5 terrifying flashpoints that could ignite global war

World is edging toward catastrophic global conflict as diplomacy fails among major nuclear powers, with flashpoints in Ukraine, Iran and Taiwan threatening to ignite war.

Robert Maginnis is a retired US Army officer and the author of 12 books, including his most recent, "Preparing for World War III" (2024).

Former intelligence officials have even pointed to likely CIA or allied agency involvement. Whatever the true origin, Moscow now sees itself not merely at war with Ukraine, but with the broader Western alliance. Russia’s retaliation — whether cyber, kinetic or covert — could spiral well beyond the front lines. 

Second, efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions have collapsed further. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly rejected a U.S. proposal that would have permitted tightly restricted low-level uranium enrichment. Denouncing the offer as "100% against our interests," he reaffirmed Iran’s demand for full sovereign enrichment rights.