As the West Asia conflict spirals with the US, Israel and Iran locked in a dangerous escalation, noted American economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs has warned that only three global leaders — India’s Narendra Modi, China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin — have the stature to prevent what he described as a looming “global catastrophe”.In an interview with NewOrder TV amid intensifying hostilities, Sachs said the crisis “has to be stopped by grown-ups”, identifying Modi, Xi and Putin as the only leaders capable of jointly restraining Washington.“This has to be stopped and it has to be stopped by grown-ups. And there are only three grown-ups in the world right now that are in a position to stop this and they should stop it together. And that is Prime Minister Modi, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin. They are the leaders of the other three superpowers of the world. They absolutely have a stake in the world not blowing up,” he said, urging coordinated intervention through platforms such as BRICS, which India currently chairs.He argued that India, given its geopolitical weight and civilisational depth, should not remain passive. “India has the stature, power and dignity to say no to American delusions,” he said, advocating a collective stance with China and Russia to push for de-escalation.Sachs suggested New Delhi should adopt a more assertive diplomatic line, leveraging its ties across the region, including its long-standing relations with Iran. He emphasised that a broader multilateral approach — anchored in BRICS — would provide both legitimacy and strategic cover in dealing with Washington.Calling the conflict a “war of whim”, he said it represents a reckless departure from international norms and risks triggering a humanitarian and economic disaster on a global scale.With energy markets already jittery and key shipping lanes under threat, Sachs warned that failure to act swiftly could plunge the world into a severe crisis. “This is not just one country’s mistake. It is the world’s disaster in the making,” he said.Sachs termed the unfolding crisis a “war of losers” and cautioned that any large-scale US assault on Iran under Donald Trump could trigger a collapse of global energy systems within weeks.“If you crush a significant part of the world’s energy supply, you will get a global economic contraction,” Sachs said, stressing that the fallout would extend far beyond fuel shortages to hit food production, fertilisers, petrochemicals and supply chains worldwide.He flagged the vulnerability of critical infrastructure across West Asia — from oil and gas fields to pipelines, refineries, and ports — warning these are “not heavily protected” and are already under attack. “The destruction could multiply enormously in a very short time,” he said.Sachs sharply criticised the notion that a brief conflict would limit damage, calling it a fundamental miscalculation. “In just a few weeks, the world’s energy supplies could catastrophically collapse,” he said, pointing to risks not only in the Strait of Hormuz but across the region’s production network.He argued that Washington’s long-standing pursuit of global dominance has fuelled repeated conflicts, describing current US policy as part of a broader pattern of “hegemony-driven wars”.