China Media Group (CMG) on Friday released the top 10 international military news stories in 2025.

Here is the roundup:

1. The Israel-Iran conflict

In mid-June 2025, Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day military confrontation. The conflict began with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, reportedly killing top commanders and scientists. Iran responded with missile barrages targeting central and northern Israel, causing damage and casualties. Both sides carried out repeated strikes on military, intelligence and nuclear facilities throughout the period.

The fighting ended on June 24 with a ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Iranian authorities reported at least 606 deaths and over 5,300 injuries from Israeli strikes. Both sides agreed to halt offensive operations, marking the conclusion of the "12-Day War" and paving the way for reconstruction and assessment.

2. Russia says it will no longer be bound by the INF Treaty; U.S. tests intermediate-range missile outside its territory for the first time

Russia will no longer abide by a defunct treaty prohibiting the deployment of intermediate-range missiles, the country's Foreign Ministry announced on August 4. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow "no longer considers itself bound" by its "previously adopted self restrictions" under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, noting that the United States was moving to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Europe and Asia.

The U.S. Army conducted the first Mid-Range Capability (Typhon) live fire exercise outside of the continental U.S., successfully sinking a target at sea with an SM-6 missile during Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 in Australia on July 16, 2025.

3. Ceasefire reached between Israel and Palestine, but peace remains unresolved

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on September 29 they had agreed to a 20-point plan proposed by Washington to end the conflict in Gaza.

The U.S.-proposed plan combines a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, phased Israeli withdrawal and international oversight on Gaza's reconstruction and governance after the conflict.

Hamas announced on October 3 that it has submitted its response to U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza peace proposal to regional and international mediators, saying it has agreed in principle to release all Israeli hostages, both living and deceased.

4. The U.S., Japan and Europe see sharp increases in defense budgets

The European Union's executive arm on July 16 put forward a proposal for a 2 trillion euro ($2.31 trillion) budget for the bloc, with a significant increase in funding allocated for defense. The framework amounts to 1.26 percent of the EU's average gross national income and will run for a seven-year period starting from 2028.

The U.S. House of Representatives on the evening of December 11 passed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), authorizing 901 billion U.S. dollars in defense spending. The 3,000-plus page bill includes a nearly 4 percent raise in military pay and an overhaul that will speed up Pentagon arms purchases, as well as measures for developing the "Golden Dome" missile defense system and promoting military readiness.

Japan's draft defense budget was set at a record 9.04 trillion yen (about $58 billion) for fiscal 2026. The figure exceeds the then-record initial budget of 8.7 trillion yen for the current fiscal year 2025 starting in April and is in line with Japan's defense buildup plan to allot about 43 trillion yen to defense outlays from fiscal year 2023 through 2027.

5. Russia-Ukraine conflict continues with no breakthrough in peace talks

The latest round of negotiations held in Florida on December 20 between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators, as well as U.S. and Russian representatives, has been hailed as "productive," though significant challenges and differences remain.

The meetings in Florida were the latest in a series of talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine on the 20-point plan to end the nearly four-year-old conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressuring Ukraine and Russia to come to an agreement on ending the conflict as soon as possible, but Russia wants to keep the Ukrainian areas it has seized, while Kyiv has refused to cede ground.

6. Thailand-Cambodia border clashes

In late May this year, clashes occurred in a disputed territorial area along the border between Thailand and Cambodia in Ubon Ratchathani province in northeastern Thailand. In late July, an armed conflict broke out again in the border area.

According to data released by both sides, the exchanges of fire have left dozens of people dead, with over 100,000 people evacuated to safety.

Thailand and Cambodia are urged to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps towards the cessation of all forms of hostilities, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said on December 22, following the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting convened to address the ongoing conflict.

Thailand's military announced on December 25 that border negotiations with Cambodia have entered the second day, with overall clashes along the frontier showing a downward trend.

7. NATO holds large-scale Steadfast Dart 2025 military exercise

From the beginning of January to February 21, 2025, NATO held its largest combat exercises of the year, Steadfast Dart 2025, involving about 10,000 troops from nine member states under the alliance's new Allied Reaction Force.

The six-week drills in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece tested NATO's ability to rapidly deploy large-scale forces along the eastern border of the 32-nation alliance amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

8. The EU launches the 'ReArm Europe' plan

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on March 4 unveiled an 800-billion-euro ($844.6-billion) plan to significantly increase defense spending across the bloc.

She said that in response to escalating security threats across the European Union (EU), Europe had entered "an era of rearmament."

In a letter written to EU leaders ahead of the European Council on March 6, von der Leyen unveiled the "ReArm Europe" plan and emphasized the urgency of strengthening Europe's defense capabilities.

According to a statement published by the European Commission, the "ReArm Europe" plan is a comprehensive set of proposals aimed at unlocking financial resources to support national defense investments both in the short term and over the next decade.

9. Global arms sales have soared, with the U.S. reaching a record high

Global arms revenues of the world's 100 largest arms companies hit a record $679 billion in 2024, with U.S. arms producers accounting for nearly half of the total, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report released on December 1.

10. Military conflict erupts between India and Pakistan

India launched military strikes on targets in Pakistan early on the morning of May 7, which met a strong response from Pakistan. The two sides' tit-for-tat measures escalated their long-simmering conflict.

India said the air strikes were carried out under "Operation Sindoor," which was dedicated to the women whose husbands were killed in the Pahalgam area of the Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the Indian strikes targeting civilian populations across the border and said that Pakistan would give a strong and befitting response to Indian aggression.