Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)

The Middle East is currently experiencing an ongoing series of interrelated wars, conflicts, and heightened instability, triggered by the ongoing Gaza war and the genocide in Gaza. These have primarily consisted of conflicts between Israel and the United States on one side, and Iran and militias that form the "Axis of Resistance", which includes such groups as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, on the other. Allies of Israel, including the United Kingdom and France, have also intervened militarily in various theaters. The crisis has involved all Middle Eastern countries, significantly affecting the region as a whole.

Hamas led an attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, to which Israel responded with a bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza. Shortly afterwards, other militias in the Axis of Resistance joined the conflict on the side of Gaza. Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel, beginning a series of clashes. The Houthis began attacking shipping vessels in the Red Sea, drawing international rebuke, including a series of American and British airstrikes on the Houthis starting in January 2024. Several militias led by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq also attacked US military bases in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.

In 2024, Israel continued its invasion of Gaza, including the Rafah offensive and killings of Hamas leaders. It escalated its conflict with Hezbollah in September with electronic device attacks and the assassination of the group's top figures, then invaded southern Lebanon before reaching a ceasefire in November. Iran and Israel exchanged direct attacks on each other's territory twice, in April and October. Syrian opposition groups began an offensive that reignited the Syrian civil war in late November and culminated with the overthrow of the Iran-backed Assad regime on 8 December.

After the Assad regime fell, Israel invaded the area around its border with Syria and carried out strikes across the country. The US began renewed attacks on Yemen in March 2025, until a US–Houthi ceasefire in May, after which Israel and the Houthis continued attacks on each other. In June 2025, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran that began the Twelve-Day War between them. During the war, the US conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and Iran retaliated by attacking a US base in Qatar. Israel launched an offensive into Gaza City after a ceasefire with Iran, targeting Hamas officials in Qatar during US diplomatic talks aimed at reaching an agreement. The Gaza peace plan was introduced by the US a month later, in October.

In 2026, the US began a rapid military buildup in the region, which culminated in a joint American–Israeli war on Iran and its non-state regional allies starting on 28 February, including the assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran attacked Israel, US bases, and several Arab countries, and closed the Strait of Hormuz. In Lebanon, the Hezbollah–Israel conflict escalated to another war, while Iran-backed militias in Iraq engaged in conflict with the US and Israel, and the Houthis launched attacks on Israel and militarily blockaded Saudi Arabia, sparking the Strait of Bab al-Mandab crisis. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain have all launched retaliatory strikes on Iran.