This is a list of modern conflicts ensuing in the geographic and political region known as the Middle East. The "Middle East" is traditionally defined as the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia), Levant, and Egypt and neighboring areas of Arabia, Anatolia and Iran. It currently encompasses the area from Egypt, Turkey and Cyprus in the west to Iran and the Persian Gulf in the east, and from Turkey and Iran in the north, to Yemen and Oman in the south.

  • Conflicts are separate incidents with at least 100 casualties, and are listed by total deaths, including sub-conflicts.
  • The term "modern" refers to the First World War and later period, in other words, since 1914.

List of conflicts

DateConflictLocationCasualties
1902–1932Unification of Saudi Arabia[a]Riyadh Hejaz Kuwait Nejd Jordan Transjordan Iraq Mandatory Iraq Nejd and Hejaz8,000–9,000
1909–1910Zaraniq rebellionOttoman Empire830+
1914–1918Middle Eastern theatre of World War I[p]Ottoman Empire Persia Egypt Nejd and Hasa Jabal Shammar Kuwait Lahej Armenia AzerbaijanOttoman Empire deaths including civilians: 2,825,000–5,000,000 Allied killed, wounded, captured or missing: 1,000,000–1,500,000[citation needed] Persians died by famine or disease, excluding influenza: 2,000,000
1918–1922Simko Shikak revoltPersia1,000–5,500
19191919 Egyptian revolutionEgypt3,000
1919–1923Turkish War of Independence[b]Ottoman Empire Greece Armenia Soviet Union882,100–2,075,600+
1919–2003Iraqi–Kurdish conflict[c]Iraq Mandatory Iraq Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Kingdom of Kurdistan139,000–320,000 killed
1920Franco-Syrian WarArab Kingdom of Syria OETA5,000
1920Iraqi RevoltIraq Mandatory Iraq2,050–9,000
1921–1948[l]Sectarian conflict in Mandatory PalestineMandatory Palestine7,813
1923Adwan RebellionJordan Transjordan100
1925–1927Great Syrian Revolt (Druze War)Greater Lebanon State of Syria Jabal Druze Alawite State8,000–12,000
1925Sheikh Said rebellionTurkey15,000–250,500
1930Ararat rebellionTurkey Republic of Ararat4,500–47,000
1933Simele massacreKingdom of Iraq3,000
1934Saudi–Yemeni war (1934)Saudi Arabia Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen2,100
1935Goharshad Mosque rebellionIran151
1935–19361935–1936 Iraqi Shia revoltsIraq500
19351935 Yazidi revoltIraq200
19361936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine
1937Dersim rebellionTurkey40,000–70,000
1939–1945Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II Italian invasion of Egypt Bombing of Bahrain in World War II Italian bombing of Mandatory Palestine in World War II Anglo-Iraqi War Syria–Lebanon campaign Anglo-Soviet invasion of IranIraq Iran Iran French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Mandatory Palestine≈16,000[citation needed]
1946Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine
1946Egyptian Student RiotsEgypt Egypt100–300
1946Iran crisis of 1946[e]Iran Republic of Mahabad Azerbaijan People's Government2,000
1948–Arab–Israeli conflict[f]Egypt Egypt All-Palestine Government Egypt United Arab Republic Syrian Republic Ba'athist Syria Jordan Lebanon Israel Palestinian Authority73,000–84,000
1948Al-Waziri coupYemen Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen4,000–5,000
1948Al-Wathbah uprisingIraq300–400
19521952 Egyptian revolutionEgypt Egypt1,000
19531953 Iranian coup d'étatIran300–800
1954–1960Jebel Akhdar WarMuscat and Oman100–523
1955–1959Cyprus EmergencyCyprus400–600
1956Suez Crisis
1956–1960Yemeni–Adenese clan violenceAden1,000
19581958 Lebanon CrisisLebanon1,300–4,000
19581958 Iraqi RevolutionArab Federation100
19591959 Mosul uprisingIraq Iraqi Republic2,000–4,000
1962–1970North Yemen civil war[g]North Yemen Saudi Arabia Egypt100,000–200,000
1962–1975Dhofar WarOman10,000
19631963 Riots in IranIran100
1963Ramadan RevolutionIraq1,000
19631963 Syrian coup d'étatUnited Arab Republic Syria820
1963–1967Aden EmergencyFederation of South Arabia South Yemen2,096
1963November 1963 Iraqi coupIraq250
19641964 Hama riotSyria70–100
19661966 neo-Ba'athist coup d'état in SyriaSyria400
19661966 Arif Abd ar-Razzaq second coupIraq80–100
1967Six-Day WarIsrael Egypt Syria Jordan19,700
1970–1971Black SeptemberJordan2,000–25,000
1972Yemenite War of 1972South Yemen North Yemen100+
1973Yom Kippur WarIsrael Egypt Syria20,500
1974Turkish invasion of CyprusCyprus1,500–5,000
1974Shatt al-Arab clashesIran1,000
1975–1990Lebanese Civil War[h]Lebanon150,000
1976–1980Political violence in Turkey (1976–1980)Turkey5,000–5,388
1978–1982NDF RebellionNorth Yemen100+
1978–2025Kurdistan Workers' Party insurgencyTurkey Iraqi Kurdistan Iraq30,000–100,000
1979Second Yemenite WarSouth Yemen North Yemen1,000+
1979Iranian RevolutionIran3,164–60,000
1979–1980Consolidation of the Iranian Revolution[i]Iran10,171
1979–1983Saudi Eastern Province unrestSaudi Arabia182–219
1979Grand Mosque seizureSaudi Arabia307
1979–1982Islamist uprising in SyriaSyria40,000+
19801980 Turkish coup d'étatTurkey127–550
19801980 Sadr uprisingIraq1,000–30,000
1980–1988Iran–Iraq War[j]Iran Iraq Kuwait1,000,000–1,250,000
1986South Yemen Civil WarSouth Yemen5,000–12,000
19861986 Egyptian Conscription RiotEgypt107
19861986 Damascus bombingsSyria204
1987Iranian pilgrim riot (Mecca massacre)Saudi Arabia402
1987–1988ANO ExecutionsLebanon Syria170
1989–1996KDPI insurgency (1989–1996)Iran168–503
1990–1991Gulf WarIraq Kuwait Saudi Arabia40,000–57,000
19911991 Iraqi uprisingsIraq50,000–100,000
19941994 civil war in YemenYemen7,000–10,000
1995–Islamic Insurgency in Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia300
1998Bombing of Iraq (December 1998) (Iraqi no-fly zones)Iraq2,000
19991999 Shia uprising in IraqIraq100–200
2003–2011Iraq War[k]Iraq Ba'athist Iraq Iraq Iraq460,000–1,033,000 See also: Casualties of the Iraq War
2004Qamishli massacre (2004)Syria30–100
2004–2014Shia insurgency in YemenSaudi Arabia Yemen8,500–25,000
2004–Iran–PJAK conflictIran588–747
2006–Fatah–Hamas conflictPalestinian Authority Gaza Strip600+
20062006 Lebanon WarLebanon Israel≈1600
2006–Iran–Israel proxy conflictIran Israel≈2000
2007Nahr al-Bared fightingLebanon480
20082008 Lebanon conflictLebanon105
2009–2015South Yemen InsurgencyYemen2,100+
2010–2015Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdownYemen3,000+
20112011 Bahraini uprisingBahrain Saudi Arabia100+
2011–Insurgency in BahrainBahrain22+
2011–2014Egyptian Crisis (2011–2014)[m]Egypt7,000+
2011–Yemeni crisisYemen9,000+
2011–2024Syrian civil war[n]Syria503,064–613,407+
2011–2017Syrian civil war spillover in LebanonLebanon≈800
2011–Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflictSaudi Arabia Iran
2013–2017War in Iraq (2013–2017)[n]Iraq155,500–165,500+
2014–Yemeni civil war Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015)Yemen Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates377,000+
2016–2023Western Iran clashesIran Iraq Kurdistan Region74–156
15–16 July 20162016 Turkish coup attemptTurkey270–350
20172017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflictIraq+305
2017–Islamic State insurgency in Iraq (2017–present)Iraq4,000+
2023–Gaza warIsrael West Bank Gaza Strip85,000+
2023–Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon 2026 Lebanon warIsrael Lebanon2600+
2023–Red Sea crisisYemen Israel40+
20242024 Iran–Israel conflictIran Israel Jordan Syria Iraq Yemen Lebanon20+
2025Twelve-Day WarIran Israel1,100+
20262026 Kurdish–Iranian crisisIran Iraq Kurdistan RegionN/A
20262026 Iran warIran Israel United States32,000–36,000+

Casualties breakdown

[a].^Unification of Saudi Arabia (combined casualties 7,989–8,989+)

Battle of Riyadh (1902) – 37 killed.

Battle of Dilam (1903) – 410 killed.

First Saudi–Rashidi War (1903–1907) – 2,300+ killed.

Annexation of Al-Hasa and Qatif (1913) – unknown.

Battle of Jarrab (1915) – unknown.

Battle of Kanzaan (1915) – unknown.

First Nejd–Hejaz War, 1918–1919 – 8,392+ killed

Kuwait–Najd War (1921) – 200–800 killed.

1921 Ikhwan raid on Iraq – 700 killed.

Conquest of Ha'il – unknown.

Ikhwan raids on Transjordan 1922–1924 – 500-1,500 killed.

Second Nejd–Hejaz War (1924–1925) – 450 killed.

Ikhwan revolt (1927–1930) – 2,000 killed.

[p].^Middle Eastern theatre of World War I (combined casualty figure 2,825,000–5,000,000) of:

[b].^Turkish War of Independence (combined figure 882,100–2,075,600+):

Greco-Turkish War – 70,000[citation needed]–400,000 casualties

Franco-Turkish War – 40,000 casualties.[citation needed]

Turkish–Armenian War – 60,000–432,500 casualties.

Revolts during the Turkish War of Independence - more than 27,082+ casualties

Turkish-Georgian War (Red Army invasion of Georgia)- 20,000 casualties.

665,000-1,156,000 Greek, Armenian, Turkish etc. civilian massacred during the war.

[c].^Iraqi–Kurdish conflict (combined casualty figure 138,800–320,100) of:

Mahmud Barzanji revolts – unknown.

Ahmad Barzanji revolt (1931) – unknown.

1943 Iraqi Kurdish revolt (1943) – unknown.

First Iraqi–Kurdish War (1961–1970) – 75,000–105,000 killed.

Second Iraqi–Kurdish War (1974–1975) – 9,000 killed. 600,000 displaced

PUK insurgency (1976–1978) – 800 killed.

1983–1986 Kurdish rebellions in Iraq – 50,000–198,000 killed.

Battle of Sulaymaniyah (1991) – 700–2,000 killed.

Iraqi Kurdish Civil War (1994–1997) – 3,000–5,000 killed.

2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq – several hundred killed (≈300) on the Kurdish front, at least 24 Peshmerga soldiers killed.

[d].^Middle Eastern theatre of World War II (combined casualty figure 12,338–14,898+) of:

Anglo-Iraqi War – at least 560 killed.

Farhud 175–780 killed.

Syria–Lebanon campaign 10,404–12,964 killed.

Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran 100 – 1,062 killed.

Bombing of Palestine in World War II 137 deaths.

Bombing of Bahrain in World War II – unknown.

[e].^Iran crisis of 1946 (combined casualty figure 1,921+):

Azerbaijan People's Republic crisis – 421 killed.

Republic of Mahabad crisis – ≈1,000 killed.[citation needed]

Civil interregnum – 500 killed.

[f].^Arab–Israeli conflict (combined casualty figure 76,338–87,338+):

Arab–Israeli War (1948–1949) – 14,400 casualties.

Palestinian Fedayeen insurgency and Reprisal operations (1950s) – 3,456 casualties

Suez Crisis (1956) – 3,203 killed.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict (1965–present) – 24,000 killed Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon – 2,600–20,000 killed 1978 South Lebanon conflict 1982 Lebanon War First Intifada – 2,000 killed Second Intifada – 7,000 killed Gaza–Israel conflict – 3,500+ killed

Six-Day War (1967) – 13,976 killed.

War of Attrition (1967–1970) – 6,403 killed.

Yom Kippur War (1973) 10,000–21,000.

[g].^North Yemen civil war (combined 100,000–200,000 casualties):

1962 Coup d'état

Ramadan offensive

Haradh offensive

1965 Royalist offensive

Siege of Sanaa (1967)

[h].^Lebanese Civil War (combined 39,132–43,970+ mortal casualties):

1975 Beirut bus massacre – 27 killed.

Hundred Days' War – 160 killed.

Karantina massacre – 1,000–1,500 killed.

Damour massacre – 684 killed.

Battle of the Hotels – 700 killed.

Black Saturday (Lebanon) – 200–600 killed.

Tel al-Zaatar massacre – 1,778–3,278 killed.

1982 Lebanon War – 28,280 killed.

Sabra and Shatila massacre – 762–3,500 killed.

War of the Camps (1986–1987) – 3,781 killed.

Mountain War – 1,600 killed.

War of Liberation (1989–1990) – unknown.

October 13 massacre – 500–700 killed, 260 civilians massacred.

[i].^Consolidation of the Iranian Revolution (combined fatalities count 12,000):

1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran – 10,171+ killed and executed.

1979 Khuzestan insurgency – 112+ killed.

1979 Khorasan uprising – unknown.

1979 Azeri uprising – unknown.

1979 Baluchistan uprising – 50 killed.

Iran hostage crisis – 9 killed.

1979–1980 Tehran clashes – unknown.

[j].^Iran–Iraq War (combined death count 645,000–823,000+):

Iraqi invasion 1980

Mujahedin al-Halq uprising 1981–1982

Battle of Khorramshahr (1982) – 17,000 killed

Operation Fath ol-Mobin 1982 – 50,000 mortal casualties

Operation Ramadan 1982 – 80,000 killed

1983–1986 Kurdish rebellion in Iraq (including the Anfal campaign) 50,000–198,000 killed

Operation Before the Dawn 1983 – 6,000+ killed

Operation Dawn 3 – 162,000 killed

Operation Dawn 5 1984 – 50,000 killed

Operation Dawn 6 1984 – unknown

Operation Kheibar 1984 – 49,000 killed

Tanker War 1984

Operation Badr (1985) – 30,000–32,000

War of the Cities 1985–1987

First Battle of al-Faw 1986 – unknown

Operation Karbala-4 1986 – 15,000 killed

Siege of Basra – 85,000 killed

Operation Nasr 4 – unknown

Operation Karbala 10 – unknown

Operation Mersad 1987 – 4,900 killed

1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners 2,000 – 30,000 executed

[k].^Iraq War 2003–2011 (combined casualty figure of 192,361–226,056+):

2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq – 35,000 killed

Iraqi insurgency (2003–06) – 15,000 killed

Civil war in Iraq 2006–2008 – 30,000–40,000 killed

Iraqi insurgency (2008–2011) – 5,000–10,000 killed Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq – ≈1,000 killed

Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal) – 54,000+ killed

War in Iraq (2013–2017) – 53,361–72,056 killed

[l].^Sectarian conflict in Mandatory Palestine (combined casualties 7,813)

1921 Jaffa riots – 95 killed

1929 Palestine riots – 251 killed.

1933 Palestine riots – 20 killed.

Arab Revolt in Palestine – 5,000 killed.

Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine (1944–47) – 338 British and around 100 Palestinian Jews killed.

1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine – 2,009 killed by 1 April 1948.

[m].^Egyptian Crisis (combined casualties 5,000+)

2011 Egyptian revolution – 846 killed

Sinai insurgency – 2,800+ killed

[n].^Syrian civil war (combined casualties 503,064–613,407)

[o].^Iran–Israel proxy conflict (combined casualties ≈2,000)

See also

Notes

External links

  • from the (archived 12 March 2012)