UPDATE: When we originally published this article on Jan. 8, we said there was no evidence to connect a plane crash that killed 63 Canadians in Iran to the death of Qassem Soleimani. On Jan. 9, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the plane was likely shot down by an Iranian missile. He added that it "may have been" an accident and called for a thorough investigation.

When the news came out that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the death of one of Irans most powerful military commanders, #WW3 started trending on TikTok and Twitter.

Many of the early posts were sort of darkly funny, using the idea of a Third World War as the inspiration for a series of gloomy memes.

But as the situation started to escalate, some people got scared.

Turns out, that whole #WW3 thing? Not likely to happen any time soon, many experts say.

There will be no World War Three due to the current confrontation between Iran and U.S. - Political scientist Houchang Hassan-Yari

But lets back up. Why was #WW3 trending in the first place?

Iranian Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. airstrike on Jan. 3.

Why? The U.S. Defence Department said Soleimani had approved plans to attack Americans in the past and was preparing to do it again.

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke about the attack on Soleimani to the media on Jan. 3. He said it wasnt an act of war, but a way to prevent it. (Tom Brenner/Reuters)

Iran called it an act of terrorism and promised revenge.

On Tuesday, the Middle Eastern country retaliated by firing missiles at two Iraqi military bases where U.S. soldiers were staying.

No Canadians were hurt in the attack, even though Canada has about 500 troops stationed in Iraq as part of an effort to fight a militant group called ISIS.

That mission is now on hold until Canada can ensure the safety of its soldiers.

The U.S. and Iran have been enemies for a long time and their relationship had become worse in recent months.

Some are suggesting these recent attacks could cause even more damage to that relationship.

But dont panic.

There will be no World War Three due to the current confrontation between Iran and U.S., said Houchang Hassan-Yari, a professor emeritus in political science at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont.

The conflict is confined to a small part of the world, he told CBC Kids News.

Also, many of the more powerful nations on the planet arent directly involved, Hassan-Yari said. There is no desire among big powers to confront each other.

BBC defence and diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus echoed that idea when answering questions from the public online.

The fact that countries like Russia and China are not significant players in this drama will help ensure the conflict doesnt get too big, he said.

This will not prompt World War Three, said Marcus.

Some people are taking to the streets in the U.S. and Canada to voice their concerns about the increased tension between the U.S. and Iran. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/The Associated Press)

The CBCs Nahlah Ayed, who has reported on a number of clashes across the Middle East, also said the fact that both Iran and the U.S. are heading into elections soon means all-out war isnt likely.

Still worried? Here are some tips for dealing with sad or scary news.

On Wednesday, 63 Canadians were killed when a plane crashed shortly after leaving Tehran, which is the capital of Iran.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said evidence suggests the plane was shot down by an Iranian missile and it may have been an accident.

Iranian officials have denied any involvement.

The investigation continues.

With files from CBC News, The Associated Press

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#WW3 may be trending, but experts say its unlikely - CBC.ca