Nigeria, June 25 -- Israel, Iran and the United States' (US) escalating hostilities have sent geopolitical tremors far beyond the Middle East.

With the fragile ceasefire holding for now, the world waits tensely to see if broader regional or global conflict will erupt.

For African policymakers, three critical vectors demand close scrutiny - security, diplomatic and economic. Each carries risks that may have outsized effects on the continent.

The first danger lies in the security sphere. The conflict risks drawing multiple global powers - Russia, China, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) - into yet another Middle Eastern quagmire.

Historically, when the great powers collide, Africa often becomes an unintended theatre of competiti...