We are living through a more turbulent and violent time. War has dominated the headlines in 2026: first the kidnapping of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, then Donald Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran. The ramifications of this war are being felt all across the world. Meanwhile, Western military establishments are fretting about the danger that China poses to Western geopolitical dominance. This talk will analyse these dynamics through a Marxist lens, and argue for what response socialists should have to this more dangerous and deadly world situation.