2025 Conflict Peak Shows Israel Among Most Aggressive Nations

A study by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) reports that 2025 recorded 65 conflicts involving at least one state, the highest number since 1946, and eight interstate clashes – including border fights between India and Pakistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israeli operations against Syria. The year was the third deadliest since the Cold War, with around 245,000 deaths directly linked to fighting or political violence, of which roughly 76,500 were civilians.

Researcher Siri Aas Rustad said Israel is “clearly one of the most aggressive countries in the world at the moment,” citing its involvement in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, confrontations with Iran and Houthi rebels in Yemen. The report also highlighted Sudan’s siege and massacre in El‑Fasher, Darfur, estimated to have killed about 60,000 people, and noted the United States’ role in heightened tensions following the return of former President Donald Trump. The UN Security Council was described as “not functioning” in the increasingly polarized environment.