In his latest Trends Journal (Summer 2009 Edition), Gerald Celente warns that hostilities in the Middle East, namely an attack on Iran, can be likened to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand catalyzing World War I.

Gerald Celente from “The History of the Future: Trends 2012”

If Iran was attacked by its arch enemies, Israel and/or the United States, it would prove to be the spark igniting World War III.

It would only be a matter of time before hostilities broke out. From “Remember the Maine,” to the sinking of the Lusitania, to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, to the Gulf of Tonkin, to Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction and ties to Al Qaeda … who did what to whom first, who fired the first shot and why — would be debated for decades.

Here’s where we stand:

• The country of Iran has declared its sovereign right to manufacture nuclear energy to supply power for the people of Iran.
• Iran openly admits that it has the capability of enriching uranium – which gives them not only the ability to create fuel for nuclear reactors, but nuclear weapons as well. (source)
• US Intelligence estimates suggested as of May 2009 that Iran may be 1 year away from being able to produce a nuclear weapon. (source)
• The country of Iran refuses to allow UN inspectors into its nuclear facilities.
• The president of Iran openly discusses the State of Israel and the need for its complete destruction.
• Israel has strongly advocated for a premptive strike on Iran to dismantle their capabilities.
• Israel has repeatedly been threatened to be wiped off the map by Iranian officials
• The Obama administration has held firm on Iran, as did the Bush administration, and has continued pushing the USA’s diplomatic angle .
• North Korea has been playing with fire, launching missiles towards Japan, and the rumor is, will launch one towards Hawaii on July 4, 2009. (source)

Considerations:

• Would Israel, if they confirm that Iran has the bomb, act alone, as they did in 1981 to destroy Iranian nuclear capabilities? (Senator Lieberman doesn’t think so)
• If the USA takes responsibility for the issue, as suggested by Joe Lieberman, and it is confirmed that Iran has built a bomb, will the US take direct military action?
• Will President Obama allow the remaining two “Axis Of Evil” powers to both have nuclear weapons?
• Is there a history of politicians taking their countries to war during times of credit destruction, financial failures and economic collapses?
• Would an attack on Iran ignite the next global war, as Gerald Celente suggests? And what will be the extent of this war? Which countries will be on which side.

It’s obvious that the Iranian conflict is not as simple as applying UN sanctions. This would be an unrealistic view of the situation. When we speak of Iran, it must be noted that one man, and one man only makes the decisions in Iran – Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – and this individual is a spiritual leader in Iran. Will the perception of Allah’s will be to destroy Israel at any cost? Is it so unrealistic to believe that an entire country, like a suicide bomber, should not be sacrificed for God if it means killing Jews? 

We’ve got one of those decision-maker type guys here in the USA, as well. American Presidents have always acted to preserve the American way of life. We often compare President Obama to FDR, who did not hesitate to take this country to war when action was necessary. I would not bet against President Obama taking action if forced to – and just think he’d have nearly 100% support, because now it’s a democrat President making the call.

Gerald Celente makes another excellent forecast here. He does not make a forecast like this lightly. It is simply a matter of seeing the current events forming future trends. The last thing anyone wants is World War III. But, it’s better to prepare for the worst, then to be completely blindsided.