Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)

The Middle Eastern crisis is an ongoing series of interrelated wars, conflicts, and heightened instability in the Middle East as a result of the Gaza war. It has primarily consisted of conflicts between Israel and Iran-backed militias that form the "Axis of Resistance", including Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen; Iran itself has also been involved. Allies of Israel, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, have also intervened militarily in various theaters. The crisis has involved nearly all Middle Eastern countries, significantly affecting the region as a whole.

Hamas led a surprise attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, to which Israel responded with a bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza. Shortly afterwards, other Iran-backed militias joined the conflict against Israel. 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 Houthi territory starting in January 2024. Several militias led by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq also attacked U.S. 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 U.S. began renewed attacks on Yemen in March 2025, until a U.S.–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 U.S. conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and Iran retaliated by attacking a U.S. base in Qatar. After reaching a ceasefire with Iran, Israel began an offensive into Gaza City and targeted Hamas officials in Qatar, before a ceasefire with Hamas halted the Gaza war in October. In February 2026, the U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran with the stated goal of regime change. The attack prompted Iran to retaliate by targeting Israel and U.S. military bases in Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, was assassinated during the strikes.