Flashpoints: where the next war could start
Places where armies face each other and a war could start: what the quarrel is about, what could set it off, and how close it has come.
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