Top 10 countries at war with the strongest militaries in 2025, as people discuss World War 3

According to Datapanda, 39 countries are at war, based on significant conflict-related deaths, from Ukraine with the highest to Tunisia with the lowest. A recent exchange between Iran and America. has broken out, raising that number to 41. This war has many speculating about a potential third World War.

Business Insider Africa presents the top 10 countries at war with the strongest militaries in 2025.
The countries listed have had some form of war casualty in 2025 so far.
This list is also courtesy of Global Firepower.

Given the recent conflict between the United States and Iran, it is reasonable to conclude that global tensions have not been this high in recent years.

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.

F-14s were a celebrated aircraft in the US Navy. Iran is the only air force that still operates them.AP Photo

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.