As open hostilities broke out between Iran and the US-Israel axis on Saturday, a stark warning emerged from News18’s Rising Bharat Summit—Tehran holds multiple levers of retaliation, and events may no longer be in Washington or Tel Aviv’s control.
As direct fighting erupted between Iran and the US-Israel axis on Saturday, a note of caution sounded at News18’s Rising Bharat Summit, where a European military expert warned that escalation could spiral beyond Western control.
Addressing the summit, Swiss military historian Adrien Fontanellaz said the confrontation reflects a broader transformation in global power dynamics. He argued that the era when the international system appeared stable and US dominance uncontested has steadily given way to fragmentation and rivalry.
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“In the early 2000s, many believed the global order was settled and governed by international law,” Fontanellaz said. “Over the past decade, that sense of stability has progressively eroded.”
He framed the current crisis within the shift from a US-led unipolar order to a more competitive multipolar system, where emerging powers such as India are reshaping geopolitical balances. Such transitions, he suggested, often generate friction and unexpected flashpoints.
The renewed hostilities involving Iran and Israel, with active US participation, illustrate that instability. According to Fontanellaz, Washington may be underestimating the complexity and potential fallout of confronting Tehran.
Drawing historical parallels, he compared US President Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that both have at times relied on rapid, decisive military moves aimed at avoiding drawn-out wars. He pointed to Russia’s swift 2008 campaign in Georgia and the annexation of Crimea as examples of operations that appeared successful at first but