Share of each country’s news about armed violence, last 12 months
United StatesIran
United States vs Iran: which is more tense right now?
This week, 5.4% of the news located in United States is about armed violence (#36 of 74), against 12.8% in Iran (#13). Iran is the more tense of the two right now.
United States5.4%#36 · far below its usual level
Iran12.8%#13 · above its usual level
United States tenser than Iran4%of weeks since 2017
Both most tense26 July 2026week with the highest combined reading
Weekly average since 2017
United StatesIran
Year by yearshare of each country’s news about armed violence
| Year | United States, average | Iran, average | More tense |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6.9% | 16.0% | Iran |
| 2025 | 6.4% | 10.7% | Iran |
| 2024 | 6.4% | 17.2% | Iran |
| 2023 | 6.4% | 10.5% | Iran |
| 2022 | 6.5% | 9.3% | Iran |
| 2021 | 6.4% | 9.4% | Iran |
| 2020 | 5.7% | 11.5% | Iran |
| 2019 | 6.2% | 9.1% | Iran |
| 2018 | 6.5% | 8.4% | Iran |
| 2017 | 6.4% | 8.0% | Iran |
Frequently asked questions
Is United States or Iran more tense right now?
Iran is the more tense this week: 12.8% of its news is about armed violence, against 5.4% for United States.
Which has been more tense since 2017, United States or Iran?
United States was the more tense of the two in 4% of weeks since 2017, Iran in the other 96%.
When were United States and Iran most tense together?
In the week to 26 July 2026: 7.4% for United States and 27.9% for Iran.
How is this measured?
For each country, Riftrate measures the share of the news located there that is about armed violence (war and terrorism, excluding ordinary crime), over 7 days, from the GDELT event database. It does not depend on the size of the country. It measures the news, not casualties.