# List of modern conflicts in the Middle East

This page is subject to the extended confirmed restriction related to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
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

| Date | Conflict | Location | Casualties |
| 1902–1932 | Unification of Saudi Arabia | Riyadh Hejaz Kuwait Nejd Transjordan Mandatory Iraq Nejd and Hejaz | 8,000–9,000 |
| 1909–1910 | Zaraniq rebellion | Ottoman Empire | 830+ |
| 1914–1918 | Middle Eastern theatre of World War I | Ottoman Empire Persia Egypt Nejd and Hasa Jabal Shammar Kuwait Lahej Armenia Azerbaijan | Ottoman Empire deaths including civilians: 2,825,000–5,000,000 Allied killed, wounded, captured or missing: 1,000,000–1,500,000 Persians died by famine or disease, excluding influenza: 2,000,000 |
| 1918–1922 | Simko Shikak revolt | Persia | 1,000–5,500 |
| 1919 | Egyptian Revolution of 1919 | Egypt | 3,000 |
| 1919–1923 | Turkish War of Independence | Ottoman Empire Greece Armenia Soviet Union | 882,100–2,075,600+ |
| 1919–2003 | Iraqi–Kurdish conflict | Mandatory Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Kingdom of Kurdistan | 139,000–320,000 killed |
| 1920 | Franco-Syrian War | Arab Kingdom of Syria OETA | 5,000 |
| 1920 | Iraqi revolt against the British | Mandatory Iraq | 2,050–9,000 |
| 1921–1948 | Sectarian conflict in Mandatory Palestine | Mandatory Palestine | 7,813 |
| 1923 | Adwan Rebellion | Transjordan | 100 |
| 1925–1927 | Great Syrian Revolt (Druze War) | Greater Lebanon State of Syria Jabal Druze Alawite State | 8,000–12,000 |
| 1925 | Sheikh Said rebellion | Turkey | 15,000–250,500 |
| 1930 | Ararat rebellion | Turkey Republic of Ararat | 4,500–47,000 |
| 1933 | Simele massacre | Kingdom of Iraq | 3,000 |
| 1934 | Saudi-Yemeni War | Saudi Arabia Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen | 2,100 |
| 1935 | Imam Reza shrine rebellion | Iran | 151 |
| 1935–1936 | 1935–1936 Iraqi Shia revolts | Iraq | 500 |
| 1935 | 1935 Yazidi revolt | Iraq | 200 |
| 1936 | 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine | | |
| 1937 | Dersim rebellion | Turkey | 40,000–70,000 |
| 1939–1945 | Mediterranean 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 Iran | Iraq Iran French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Mandatory Palestine | ≈16,000 |
| 1946 | Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine | | |
| 1946 | Egyptian Student Riots | Egypt | 100–300 |
| 1946 | Iran crisis of 1946 | Iran Republic of Mahabad Azerbaijan People's Government | 2,000 |
| 1948– | Arab–Israeli conflict | Egypt All-Palestine Government Egypt United Arab Republic Syrian Republic Ba'athist Syria Jordan Lebanon Israel Palestinian Authority | 73,000–84,000 |
| 1948 | Alwaziri coup | Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen | 4,000–5,000 |
| 1948 | Al-Wathbah uprising | Iraq | 300–400 |
| 1952 | Egyptian revolution of 1952 | Egypt | 1,000 |
| 1953 | 1953 Iranian coup d'état | Iran | 300–800 |
| 1954–1960 | Jebel Akhdar War | Muscat and Oman | 100–523 |
| 1955–1959 | Cyprus Emergency | Cyprus | 400–600 |
| 1956 | Suez Crisis | | |
| 1956–1960 | Yemeni–Adenese clan violence | Aden | 1,000 |
| 1958 | 1958 Lebanon Crisis | Lebanon | 1,300–4,000 |
| 1958 | 1958 Iraqi Revolution | Arab Federation | 100 |
| 1959 | 1959 Mosul uprising | Iraqi Republic | 2,000–4,000 |
| 1962–1970 | North Yemen Civil War | North Yemen Saudi Arabia Egypt | 100,000–200,000 |
| 1962–1975 | Dhofar Rebellion | Oman | 10,000 |
| 1963 | 1963 Riots in Iran | Iran | 100 |
| 1963 | February 1963 Ba'athist Iraqi coup | Iraq | 1,000 |
| 1963 | 8th of March Syrian Revolution | United Arab Republic Syria | 820 |
| 1963–1967 | Aden Emergency | Federation of South Arabia South Yemen | 2,096 |
| 1963 | November 1963 Iraqi coup | Iraq | 250 |
| 1964 | 1964 Hama riot | Syria | 70–100 |
| 1966 | 1966 neo-Ba'athist coup d'état in Syria | Syria | 400 |
| 1966 | 1966 Arif Abd ar-Razzaq second coup | Iraq | 80–100 |
| 1970–1971 | Black September | Jordan | 2,000–25,000 |
| 1972 | Yemenite War of 1972 | South Yemen North Yemen | 100+ |
| 1974 | Turkish invasion of Cyprus | Cyprus | 1,500–5,000 |
| 1974 | Shatt al-Arab clashes | Iran | 1,000 |
| 1975–1990 | Lebanese Civil War | Lebanon | 150,000 |
| 1976–1980 | Political violence in Turkey (1976–1980) | Turkey | 5,000–5,388 |
| 1978–1982 | NDF Rebellion | North Yemen | 100+ |
| 1978– | Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present) | Turkey Iraqi Kurdistan Iraq | 30,000–100,000 |
| 1979 | Yemenite War of 1979 | South Yemen North Yemen | 1,000+ |
| 1979 | Iranian Revolution | Iran | 3,164–60,000 |
| 1979–1980 | Consolidation of the Iranian Revolution | Iran | 10,171 |
| 1979–1983 | Saudi Eastern Province unrest | Saudi Arabia | 182–219 |
| 1979 | Grand Mosque seizure | Saudi Arabia | 307 |
| 1979–1982 | Islamist uprising in Syria | Syria | 40,000+ |
| 1980 | 1980 Turkish coup d'état | Turkey | 127–550 |
| 1980 | 1980 Sadr uprising | Iraq | 1,000–30,000 |
| 1980–1988 | Iran–Iraq War | Iran Iraq Kuwait | 1,000,000–1,250,000 |
| 1986 | South Yemen Civil War | South Yemen | 5,000–12,000 |
| 1986 | 1986 Egyptian Conscription Riot | Egypt | 107 |
| 1986 | 1986 Damascus bombings | Syria | 204 |
| 1987 | Iranian pilgrim riot (Mecca massacre) | Saudi Arabia | 402 |
| 1987–1988 | ANO Executions | Lebanon Syria | 170 |
| 1989–1996 | KDPI insurgency (1989–1996) | Iran | 168–503 |
| 1990–1991 | Gulf War | Iraq Kuwait Saudi Arabia | 40,000–57,000 |
| 1991 | 1991 Iraqi uprisings | Iraq | 50,000–100,000 |
| 1994 | 1994 civil war in Yemen | Yemen | 7,000–10,000 |
| 1995– | Islamic Insurgency in Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | 300 |
| 1998 | Operation Desert Fox (Iraqi no-fly zones) | Iraq | 2,000 |
| 1999 | 1999 Shia uprising in Iraq | Iraq | 100–200 |
| 2003–2011 | Iraq War | Ba'athist Iraq Iraq | 109,032–650,726 See also: Casualties of the Iraq War |
| 2004 | Qamishli massacre (2004) | Syria | 30–100 |
| 2004–2014 | Shia insurgency in Yemen | Saudi Arabia Yemen | 8,500–25,000 |
| 2004– | Iran–PJAK conflict | Iran | 588–747 |
| 2006– | Fatah–Hamas conflict | Palestinian Authority Gaza Strip | 600+ |
| 2006 | 2006 Lebanon War | Lebanon Israel | ≈1600 |
| 2006– | Iran–Israel proxy conflict | Iran Israel | ≈2000 |
| 2007 | Nahr al-Bared fighting | Lebanon | 480 |
| 2008 | 2008 Lebanon conflict | Lebanon | 105 |
| 2009–2015 | South Yemen Insurgency | Yemen | 2,100+ |
| 2010–2015 | Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown | Yemen | 3,000+ |
| 2011 | 2011 Bahraini uprising | Bahrain Saudi Arabia | 100+ |
| 2011– | Shia insurgency in Bahrain | Bahrain | 22+ |
| 2011–2014 | Egyptian crisis (2011–14) | Egypt | 7,000+ |
| 2011– | Yemeni Crisis (2011–present) | Yemen | 9,000+ |
| 2011– | Syrian civil war | Syria | 503,064–613,407 + |
| 2011–2017 | Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon | Lebanon | ≈800 |
| 2011– | Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict | Saudi Arabia Iran | |
| 2013–2017 | War in Iraq (2013–2017) | Iraq | 155,500–165,500+ |
| 2015– | Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen | Yemen Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates | 377,000+ |
| 2016– | Western Iran clashes | Iran | 74–156 |
| 15–16 July 2016 | 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt | Turkey | 270–350 |
| 2017 | 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict | Iraq | +305 |
| 2017– | Iraqi insurgency (2017–present) | Iraq | 4,000+ |
| 2023– | Israel–Hamas war | Israel West Bank Gaza Strip | 45,000+ |
| 2023– | Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) | Israel Lebanon | 2600+ |
| 2023– | Red Sea crisis | Yemen Israel Red Sea Gulf of Aden | 40+ |
| 2024– | 2024 Iran–Israel conflict | Iran Israel Jordan Syria Iraq Yemen Lebanon | 20+ |

## 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.
    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:
* Caucasus campaign
* Persian campaign
* Gallipoli campaign
* Mesopotamian campaign
* Sinai and Palestine campaign
* Arab Revolt
* South Arabia
* Armenian genocide – c 1.5 million dead
* Assyrian genocide – 150,000–300,000 dead
* Great Famine of Mount Lebanon – 200,000 dead
[b].^ Turkish War of Independence (combined figure 882,100–2,075,600+):
    Greco-Turkish War – 70,000–400,000 casualties
    Franco-Turkish War – 40,000 casualties.
    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.
    Iraqi Kurdish uprising (1982–1988) – 50,000–198,000 killed.
    1991 Uprising in As Sulaymaniyah – 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.
    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 Retribution operations (1950s) – 3,456 casualties
    Suez War (1956) – 3,203 killed.
    Israeli–Palestinian conflict (1965–present) – 24,000 killed
       Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon – 2,600–20,000 killed
          Operation Litani
          1982 Lebanon War
       First Palestinian Intifada – 2,000 killed
       Al-Aqsa 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 Sana'a (1967)
[h].^ Lebanese Civil War (combined 39,132–43,970+ mortal casualties):
    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 uprising – 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
    Liberation of Khorramshahr 1982 – 17,000 killed
    Operation Undeniable Victory 1982 – 50,000 mortal casualties
    Operation Ramadan 1982 – 80,000 killed
    Kurdish Rebellion 1983–1988 (including the Al-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 Khaibar 1984 – 49,000 killed
    Tanker War 1984
    Operation Badr (1985) – 30,000–32,000
    War of the Cities 1985–1987
    Operation Dawn-8 1986 – unknown
    Operation Karbala-4 1986 – 15,000 killed
    Operation Karbala-5 – 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 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+)
    Egyptian Revolution of 2011 – 846 killed
    Sinai insurgency – 2,800+ killed
[n].^ Syrian civil war (combined casualties 503,064–613,407)
* Civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war –
* Early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war –
* 2012–13 escalation of the Syrian civil war –
* Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian civil war – 5,641–6,991 killed
* ISIL expansion
* Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war
** US-led intervention in the Syrian civil war
** Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war
* Battle of Aleppo and Operation Euphrates Shield
* Eastern Syria campaign (September–December 2017)
* Idlib demilitarization (2018–present)
* Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019) and 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
[o].^ Iran–Israel proxy conflict (combined casualties ≈2,000)
* 2006 Lebanon War – 1,641 killed
* Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war – several dozen killed