by Giana Bacordo and JJ Villorente

When one knows something close is about to come afire, staring at the sky is less of a pastime and more of a precaution — even more so when lives are constantly at stake. At present, the Middle East finds itself amidst such a precarious limbo, confronting attacks from left to right as the rest of the globe reels from its dangerous repercussions.

February 28 of this year marked the beginning of active conflict, and what began as a joint military operation on the Republic of Iran, as initiated by the United States (US) and Israel, soon became a cascade of escalating attacks, rising casualties, and missile fires across the Middle East. This dispute, however, is far from unilateral, and while regions are being bombed and obliterated, countries such as the Philippines, relying on resources from the Middle East, now confront a critical shortage of such supplies.

Unequivocally, war is not an isolated event; it is all-encompassing, devastating ripple effects spreading across the globe, the cost of which only increases exponentially when set against the unnerving normalization of violence and terror. It becomes a responsibility to be cognizant of such matters as the embers of conflict begin to burn the edges of our nation’s security — and even more so, our global stability.

Leading to the War

Before the missiles met the atmosphere of the Middle East, political tension began long ago — all the way back in the 20th century. By the late 1900s, Iran began pursuing a nuclear program, becoming more apparent when it went to war with Iraq and began developing nuclear weapons after a brief halt in their operations. Such clandestine stints pushed onwards throughout the early 2000s, resulting in the establishment of nuclear facilities and advancements in research and technological access — until dissident groups revealed the existence of such sites, raising international suspicion about Iran’s intent with the possession of such weapons.

Iran has consistently remained adamant about their intentions being peaceful, claiming that their operations were merely civilian, but the fact that they were initially kept secret was already questionable on its own. This caused other countries to regard Iran as a potential terrorist threat — especially the US, which began imposing sanctions on Iran and nations that actively supported its nuclear source enrichment. 

After a period of persistent development despite set penalties, it was in July 2015 when Iran and six other countries — the US, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany — struck a collective consensus formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or the Iran Nuclear Deal. It aimed to tame Iran’s growing nuclear program and restrict further pursuit of such activities, limiting the potential of future conflict. Initially, the agreement started out as planned, until US President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed sanctions that caused severe oil and banking repercussions. 

In October of 2023, conflict also started to rise between Iran and Israel when attacks against Palestine began. Palestine militant group Hamas was backed up by Iran, thus prompting Israel to target Iran-affiliated forces, in turn escalating tensions and causing a subsequent exchange of direct attacks to occur between both nations.

Needless to say, this long-standing dispute between Iran and the joint union of the US and Israel merely served as the foundation for what is now happening at present — beginning with an attack that occurred on February 28, 2026, when the US and Israel launched a large-scale, coordinated assault on Iran. This subsequent rollout of air strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and paved the way for damage, injuries, and casualties throughout the targeted regions. 

This offensive move was not without reason, however, and according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, the assault was a ‘pre-emptive strike’ that sought to get rid of threats against Israel. These perceived ‘threats’ are presumed to be the resumption of Iran’s nuclear program. Diplomatic negotiations between the nations have occurred, but when Trump expressed dissatisfaction at how the discourse turned out, the attacks began shortly after.

Uncannily, the present conflict almost appears to be a callback to the 12-day escalation between Iran and US-Israeli forces back in June 2025, characterized by ballistic strikes and bombardments left and right. Following the long history of such dispute between the two parties, it is near impossible to anticipate the next move — and the rest of the world can only watch as it stumbles from the war’s devastating ramifications. 

The Human Cost

Since February 28, 2026, 3,134 people have been killed. Upwards of 18,000 people have been injured. Disproportionately, those affected are of Middle Eastern descent, with Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq experiencing the most casualties from the multitude of attacks raining upon these nations. However, this damage is not nearly as spotlighted online due to a dangerous phenomenon of selective reporting. Countries in the Global South are prone to receiving minimal attention in times of conflict due to their perceived lack of relevance. This issue is only exacerbated by the frequent press freedom violations in the Middle East  — with a lack of coverage comes a lack of awareness. With a lack of awareness comes a lack of accountability. With a lack of accountability comes higher death tolls, greater danger, and increased humanitarian crises.

Many civilian sites have also been targeted. Such strikes have hit schools, hospitals, and residential neighborhoods. While the Geneva Convention prohibits “indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations,” it can be difficult to prove the intent of such an act, leaving the attack of noncombatants largely dependent on the capability of international law to function during active conflict. But within each of these attacks lay a thousand lives displaced, injured, or killed, with even legal protections failing to keep up with the human cost.

Each attack leaves destruction in its wake, affecting populations in unprecedented ways. Damage is not simply defined by the consequent casualties. Since the start of the US-Israel versus Iran conflict, many, especially in the Middle East, have been forced to flee across international borders. This mass displacement highlights a worrying pattern of intolerable violence, such that even everyday life is made dangerous enough to uproot entire communities. 

The human cost of this conflict must be viewed beyond numbers. A shallow perspective risks the neglect of an infinite amount of dimensions affected by war — destroyed homes? Interrupted education? Broken families? Loss is felt most deeply by those immersed in conflict, which, combined with a seeming global disregard for human life, leaves many to navigate its consequences with limited support and recognition. 

A Philippine Context

The shockwaves of this war have been felt across continents. Even indirect damage can highly impact a nation. One such case is the Philippines. In 2023, 30% of the Philippines’ energy mix consisted of oil. Many Asian countries depend on Middle Eastern oil supply, mostly through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s global supply of oil travels. After Tehran, Iran’s capital, blocked the passage, the local oil supply has gotten to be more and more scarce, resulting in a deficiency that is proving to be detrimental to the Philippine economy.

Largely, fuel prices have soared past ₱100 per liter. This not only affects the transportation sector. Due to the widespread use of public and private transit, especially in the fields of agriculture, aviation, and all other kinds of logistical considerations, many businesses are increasing their own prices. This mass inflation places a heavier financial burden on many consumers, many of whom already have limited capacity, as the cost of everyday goods continues to rise.

These prices have triggered a wave of strikes from across the country, especially from the transportation sector. A nationwide transport strike has been announced to be held on March 26–27 regarding the inflation in oil costs. Mody Floranda, the president of Piston, spoke regarding this planned strike, saying, “…and we will again march toward Mendiola to ask the administration, ‘what now?’ What is the government doing now regarding the continued increase in the price of petroleum?” The losses incurred by transport workers due to rising fuel costs have forced many to operate at a minimal income.

However, it is not only the transportation sector that has been affected by this conflict. A significant portion of the Philippines’ workforce, namely Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), has been threatened by the dangers brought by the war. Over 1.113 million OFWs in the Middle East are threatened by the constant strikes bombarding the region. However, the country has begun making its own efforts to protect these workers — so far, almost 1,400 OFWs have been repatriated by the Department of Migrant Workers, the Department of Health, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, with even more to come. 

Despite these efforts, many remain in conflict zones, unable to leave due to travel restrictions. A worrying percentage are unwilling to leave due to the limited number of opportunities back home. Often, OFWs, many of whom serve as the providers for their local families, have to make the choice between international danger and local prospects, forcing many to jeopardize their own safety. For many, it is barely even a choice. It is a sacrifice borne from necessity. The Philippine labor market has continually failed to produce its own secure, adequately compensated, and accessible jobs. As a result, upwards of a million Filipinos leave each year to seek employment in other countries, and within that million, some choose to risk their lives just to access opportunities that remain scarce in their home country.

Contextualizing such violence in a way that people can understand can be an insurmountable task. What does 3,000 people killed mean? What does 15,000 targets struck represent? What does 10,000 homes destroyed imply? Even putting these numbers into a relatively limited perspective can prove to be a great effort. Oftentimes, a large-scale, global context is the most digestible for many.

A multitude of realities lie behind each of these numbers, far beyond the comprehension of any single person. War-torn communities, displaced families, interrupted lives. Conflict is not an isolated event; its effects ripple across borders, affecting entire generations at a time. It remains important, in this way, to maintain one’s sensibility to the human condition, especially in such a time of global disconnect — acknowledging the cost of war in the lived experience of every individual.