In this episode of Threatscape Briefing, we unpack the launch of the Armed Conflict Survey 2025. The International Institute for Strategic Studies reports 135 active conflicts worldwide — one of the highest totals in three decades — with the average conflict lasting 30 years.

Fatalities surged 20 percent year on year, claiming nearly 240,000 lives between July 2024 and June 2025. Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, and Myanmar remain among the deadliest arenas, while drones are rewriting battlefield norms faster than militaries can adapt.

This is systemic fragmentation in motion. From the paralysis of the UN Security Council to the rise of nonstate armed groups and cartels acting like political actors, the survey reveals how climate shocks and criminal networks are accelerating the formation of global conflict traps.

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