Last century saw two terrifying world wars and now a chilling simulation has shown just how World War 3 could potentially be sparked by a seismic battle between two countries in the next few years.
A number of military, security and political experts laid out a scenario whereby Iran and Israel fight it out using nuclear weapons. The simulation game, which consists of three moves, begins in 2027 with Israeli intelligence reports suggesting that Iran is attaching nuclear warheads to its long-range missiles.
The US is asked by Israel to intervene, which suggests using hypersonic missiles to ward off the attacks out of fear of being drawn into a war with Iran. Firing conventional missiles back and forth at first, the two Middle Eastern countries slowly begin antagonising one another.
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Iran's proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels, own devastating long-range rockets that they use to target specific Israeli targets. While Israel retaliates by fighting off the rebels along the Syria and Lebanon border at the same time as hitting Iran through the air force and killing more than 2,000 people.
More tit-for-take missile strikes ensue until eventually, Israel’s prime minister decides attacking Iran with nuclear weapons is Israel’s only option. The cabinet approves a non-lethal nuclear demonstration detonation over a remote location in Iran combined with conventional strikes against its main nuclear facilities and military sites.
Cyberattacks against Iran's military communications networks are also launched. But none of these tactics work at demoralising Iran's will and the war continues. A now desperate Israel resorts to launching 50 nuclear weapons at 25 Iranian military targets (including Russian-manned air defence sites). The state returns with nuclear strikes of its own against an Israeli air base with US troops.
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The simulation - carried out by Nonproliferation Policy Education Center across five sessions at the end of last year - finishes here. A nuclear war between these two countries could potentially bring in other countries, including those in the West, and result in a nuclear catastrophe.
Tension in the Middle East is already high with the ongoing Isreal-Hamas war that was sparked on October 7 last year. While Israel launched a strike on Iran after military chief Lt Gen Herzi Halevi confirmed Tehran's' missile and drone strike last weekend.
Israel has strongly been urged to stay calm over its retaliation or else risk sparking a huge Middle East conflict. The US and Britain said they do not support an Israeli escalation but reiterated that they will help to defend their ally against further direct attacks from Iran following Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with top officials to discuss the response.
Iran has warned any Israeli allies who help it to retaliate will become targets for its proxy forces in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, including countries that offer “refuelling” planes.