New Delhi: Conflicts and geopolitical turbulence in 2025 stretched from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East to parts of Europe and Africa, with peace remaining largely elusive. These conflicts resulted in global instability and sparked a severe humanitarian crisis amid a rapidly evolving geopolitical security landscape. Notwithstanding the peace initiatives, several regions remained engulfed in violence.

Southeast Asia was on boil as tensions between Cambodia and Thailand intensified, beginning with a confrontation in May, near the Emerald Triangle, where Thailand, Cambodia and Laos converge, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier. In July, the tensions heightened after both sides exchanged artillery fire and deployed heavy weapons at several locations along the border, promoting large-scale civilian evacuations.

Although a ceasefire in July briefly eased tensions, it collapsed in early December, triggering renewed clashes. On December 27, normalcy returned after a new peace deal was signed between Thai Defence Minister Natthapon Nakpanich and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Seiha at a border checkpoint in Thailand's Chanthaburi Province.

In South Asia, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain engaged in heavy fighting in recent months, with Islamabad conducting multiple air raids inside Afghanistan. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of fostering Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an allegation outrightly rejected by Kabul. The Taliban has repeatedly criticised Pakistan's attacks, describing them as violations of Afghanistan's sovereignty.

Additionally, Pakistani authorities escalated repression on Afghan refugees, with millions reportedly forcibly deported from Pakistan until the end of the year, leading to widespread humanitarian crisis in relentless winter. According to reports, several Afghan refugees in Pakistan stated that they had been continuously harassed by Pakistani police, which, apart from conducting searches, were arresting people and exploiting their vulnerable situation.

On another front within Pakistan, unrest in Balochistan province reached its peak against the backdrop of severe human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearances and torture of Baloch civilians at the hands of Pakistani security forces.

Additionally, the clashes between Pakistani forces and rebel groups also escalated, resulting in the death of several Pakistani soldiers. People in the Balochistan region are currently fighting for their freedom from Pakistan. Several global human rights groups have highlighted the repression by Pakistani armed forces in the province, which includes brutal raids on the homes of Baloch leaders and civilians, unlawful arrests, enforced disappearances, the 'kill and dump' policy, detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, and the filing of fabricated police cases.

In recent months, several international human rights organisations have also raised concerns over an alarming rise in cases of enforced disappearances by Pakistani security forces, targetting women and young girls.

The South Asian region remained volatile as violence and human rights abuses continued unabated in Bangladesh since the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government assumed power in August 2024, following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The year witnessed a massive surge in attacks across Bangladesh targetting minorities, particularly the Hindu community. In one such brutal incident on December 18, a 25-year-old Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob over false blasphemy accusations. The mob killed Das, hung his body from a tree before setting it on fire. Within span of a week, another Hindu youth, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal, was also lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area of Kalimohar Union.

Since the Bangladesh Election Commission announced that the country's 13th national parliamentary election, along with a referendum on the July Charter, will be held on February 12 next year, the country has been gripped by widespread violence. Following the killing of the extremist leader Sharif Osman Hadi, his supporters went on a rampage targetting minorities, Indian diplomatic missions, cultural institutions and media houses with impunity.

Having remained conflict-torn for many years, the situation worsened in the Middle Eastern region with the outbreak of a direct and armed Israel-Iran confrontation. Israel, on June 13, launched Operation Rising Lion against Iran, a targetted military operation to negate the Iranian threat of nuclear weapons to Israel's very survival. As tensions escalated, both sides targetted each other's strategic locations. Later, the US joined the conflict and bombed three highly fortified nuclear sites in Iran which included Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear facilities and warned Tehran of further precision strikes unless it ended its confrontation with Israel. After 12 days of armed hostilities, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, bringing the conflict to an end.

In Europe, the unending conflict between Russia and Ukraine remained a major global flashpoint this year. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which triggered a full-scale war between the two countries, entered its third year in 2025. Despite the diplomatic initiatives and peace proposals, several phases of offensives and counter-offensives by both sides failed to produce a breakthrough. Recent developments include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealing details of the latest US-led 20-point plan aimed at ending the conflict, though Moscow is reportedly not satisfied with several of its provisions.

Parts of Africa too saw a surge in violence due to long-standing conflicts, which have resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis.

In civil war-torn Sudan, armed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have plunged the nation into a deeper crisis and severe suffering. The struggle for supremacy between the two forces began in April 2023 and transformed into an armed conflict that has not only claimed thousands of innocent lives but also destroyed communities and uprooted millions from their homes.

In the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, armed conflict between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese troops escalated in 2025. It resulted in the death of hundreds and the displacement of millions. A peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda was signed at the intervention of the United States, but the bloodshed refuses to end.

The surge in conflicts this year has not only challenged the current global order but has also kept instability looming. As the world prepares to enter 2026, hope for peace remains in the midst of many unresolved conflicts.