Iran · share of its news about armed violence, last 12 months
Iran: how tense is it right now?
12.8% of the news located in Iran this week is about armed violence (war and terrorism): #13 of the 74 countries we track. Compared with its own history since 2017, that is above its usual level (76 out of 100).
Armed-conflict intensity12.8%of its news, last 7 days
Rank#13of 74 countries
Vs its own history76above its usual level
Share of the world’s war news4.0%weighed by severity
In the news nowAll headlines
31 OctWARIran's supreme leader warns U.S., Israel against new attacksCBS News31 OctWORLDIran says fishermen found after accusing U.S. of attack in HormuzThe Hindu31 OctWARIran lawmakers call for withdrawal from NPT: Will we have war or peace?Al Jazeera31 OctWORLDIran warns of unfettered retaliation if attacked as mediators try for peaceAl Jazeera31 OctWARKhamenei orders immediate response to any threat 'without geographical limitations'Middle East Eye31 OctWARMojtaba Khamenei issues ‘important and strategic orders’ to Iran’s militaryMiddle East Eye31 OctWORLDOil spills from tankers attacked by Iran in Hormuz reach UAE coastline, report saysMiddle East Eye31 OctWAROman rescues 25 from burning ship, Iran halts tankersThe HinduIran · weekly average since 2017 (highest: 7 October 2024)
The tensest weeks for Iran since 2017share of its news about armed violence, 7 days
| Week ending | Intensity | Nearby event |
|---|---|---|
| 7 October 2024 | 31.1% | — |
| 22 January 2024 | 29.2% | — |
| 21 July 2026 | 29.1% | — |
| 7 April 2024 | 28.4% | Iran strikes Israel |
| 6 August 2024 | 27.5% | — |
Year by year
| Year | Average intensity | Highest week | Typical rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16.0% | 29.1% | #8 |
| 2025 | 10.7% | 27.5% | #16 |
| 2024 | 17.2% | 31.1% | #10 |
| 2023 | 10.5% | 23.2% | #19 |
| 2022 | 9.3% | 18.3% | #21 |
| 2021 | 9.4% | 20.1% | #19 |
| 2020 | 11.5% | 26.7% | #13 |
| 2019 | 9.1% | 17.4% | #17 |
| 2018 | 8.4% | 17.0% | #20 |
| 2017 | 8.0% | 18.8% | #26 |
Major events involving Iran
Full historyCompare Iran
Elsewhere in Middle East
All countriesFrequently asked questions
How tense is Iran right now?
12.8% of the news located in Iran over the last 7 days was about armed violence (war and terrorism), which ranks it #13 of the 74 countries Riftrate tracks.
Is Iran more tense than usual?
Compared with its own history since 2017, Iran is above its usual level: it has been calmer on 76% of days.
When was Iran most tense since 2017?
The highest reading was 31.1%, in the 7 days to 7 October 2024.
Which countries in Middle East are the most tense right now?
Yemen (29.3%), Gaza and the West Bank (23.7%), Jordan (22.9%).
Where does this data come from?
From the GDELT Project, which codes events reported in the world’s news in more than 100 languages and locates them. Riftrate measures the share of each country’s news about armed violence, excluding ordinary crime and policing. It measures the news, not casualties.
How it is measured: GDELT locates every event reported in the news. We take all the coverage of events located in the country over 7 days and measure the part about armed violence: war and terrorism, excluding ordinary crime and policing. It does not depend on the size of the country or on how many newspapers cover it. It measures the news, not the number of victims. Methodology