"A ceasefire in Gaza has created a hopefully enduring-albeit uneasy-pause in the two-year Israel-Hamas war, with the recent exchange and release of hostages hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough even as questions continue to come about whether this truce will hold. That uncertainty matters across the Middle East because even a small slip up could quickly devolve the region back into chaos with militaries and generals at the table instead of diplomats."
"To determine the Middle Eastern countries with the strongest military might, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Global Firepower ranked 145 countries based on their PowerIndex, a composite of over 60 measures in categories such as military might, financials, logistical capability, and geography. The smaller the PowerIndex value the more powerful a nation's theoretical conventional fighting capability is."
A ceasefire in Gaza has created an uneasy pause in the two-year Israel–Hamas war, with hostages exchanged and released and persistent uncertainty about whether the truce will hold. That uncertainty matters across the Middle East because even a small slip-up could quickly devolve the region back into chaos, shifting negotiations from diplomats to militaries and generals. "Peace through strength" served as the impetus for the deal, and if all parties prioritize peace over displays of strength the truce could facilitate longer-term stability. The 2025 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower assessed 145 countries using a PowerIndex composite of over 60 measures across military capacity, finances, logistics, and geography. A smaller PowerIndex value indicates greater theoretical conventional fighting capability, and rankings are supplemented by data on active personnel, aircraft, vehicles, naval assets, and defense budgets. Longstanding conflicts, religious divisions, and territorial disputes continue to shape the region, with Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel in prominent strategic roles.
Read at 24/7 Wall St.
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