Human conflict is not a new phenomenon. From the Old Stone Age to the 21st century, clashes over resources, territory, and power have been a recurring feature of human civilisation. The year 2025 was no exception.
While prolonged conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Gaza crisis continued despite international peace efforts, the year also witnessed several fresh confrontations between nations, some of which escalated rapidly before being brought to an uneasy halt.
From face-offs between nuclear-armed neighbours to long-simmering insurgencies erupting into open warfare, these crises strained diplomatic mechanisms and reshaped regional power equations. Beyond the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, at least seven major conflicts stood out in 2025 for their scale, intensity, and far-reaching geopolitical consequences.
Here is a closer look at the major global conflicts that defined 2025.
- India-Pakistan crisis (May 7–10, 2025): Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated sharply in early May following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. In response, Indian forces launched missile strikes under Operation Sindoor on the night of May 6–7, targeting terror infrastructure linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke, both inside Pakistan.
“India successfully destroyed nine major terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), targeting Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen facilities. Over 100 terrorists were killed in action,” the Indian government said. The confrontation lasted four days before a ceasefire was reached on May 10.
2. Israel-Iran 12-day war (June 13–24, 2025): In mid-June, West Asia witnessed an unprecedented direct war between Israel and Iran. On June 13, Israel launched a wide-ranging offensive targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, military installations, and regime-linked infrastructure, citing concerns over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The strikes followed years of shadow warfare and two direct confrontations in 2024.
The conflict escalated when the United States entered the fighting, striking fortified Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, targets Israel was unable to destroy independently. Iran responded with missile barrages against Israel and US bases in Iraq and Qatar.
A ceasefire was announced on June 24 following sustained US pressure. According to Iranian authorities, Israeli strikes killed 1,060 people, including 436 civilians, as reported by the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group. Israel said 29 people were killed in Iranian attacks.
3. Thailand-Cambodia border conflict (July 24–28, 2025): A long-standing territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia erupted into its most violent phase in over a decade in late July. Fighting broke out along contested areas near ancient temple complexes, including Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom, following landmine explosions that injured Thai soldiers.
By July 27, clashes had spread across at least 12 locations, killing at least 38 people and displacing more than 300,000 civilians. ASEAN, chaired by Malaysia in 2025, called for restraint as the UN Security Council held an emergency session.
After mediation led by Malaysia, with diplomatic backing from the US and China, both sides agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire during talks in Kuala Lumpur on July 28. However, tensions resurfaced later in the year, underscoring the fragility of the truce.
4. Afghanistan-Pakistan escalation (from October 9, 2025): Relations between Pakistan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan deteriorated sharply in October after Pakistan carried out an airstrike in Kabul targeting Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The strike followed a TTP attack on Pakistani soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Afghanistan retaliated days later, leading to deadly cross-border engagements. Islamabad accused Kabul of allowing the TTP to operate from Afghan soil, a charge denied by Afghan authorities. Casualty figures varied widely, with both sides issuing conflicting claims.
On October 19, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey. Despite the agreement, sporadic incidents of cross-border firing continued, keeping tensions elevated through the end of the year.
5. DRC-Rwanda conflict and the Goma offensive (from January 23, 2025): Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo saw a dramatic escalation in January when M23 rebels, backed by Rwandan forces, launched the Goma offensive. The operation culminated in the capture of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, on January 27.
The fall of Goma marked the most serious escalation in the Kivu conflict since 2012, driven by ethnic tensions and competition over mineral-rich territories. Although a US-brokered peace agreement was signed in June and formally endorsed by the presidents of both countries in Washington on December 4, fighting continued.
M23 forces retained control over large areas, with clashes involving Congolese and allied Burundian troops persisting. Human rights groups reported hundreds of civilian deaths throughout the year.
6. Russia–Ukraine: The Russia–Ukraine war dragged into its fourth year in 2025, with renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at breaking the deadlock. US President Donald Trump sought to push negotiations forward, first proposing a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and later dispatching envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow.
A draft 28-point framework prepared by Witkoff, with input from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlined potential concessions by Ukraine, including limits on its military posture and a gradual easing of sanctions on Russia. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear that the proposals reflected Washington’s perspective rather than a mutually agreed settlement, stressing that Kyiv would not compromise on its core red lines.
7. Israel Gaza: The Israel–Gaza war, sparked by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, continued to exact a heavy toll through 2025. By late in the year, more than 67,800 Palestinians had been killed and over 170,000 injured, with women and children accounting for a large share of the casualties, according to Al Jazeera.
In early October, Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire based on a 20-point proposal put forward by US President Donald Trump, which included a halt in fighting, limited Israeli withdrawals and a prisoner exchange. However, despite the truce announcement, Israeli military operations persisted in parts of Gaza. The humanitarian situation remained dire, with relief efforts falling far short of the scale of devastation.
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