Global strategist Parag Khanna said the world is already in a third world war, citing linked military activity and trade in an interview published by The National on Oct. 29.
Khanna connected troop movements and weapons transfers with flows of oil, gas, commodities and gold. He said major powers were involved in conflicts directly or indirectly, and cited North Korean troops sent to Russia as one example. “I actually think we are in World War III,” he told The National. Khanna’s description of the conflicts as ‘World War III’ is his assessment.
NATO said on Oct. 28, 2024, that North Korean troops had been sent to Russia and military units deployed to the Kursk region. The UK government later said North Korean troops were taking part in combat operations against Ukraine.
Khanna contrasted the UAE’s current experience with earlier regional upheavals, including the Lebanese civil war and the Arab Spring, saying the country was directly targeted. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on March 3, 2026, that the country had faced more than 1,000 Iranian attacks, which its armed forces intercepted and neutralized. The ministry also said the UAE was not a party to the war and had not allowed its territory, waters or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran.
Khanna predicted a reduced U.S. military footprint in the Gulf, with a continued presence through cyber capabilities, missile defenses and drones. He also forecast a smaller role for the dollar as energy trade is repriced and central banks adjust their reserves.
He proposed a security forum bringing together Israel, Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Gulf Cooperation Council countries, with Abu Dhabi as host. The ASEAN Regional Forum says it was agreed in 1993 and first convened in 1994, with a role in dialogue on political and security issues, confidence-building and preventive diplomacy. Khanna’s proposal remains a suggestion; the interview did not describe an adopted plan.
