Does a US-Iran Conflict Pose a Bigger Threat Than COVID-19?

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – A major petrochemical complex in Iran has reportedly been destroyed following a US-Israel airstrike. This facility accounts for nearly half of Iran’s petrochemical production.

An Associate Professor from Western Sydney University, Zulfan Tadjoeddin, warns that this is not just a conflict between states, but a threat to global safety. During his talk at a VOI Talk titled "The US-Iran War: Economic Warfare & Global Development Crisis" on the VOI Official YouTube Channel, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Zulfan suggested that the world is facing its greatest risk since the end of World War II.

He further explained that if the fighting spreads, it could break the systems that keep global trade moving. This would make it harder for countries to grow, potentially setting back human development for many decades.

Zulfan affirmed the severity of the situation during a recent interview. “And the scale of the risk that we are seeing now in terms of global development, in terms of global energy security, global food security, is something that we have never seen before. The way worse than the global crisis because of COVID. And the way beyond what we have felt soon after the Russia-Ukraine war a few years ago,” he said.

One of the biggest concerns is the violation of international law, specifically the targeting of civilian infrastructure. Under the Geneva Conventions, rules are supposed to protect citizens even during war. However, the professor pointed out that without a "global government" to enforce these rules, powerful countries may continue to ignore them.

Southeast Asian nations, especially Indonesia, are watching the situation with deep concern. Because Indonesia is a net energy importer, a war would make everything from transportation to electricity much more expensive for families.

Zulfan offered a stark warning, “If the conflict, the war doesn't de-escalate, the risk that Indonesia will face will be far greater than the risk of COVID-19. Remember that this war will affect the global energy markets, the global food security. And don't forget, Indonesia is a net energy importer.”