A distinguished historian has identified three pivotal indicators suggesting that a new global conflict may already be underway and has possibly been unfolding for some time.

Anthony Glees, an Emeritus Professor at the University of Buckingham, pointed to the U.S. and Israel’s decision to launch attacks on Iran as a ‘war of choice.’ According to him, this strategic move mirrors the precursors to the two previous world wars.

Glees argues that the turmoil in the Middle East wasn’t borne out of necessity or self-defense but stemmed from a calculated choice by leaders intent on consolidating and maintaining their power.

Furthermore, Glees contends that both former President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu share a philosophy that equates strength with righteousness, even if it involves flouting international norms.

The historian cautions that such perspectives have historically been associated with aggressive regimes that invade neighboring countries to fulfill their own agendas.

Finally, Glees observed that both Trump and Netanyahu are seemingly more committed to prolonging conflict rather than pursuing swift diplomatic solutions to end hostilities.

Trump recently called the campaign against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ‘complete’ and floated the idea of ending the US offensive, but has also said there would be no negotiations until Iran unconditionally surrenders.

While Glees focused on the actions of the US and Israel this month, his criteria for the unofficial start of a third world war would also appear to apply to Russia’s devastating war in Ukraine, which has killed approximately half a million people since 2022.

President Trump pictured while overseeing the US bombing campaign on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Trump has previously said that the offensive in Iran would continue until the country installs a leader he approves of and they announce their unconditional surrender

Using Glees’s premise that World War I in 1914 and World War II in 1939 started because of these three factors, one could argue that history may one day mark the start of World War III as February 24, 2022.

It was on this date that Russia began its invasion of Ukraine by choice, not out of a need to defend itself, with Vladimir Putin opting for an expansionist policy of re-establishing Russia’s Soviet-era influence.

Russia violated Ukraine’s sovereignty, international borders and treaties, while using unsubstantiated claims that they were acting to defeat a ‘neo-Nazi’ regime to justify the aggression.

Meanwhile, the conflict has dragged on for four years, with Putin continuing to attack despite engaging in negotiations mediated by the US and other nations to end the killing, taking on the grim appearance of a forever war in Europe.

However, Glees focused on the present conflict poised to plunge the world into chaos, claiming without evidence that Trump ‘is showing clear signs of dementia.’

‘He is forgetful: he does not seem to remember all the things he said about wanting peace – think the Nobel Peace Prize – hating wars of intervention, forever wars, losing US servicemen’s lives,’ Glees told The Mirror.

‘In short, if Trump comes to his senses, he will quickly announce that he’s had a victory and stop the fighting. He does have this power. But it is far more likely he’s been ensnared by Netanyahu, who has long believed in forever wars.’

The professor compared today’s situation to how World War II truly became global only after Japan chose to attack Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in 1941.

The red flags of a world war, according to Professor Anthony Glees, were also present in 2022 when Russian forces invaded Ukraine

Pictured: Anthony Glees, Emeritus Professor at the University of Buckingham

This was followed by Hitler’s decision to declare war on the US, not the other way around, showing how a leader’s voluntary actions can expand a regional war into a worldwide conflict.

In recent days, the situation in Iran has already escalated with the reports that nuclear-armed Russia has allegedly begun supplying Iran with military intelligence on the position of US forces.

Both Russia and China, Iran’s allies and economic partners, have publicly denounced the attacks by the US and Israel, warning that the move could lead to the fighting engulfing more countries throughout the region.

On Monday, Trump appeared to push back on Glees’s third factor of a forever war beginning in Iran, telling reporters US forces were ‘very far ahead of schedule’ and claiming Iran’s military has effectively been destroyed.

‘I think the war is very complete, pretty much,’ Trump told CBS News. ‘They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force… Wrapping up is all in my mind.’

However, Glees claimed that the actions of Trump and Netanyahu had already left nuclear-armed adversaries in Russia, China and North Korea ‘salivating’ at the thought of what their armies could achieve by initiating their own wars of choice.