War is still the father of all. Para Bellum.

Yiannis Damellos

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once stated, "War is the father of all, and king of all," highlighting the transformative force of conflict in shaping societies. This idea resonates strongly today, if one considers the American weaponized tariffs, the continuous calls for arms stockpiling, the geopolitical tensions in the China Sea and Iran, and particularly the two major war conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

When Dimon sings 

Just a a few hours ago JPMorgan Chase _ CEO Jamie Dimon boldly said that “if the US are not the preeminent military and the preeminent economy in 40 years, they will not be the reserve currency. That’s a fact. Just read history", he added.

Then he called the US to “get their act together, and do it very quickly. He also weighed in on the Trump administration’s Bitcoin efforts to amass large quantities of the cryptocurrency and the U.S. dollar’s current status as the world’s reserve currency. “We shouldn’t be stockpiling Bitcoin,” Dimon said. “We should be stockpiling guns, bullets, tanks, planes, drones, you know, rare earths.” 

Hesgeth follows

Then U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took the hurdle from Dimon at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's premier forum for defence leaders, militaries, and diplomats. He warned that the threat from China was real and potentially imminent as he pushed allies in the Indo-Pacific to spend more on their own defence needs.

"There’s no reason to sugarcoat it," Hegseth stated. "The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent." This marked one of his strongest statements regarding China since taking office in January. He reiterated that any attempt by China to take Taiwan would lead to "devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world," aligning with Trump's assertion that China will not invade Taiwan while he is in office.

In response, China characterized Hegseth's remarks as "steeped in provocations and instigation," accusing the U.S. of being the primary "troublemaker" for regional peace and stability.

And more children die...

The last statement can surely resonate in the Middle East. Just a few hours ago, the U.S. envoy rejected Hamas' last ceasefire proposal as 'unacceptable'. Hamas reaffirmed its position that negotiations should aim for a permanent ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a sustained flow of humanitarian aid.

But U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff was not thrilled. He not only rejected the response but also said the militant group should accept the proposal he had put forward.

The rejection, followed Hamas’ announcement that it had submitted its response to the ceasefire proposal, offering to release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners. The back-and-forth marks the latest development in efforts to reach a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023.

Since then, more than 54,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave, which has been run by Hamas since 2007.

And the killing goes on. The ministry reported Saturday that Gaza hospitals received 60 dead bodies and 284 injured patients in the last 24 hours.

Tehran lies again

Yet, Gaza is not the only thorn in peace efforts and the end of the war. Just a few hours ago, the U.N. nuclear watchdog of Iran accused Tehran in a wide-ranging, confidential report to member states of carrying out secret nuclear activities with material not declared to the Organization.

The findings in the "comprehensive" International Atomic Energy Agency report requested by the agency's 35-nation Board of Governors in November pave the way for a push by the United States, Britain, France and Germany for the board to declare Iran in violation of its non-proliferation obligations. A resolution would infuriate Iran and could further complicate nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

And as if this was not enough, a separate IAEA report sent to member states on Saturday said Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% of weapons grade, had grown by roughly half to 408.6 kg. That is enough, if enriched further, for nine nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick.

Israel said the world should act now to stop Iran from doing this.

U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA have long believed Iran had a secret, coordinated nuclear weapons programme that it halted in 2003. Iran denies ever having had one.

And the bear shows its claws

In Ukraine, Russia has seized more territory amid fears of a fresh ground offensive. Officials issued evacuation orders on Saturday for 11 more villages in the northern Sumy region after continued Russian gains led to fears that Moscow could be gearing up for a fresh ground offensive.

Russia advanced deeper into Ukrainian territory on Saturday, taking control of two more villages in Sumy and killing two people in a missile and drone barrage. More than 200 settlements in the region were already under evacuation orders.

The attacks came as Ukrainian diplomats continue to discuss participating in a fresh round of peace talks proposed by Moscow in Istanbul next week.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Russia now controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory.

This contemporary reality reflects Heraclitus's notion that war drives change and redefines power structures. As nations prepare for potential conflicts, the dynamics between allies and adversaries continue to evolve, illustrating that, just as in ancient times, war influences not only individual nations but the entire world order.