Wars and conflicts today

Every war being fought today, the rivalries behind them and the places that could be next. Who is fighting, who backs whom, and what changed this week.

Map · UCDP, 2025 Where wars are being fought About 245,000 people died in wars and other organized violence in 2025, the second-highest total since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. See the ranking

World map of deaths in wars and organized violence by country, 2025

Deaths in 2025

The deadliest conflicts

1Ukraine90,345
2Sudan75,174
3Palestine14,525
4DR Congo9,172
5Mexico7,904
6Ethiopia5,458

Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP)Full ranking →

This week

Updated October 31, 2026

Oct 30Yemen · Missiles hit the presidential palace in Aden. Yemen's government blames the Houthis.
Oct 30Iran · Qatari mediators return to Tehran after Iran rejected their draft deal. US officials tell Gulf states to prepare for strikes after November 3.
Oct 30Pakistan-Afghanistan · Pakistan says it destroyed Taliban border posts near Angoor Adda. The Taliban say Pakistan fired first.
Oct 29Korean Peninsula · North Korea fires about 10 short-range missiles, six days after South Korea proposed military talks.
Oct 29Gaza · The Gaza Health Ministry's count reaches 74,570 killed since October 2023, 1,574 of them since the ceasefire.
Oct 29Myanmar · The Arakan Army says it took army outposts north of Sittwe.

Wars

Wars between countries, and where each one stands this week.

All 5 wars →

Fighting Iran war The US and Israel struck Iran on February 28, 2026, killing its leader. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. Updated Oct 31

Fighting Russia-Ukraine war Russia holds about 19% of Ukraine. Three-way talks are planned for Abu Dhabi after November 4. Updated Oct 31

Ceasefire Gaza A ceasefire took effect in October 2025. Israel still holds at least 60% of Gaza, and Hamas has not disarmed. Updated Oct 31

Fighting Yemen The Houthis hold Sanaa. Yemen's government and Saudi Arabia launched an offensive to retake it in October. Updated Oct 31

Pakistan-Afghanistan

Civil wars

Who is fighting inside each country, and who is arming them.

All 4 civil wars →

Fighting Sudan The army and the RSF have fought since April 2023. About 13 million people have fled their homes. Updated Oct 31

Fighting Myanmar The army fights the resistance across most of the country. More than 100,000 people have died since the coup. Updated Oct 31

Fighting Eastern Congo M23 rebels hold Goma and Bukavu. UN experts say Rwanda backs them, and Rwanda denies it. Updated Oct 31

Fighting Tigray War returned to Tigray in September 2026. Federal troops took Mekelle, and the TPLF fights from the mountains. Updated Oct 31

Flashpoints

Places where a war could start next, and what would set it off.

All 3 flashpoints →

Tense Taiwan Strait China claims Taiwan and has never ruled out force. In December 2025 it rehearsed a blockade of the island. Updated Oct 31

Tense Korean Peninsula No peace treaty since 1953. North Korea has about 60 nuclear warheads and calls the South its main enemy. Updated Oct 31

Tense The Nile dam Ethiopia opened Africa's largest dam on the Blue Nile in 2025. Egypt wants a binding deal on its water. Updated Oct 31

Rivalries

The pairs of countries behind the wars above, and how they compare.

All 5 rivalries →

Truce

United States vs China The two largest economies compete over trade, chips, rare earths and Taiwan. $30.9tn GDPIMF, 2025 $19.6tn $37.2tn GDP in 2050Goldman Sachs forecast $41.9tn 347M PopulationUN, 2025 1.42B

Disputed territories

Who holds the world's contested land, who claims it, and where a quarrel could turn into a war.

All 25 territories →

Map of Kashmir showing the areas held by India, Pakistan and China, and the Line of Control

Line of Control PAKISTAN INDIA CHINA

TenseSouth Asia Kashmir India, Pakistan and China each hold part of Kashmir. India claims all of it, Pakistan wants the part India holds, and the two fought for four days in May 2025.

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