Conflicts in 2026

On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran targeting military and government sites and assassinating several Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The surprise attacks were launched during negotiations between Iran and the US regarding Iran's nuclear program. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against Israel, US bases, and US-allied Arab countries in the Middle East, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global trade.

A war began in late February 2026 between Pakistan and Afghanistan following Pakistani airstrikes on militant targets in eastern Afghanistan. Pakistan said the strikes targeted militant camps belonging to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS–K), in retaliation for recent attacks in Pakistan, while Taliban authorities and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported casualties, though with different figures.

Since 2 March 2026, there has been an ongoing war in Lebanon between Israel and the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah. It is a resumption of major fighting in the Hezbollah–Israel conflict that began in late 2023, and is part of the wider conflict in the Middle East. The war has killed more than 2,000 militants and civilians in Lebanon and displaced over 1 million, 20% of the country's population, creating a humanitarian crisis.

period of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States

Retaliatory strikes in the 2026 Iran war

skirmish between Cuban border patrol and US ship

retaliatory strikes in the 2026 Iran war

political and armed activity by Kurds in Iran