THE escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran will have direct consequences for the Pacific, warns Solomon Islands academic Dr. Transform Aqorau.
And he has urged island countries to stand firm as an Ocean of Peace.
Aqorau—Vice-Chancellor of the Solomon Islands National University—said the situation in the Middle East is deteriorating rapidly.
“Missiles are flying. Civilians are dying. Oil tankers have reportedly been hit. The Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical oil routes—is now closed,” Aqorau said.
“The Pacific will not be immune. If oil supplies from the Gulf are disrupted, global fuel prices will surge. For Pacific Island countries—heavily dependent on imported fuel—this means higher electricity costs, more expensive transport, rising food prices, and an increased cost of living. Our already fragile economies could face another severe external shock.”
Aqorau said the cost of war would be paid by ordinary people, and Pacific nations would not be shielded from the fallout.
“At a time when our region is struggling with climate change, rising sea levels, drug problems, mental health pressures, youth unemployment, diabetes, slow economic growth, and growing populations – we do not need more global instability,’’ he said.
“We need peace.”
Aqorau highlighted the Pacific’s long-standing position as an “Ocean of Peace.”
“Pacific leaders have declared our region an ‘Ocean of Peace’ – a commitment to unity, sovereignty, dialogue, and non-militarisation. This is not just symbolic. It is strategic. Our islands have suffered before from global power rivalries and war. We know the long shadows they cast.”
He said regional solidarity must guide the Pacific as global tensions rise.