israel Defense Forces, the terror group “makes extensive use” of the valley for its activities, hiding its weapons and infrastructures in the valley’s forested areas.

According to Lebanese reports, the Israeli airstrike was among the largest of the war so far, hitting 15 different targets in at least 30 launched strikes.

And on Tuesday the U.S. military actually hit the Houthis in Yemen with a “pre-emptive attack” because the Houthis were apparently getting ready to launch more anti-ship ballistic missiles…

On Tuesday US forces carried out another round of strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen, but this time the operation is being dubbed a “pre-emptive” attack that came in response to militants preparing missile launches on the ground in real time.

“US forces struck and destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles,” a Central Command (CENTCOM) statement saud. “These missiles were prepared to launch from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and presented an imminent threat to both merchant and US Navy ships in the region.”

War is here.

In fact, 2024 is going to be a year of war, and wherever conflict happens the U.S. is almost certainly going to be involved.

So how will the American people respond as the world erupts in flames?

In recent weeks, we have seen crazed protesters do some very alarming things in Washington, New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

But the truth is that World War III is still only in the very early stages.  So what is going to happen once global events spiral completely out of control?

Unfortunately, I believe that it won’t be too long before we find out.

Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  In addition to the new book I have written seven other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream, and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and anyway that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.