Home > Opinion > Editorials

Brace for all possible scenarios in the Mideast

Published: 02 Oct. 2024, 19:43

After Iran fired hundreds of missiles at Israel on Tuesday, the Middle East is fast heading to war. Iran said it had launched the missile attack in retaliation for the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the vice commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both of whom were killed by Israeli bombing. After Iran’s missile attack, Israel said it had not suffered casualties thanks to Iron Dome, its air defense system.

But earlier, Israeli forces had crossed the red line of the Middle East conflict by entering Lebanon to carry out “targeted ground raids” and uproot Iran-backed Hezbollah positions. Israel assured that the assaults would be “limited and localized,” but the tit-for-tat exchange of fire with Hamas-ally Hezbollah since Hamas’s attack on Israel could spread to a full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon for the first time since 2006.

Israel has been warring with three Hs — Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen — with the strikes turning more blatant ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack. It has moved beyond retaliation against that October attack to broaden its war fronts with both state and non-state actors backed or sponsored by Iran.

The war could spread across the Middle East if Iran chooses to directly challenge Israel. Tensions are building up by the minute. Washington has beefed up troops in the region to as many as 43,000 and enhanced firearms including A-10 attack aircrafts. The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group will be extended by another month to be on standby.

Korea must become more attentive and aggressive against the Middle East risks. Volatility directly affects Korea as it relies on the region for around 70 percent of its crude oil imports. Evacuating Korean citizens to protect their lives and safety should be a priority. The government also should be proactive in diplomatic peacemaking endeavors to minimize catastrophic damage from the lengthened and widened conflicts by playing its role as the nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council responsible for global peace and safety.

Oil prices can shoot up when the Middle East war expands. Korean exports on recovery thanks to record chip shipments could be shaken. Korea is the world’s fourth largest crude importer. It must ready diversification in the supply line while securing safe delivery routes for oil from the Middle East.

Watch on our borders will also be upped should North Korea exploit the volatility in international geopolitics to renew provocations. The government must operate an emergency control room across the fields of diplomacy, security and economy.