With Israel’s “pre-emptive” attacks against Iran last Friday, tensions are escalating even further in the region. Iran has retaliated, and the entire world’s calls for de-escalation are falling on deaf ears.

This article from the BBC speculates on possible worst-case scenarios of this ongoing conflict. Here’s a quick summary:

  1. America gets dragged into the conflict, and President Trump is forced to act.
  2. Other Gulf nations are dragged in, escalating tensions in the region even further.
  3. Israel fails to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability, forcing it to hasten their race for nuclear capability.
  4. The world economy falls even further, as gas prices soar.
  5. Iran’s regime falls, leaving a power vacuum in the region.

And out of all of these worst-case scenarios, what does this mean for the Philippines?

News reports say that at least 4 Filipinos in Israel were injured after Iran’s retaliatory attacks. According to the same report, none of the 1,100 Filipinos in Iran have been reported as injured.

President Bongbong Marcos has already urged the Department of Migrant Workers to prepare an evacuation plan for Filipinos in the region. They are all on heightened alert, not just in Israel and Iran, but in other nearby countries like Jordan, Lebanon, and other countries in the Middle East. 

Life goes on for us Filipinos here at home, although some of us with family and friends in the region are definitely worried. But if America gets dragged into the conflict, does it mean that we get dragged into it as well? 

Hopefully, the powers that be in our country have more sense than getting involved in that conflict. We have too much to worry about here, back home. All we can do is to pray for peace.