From Newsweek · · 1m 50s
Gut Feeling Right: War Engulfing World Again
Global conflicts surge as world order fractures, war becomes cheaper and more accessible.
In brief
Global conflicts surge as world order fractures, war becomes cheaper and more accessible. Sixty-five major armed conflicts erupted worldwide in 2025, with war now cheaper and more accessible than ever before. Originally reported by Newsweek.
Global War Surge
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program recorded 65 major armed conflicts in 2025, eight involving direct fighting between states.
World Order Shift
The U.S. enjoyed its unipolar moment after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, but this lopsided arrangement is now falling apart.
Global Conflicts Rise
Two years later, there were eight active armed conflicts fought directly between states, the highest number since 1946.
Yemen's War Spreads
Saudi Arabia backs Yemeni government forces, while the UAE supports factions and Iran arms the Houthis in Yemen.
War Goes Global
Yemen's conflict has become intertwined with U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Iran, and the Houthis now strike Saudi infrastructure.
Ethiopia's Tigray War
Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front and government forces are at war again after a two-year conflict.
Myanmar's Five Conflicts
Myanmar is currently the battlefield of five separate conflicts, including military government fighting pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups.
War Cheaper and Easier
An airstrike that once required a fighter jet now can be pulled off by militiamen armed with basic explosives and a commercial drone.
AI and Drones
U.S. AI lab Anthropic revealed users in Houthi-controlled northern Yemen used its Claude system to write guidance software for guided rockets.
Cryptocurrency Funding
Iran-aligned groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, have leveraged cryptocurrency to fund activities despite sanctions.
Ethiopia's Political Crisis
Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front and government forces are at war again after a two-year conflict.
Global War Impact
The number of internationalized intrastate conflicts has increased 175 percent since 2.010, according to the 2026 Global Peace Index.
The essence
Sixty-five major armed conflicts erupted worldwide in 2025, with war now cheaper and more accessible than ever before.
