World at war

[phkrause]

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

This isn't World War III. But it may be the closest we've come in decades — drawing in more countries, more great powers and more overlapping conflicts than any crisis since the Cold War, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Ten days into President Trump's Iran campaign, the war has gone global. At least 20 countries are now militarily involved — shooting, shielding or quietly supplying — while a widening energy shock punishes nations far from the front lines. 🔎 Zoom in: Iran has struck at least 10 countries since the war began, hitting U.S. and Israeli bases, Persian Gulf capitals, oil infrastructure and civilian areas to impose maximum pain on Washington and its allies. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow chokepoint through which 20% of the world's oil flows — sending prices for oil, gas, plastics and fertilizers soaring. Israel is fighting on two fronts — pounding Iran while battling Hezbollah on the ground in Lebanon, where more than 500,000 people have been displaced in a week. The war has spread far beyond the Middle East, pulling European militaries into the conflict and forcing NATO to shoot down Iranian missiles over allied territory for the first time. France has dispatched its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean, joining British warships after an Iranian-made drone struck a U.K. air base on Cyprus, a member of the European Union. French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Charles de Gaulle — an aircraft carrier — in the Mediterranean Sea yesterday. Photo: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters Between the lines: As the shooting war rages, a shadow conflict is playing out among the great powers. Russia has been sharing satellite imagery of U.S. warships and aircraft with Iran, helping Tehran target American forces, The Washington Post first reported. Ukraine — which has spent four years defending against the same Iranian-made drones now battering the Gulf — has deployed specialists and low-cost interceptors to help protect the U.S. and its allies. 🇨🇳 China, which is set to welcome Trump for a state visit in a matter of weeks, is navigating the war from both sides. Facing billions of dollars in economic exposure, China has been calling for a ceasefire and pressuring Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Beijing relies on for roughly 40% of its oil imports. At the same time, U.S. intelligence shows China may be preparing to supply Iran with financial assistance, spare parts and missile components, according to CNN.

[Asia Joe]

I disagree that 20 countries are involved. 

 

Definition of involved adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

involved

1.  
   [not before noun] taking part in something; being part of something or connected with something
   • Some people tried to stop the fight but I didn't want to get involved.
   • It can be helpful to talk about your worries to someone who is not directly involved.
   • involved in something He became actively involved in politics.
   • How many vehicles were involved in the crash?
   • They were involved in a road accident.
   • involved with something Several people have been involved with the project from the beginning.
   • -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think it is accurate to say up to 20 countries have been involved in attacks.

But not involved in the war. 

There is an important distinction. If any other countries get involved, by some action on their part, this is a big story. 

So far it is only 3 countries actively involved in the war.  Although Hezbollah is based in Lebanon, and is actively involved.