Smoke, soldiers and civilians caught in conflict as wars and border clashes defined global headlines in 2025. (Photos: ANI)
December is here and yet another year end we are witnessing now. 2025 was a year of many crisis and conflicts around the globe, spanning everything from South Asia to the Middle East to Africa. It is essential to take a detailed tour of all the critical flash points that dominated 2025. This article explores more into major world events of 2025.
In May 2025, tensions between India and Pakistan increased considerably due to the terror attack that occurred on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 civilians.
India launched “Operation Sindoor” after carrying out missile attacks against the “Jaish-e-Mohammed” and “Lashkar-e-Taiba” infrastructures present in Pakistan.
Military exchanges went on for four days until a ceasefire was declared on May 10. It was the most critical crisis that had occurred between the two nuclear powers in recent decades and involved the use of sophisticated weapons systems.
In Israel, between June 13 and 24, 2025, Israel conducted a massive military campaign against Iran, focusing on nuclear facilities, military installations, and regime-affiliated infrastructure. This came after almost two years of conflict between Israeli forces and Iran-affiliated militias.
The United States entered the war, targeting the Iran nuclear facility. Though both sides incurred casualties, a truce was established as a result of United States diplomatic intervention, thus halting twelve days of violence between the nations in the Middle East.
Clashes flared on the Thailand/Cambodia border on July 24, 2025, in what will be the most violent outbreak in a decade, with conflicts in and around pre-Angkorian temples such as Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom.
By July 27, at least 38 people were dead and over 300,000 civilians displaced. Intervention from ASEAN and the UN Security Council resulted in an unconditional ceasefire that was called in Kuala Lumpur on July 28. Even prior to this peace agreement on borders, strikes continued. Thailand carries out more airstrikes in Cambodia as border tension escalates.
The most up-to-date flare-up between Afghanistan and Pakistan started on October 9, 2025, when Pakistan launched an airstrike in Kabul against Noor Wali Mehsud, the chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Afghanistan struck back, resulting in the deaths of at least 23 Pakistani soldiers, as well as nine Afghan forces being killed.
In January 2025, the M23 rebels, with the support of Rwanda, began the “Goma offensive” in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
By the 27th of January, the city of Goma, the capital of the province of North Kivu, had fallen. This was the most serious outbreak in the area that had taken place since the conflict.
Despite a signed peace deal by the warring factions in June, facilitated by US governments, violence has been witnessed, with M23 in control of vast areas. The region remains volatile, rich in minerals.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine marked its fourth year, where diplomacy dominated. A peace process led by the US involved measures such as hosting a leadership summit in Alaska, as well as adopting a “28-point peace plan,” which included concessions on Luhansk, Crimea, Donetsk, military constraints, and Ukraine’s entry into NATO.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused certain aspects of the package and demanded that Ukraine’s sovereignty be maintained and that the conflict be left unresolved.
The Israel and Gaza War began as a consequence of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and resulted in the loss of life and severe damage to the people of Gaza. More than 67,800 Palestinians were killed and over 170,000 were wounded. Women and children suffered the most.
Although there has been a partial ceasefire in October in line with a 20-point plan offered by former US President Donald Trump, the Israeli operations continued in some parts, thereby ignoring the human crisis.
COP30, in Belem, Brazil, ended on the 22nd of November, 2025, addressing issues concerning forest conservation, rights, and Amazon conservation.
The Belem Political Package committed countries to enhanced adaptation funding in accordance with a ‘just transition’ scheme; however, it did not specify any commitment towards fossil fuel abandoning.
The urgent required amount in India, represented by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, was $310-365 billion per annum by 2035, whereas the present global funding was merely $26 billion.
The year 2025 saw rising military conflicts, shaky truce agreements, and the continuation of the climate crisis.
The Operation Sindoor in India, the Israeli-Iran clashes, the conflict between the DRC and Rwanda, and the Russia-Ukraine crisis, as well as the Gaza crisis, are some of the events that highlighted the need for international collaboration to tackle political as well as humanitarian issues.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
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