Military Actors

The Iranian military has been directly and indirectly active in a number of modern military conflicts, including in Syria, and is engaged in an ongoing low intensity conflict with Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been active in a number of military campaigns, ostensibly against Palestinian militant groups and Iran-backed affiliates, leading to interventions in Gaza and the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

NATO forces have been directly active in a number of modern conflicts, including in Afghanistan and against the military of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in Libya in 2011.

The armed forces of Russia have been directly or indirectly active in a number of modern conflicts, including the 2022 full-scale invasion in Ukraine and through the provision of support to President Assad in Syria for almost a decade.

The armed forces of Türkiye have been directly or indirectly active in a number of modern conflicts, including Syria, Iraq, Libya, Somalia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The armed forces of the United States have been directly active in a number of military campaigns in recent decades, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Somalia.

The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria – officially known as Operation Inherent Resolve – has been directly active in a conflict with the Islamic State since August 2014.