The ‘butterfly effect’ of the 2026 Middle East war

METEOROLOGIST Edward Lorenz coined the term “butterfly effect” as a metaphor suggesting that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could unleash a tornado in Texas. It illustrates how very small changes in a system can lead to dramatic outcomes somewhere in a distant corner of the world. The missile war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other is triggering ripple effects across the globe, unleashing unpredictable and unintended consequences that can outlast our lifetime. Aside from the threat of disrupting oil supply in the Strait of Hormuz, the regional conflict has weakened…