Top 10 countries at war with the strongest militaries in 2025, as people discuss World War 3
This conflict, along with the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the Sudan and South Sudan wars, has resulted in immense humanitarian crises and international tensions unprecedented in decades.
Sudan's civil war, which began in 2023 with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is still ongoing. Khartoum, Sudan's capital, remains a war.
Civilians are trapped in the crossfire, starvation is looming, and ethnic violence in Darfur has risen to atrocity levels.
On the other side of the world, tensions between the United States and Iran reached a point of open warfare in June 2025. The immediate catalyst was a joint Israeli-American bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.
Similarly, the Gaza Strip, located in the continent of Asia, has all year long been a combat zone following a violent escalation between Israel and Hamas. The conflict has damaged residential neighborhoods and sparked concerns about regional spillover, particularly with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iranian participation.
On the Eastern side of Asia, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has entered its fourth year.
The conflict has transitioned from fast territory acquisition to attritional battle along entrenched front lines.
Ukraine, supported by Western nations with military and economic backing, has put up a strong fight.
However, Russia has taken advantage of its large military stockpiles, nuclear deterrent, and increased armaments manufacturing.
These conflicts, coupled with the fragile peace between the Ethiopian government and Tigray forces, Nigeria's war on terrorism, control of armed gangs in Haiti, insurgencies in the Sahel region, and tension between India and Pakistan, among other regional conflicts raises the question of which armies are well equipped to deal with further escaltions, especially considering that there has been talks of World War 3.
With that said, here are the 10 strongest countries currently involved in some form of conflict in 2025, as per GlobalFirepower.
Countries selected, save for the United States and Iran, were determined by the casualties listed on Datapanda for 2025.
Top 10 countries at war with the strongest militaries in 2025, as people discuss World War 3
Rank Country Military strength Global rank Number of recorded casualties from January 2025 to May
1. United States 0.0744 1st -
2. Russia 0.0788 2nd 187
3. China 0.0788 3rd 8
4. India 0.1184 4th 1,130
5. Pakistan 0.2513 12th 2,169
6. Israel 0.2661 15th 1,425
7. Iran 0.3048 16th -
8. Ukraine 0.3755 20th 29,347
9. Algeria 0.3589 26th 13
10. Nigeria 0.5771 31st 8,017
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