Who wins a war that punishes the whole world?

M Santhananaban

The news of the aerial bombardment of Iran is both numbing and overwhelming.

Energy, oil, gas and fertiliser supplies are being subjected to various pressures – including shortages, rising prices and other disruptions.

Countries with elected, re-elected or resurrected leaders seem to be enduring patiently the challenges posed by this US-Israel-initiated ‘excursion’.

It is increasingly clear that US President Donald Trump has started an open-ended war that is damaging to all parties concerned – and to the rest of the world.

Influential international powers have refused to be drawn in. Trump and his Tel Aviv partner in this excursion must be finding it costly, frustrating and counterproductive.

The Arab countries that host US bases are no longer holding back in declaring they are not at war with Iran.

This ‘Cowboy and Iranians show’ is now just an absurdly expensive parody. It is bereft of any benefit to any party and harms global peace, stability and prosperity.

There are far too many leaders who are plain bystanders and too few who can make a positive difference. Mediocrity of leadership seems to threaten almost all of humanity.

Trump may not realise that his actions make him, in the eyes of many, one of the world’s most dangerous and reckless actors on the global stage – a charge that grows harder to dismiss with every passing day.

Dato’ M Santhananaban is a former Malaysian ambassador with 45 years of public sector experience.