Last week, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, killing the regime’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has responded with retaliatory strikes targeting Israel and U.S. military bases across the Middle East.
Google Trends data shows searches for the term “world war” jumped 76% shortly after the conflict broke out.
So what exactly is a world war, and are we in one?
World war
A “world war” is a conflict that involves most or all of the world’s major powers, such as the U.S. and China.
These are countries that exert significant power globally, due to the size of their militaries, the influence of their economies, and their relationship with other countries (aka diplomacy).
The Oxford Dictionary credits the first known English-language use of “world war” to the 1840s. The term is now only used in reference to World War I (1914–18) and World War II (1939–1945).
There is no widely accepted definition for “world war”, but Dr. Nicole Townsend, a lecturer in war studies at UNSW, told TDA three key characteristics must be present:
- All or most major powers are directly involved – not just observing or condemning, but actively participating in hostilities.
- Combat spans the globe – in World War II, she notes, “pretty much every continent except Antarctica saw combat.”
- A broad spectrum of nations is drawn in – great powers and smaller nations, often through alliances or imperial ties (such as Australia and New Zealand fighting with Britain).
Are we in one?
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Currently, the U.S. and Israel are the only nations to have launched attacks on Iran.
Iran has retaliated with strikes targeting U.S. military bases and nearby countries in the Middle East.
Other major powers have taken largely defensive action. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorised the U.S. to use British air bases for “defensive” strikes, after which an Iranian drone struck a British Royal Air Force base in Cyprus.
The UK has since dispatched a Royal Navy destroyer to the region.
Dr. Townsend says these actions indicate we are not in a world war yet.
“France and the UK are taking more of a defensive approach at the moment, in terms of helping to defend allied and partner interests in the region,” she said.
Dr. Townsend also noted that great powers like China and middle powers like Australia are pushing for de-escalation.
Australia has confirmed it will not participate militarily. When asked if Australia would consider sending troops, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was “highly unlikely,” adding: “We wouldn’t anticipate participating in the future.”
Concerns
Dr. Townsend says the spike in ‘world war’ searches is understandable given the volume of war content being shared on social media.
However, she argues that a world war is not in anyone’s interest – including the great powers most capable of triggering one.
“There’s a reason we haven’t had a world war in 85 years,” Dr Townsend says.
“These things can escalate, but they do tend to be defused, particularly when nations have an interest in doing so.”
