A dangerous "slippery slope" of confrontation between the world's major countries must be avoided before humanity is plunged into another catastrophic military warfare, warned Odd Arne Westad, a history scholar at Yale University.
Speaking in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) which aired on Friday, Westad highlighted that the international trade landscape has been fractured by mounting geopolitical tensions. He drew a chilling parallel between the growing protectionism in present-day world and the economic nationalism that triggered World War I.
The professor warned that tariff wars or trade wars will only destabilize the hard-worn postwar international order and leave no one unscathed.
"One of the biggest problems in the pre-1914 world was the kind of economic warfare that many powers engaged in against each other, tariffs for instance. It's remarkably similar to what we see today. These approaches always never work. They destabilize the international situation for very, very little gain," he said.
However, Westad remains hopeful, saying that unlike in the pre-1914 era, today's international organizations like the United Nations have the chance to play a role in preventing history from repeating itself again. He appealed to humanity to learn from the past and come together to avoid the unthinkable, which is another military conflict on a global scale.
"What we didn't have before 1914 but do have today are international organizations. Global international organizations like the UN and its agencies, but also many other organizations. Participating in those fully, letting them get more of a position and room to play within the international community is something that can help reduce the overall tensions that led to war 100 years ago. So, these are the kinds of lessons that we have to draw from the past. The problem is to avoid getting into a situation when this becomes a slippery slope, where people, the same people, conclude that war might be the only way out. That's what we have to avoid," he said.
Trade wars, protectionism risk "slippery slope" to global conflict: scholar
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
