List of conflicts in the Near East

This article is about past conflicts in the Near East. For modern conflicts, see List of modern conflicts in the Middle East.

A geographical map showing territories commonly considered part of the Near East.

The area known as the "Near East" is usually referred to as Middle East in modern contexts. For periods predating Classical Antiquity, the common term is Ancient Near East. The Near East is generally associated with Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Caucasus.

Ancient Near East conflicts

Bronze Age

Main articles: History of the Middle East, Ancient Near East, Fertile Crescent, History of Mesopotamia, Upper Mesopotamia, History of the Levant, History of Anatolia, History of the Caucasus, History of Egypt, and Elam

Ancient Egypt conflicts
- Early Dynastic Period of Egypt
  - c. 3100 BCE Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
- Second Intermediate Period of Egypt
  - 1600 BCE Hyksos conquest of Egypt
- New Kingdom of Egypt
  - April 16, 1457 BCE Battle of Megiddo - a battle between Ancient Egyptian forces under the pharaoh Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition
Ancient Mesopotamia conflicts
- Early Dynastic Period of Sumer
  - c. 2500 BCE Enmebaragesi of Kish subdued Elam
  - c. 2500 BCE Aga of Kish, the son of Enmebaragesi of Kish, besieged Uruk
  - c. 2500 BCE Enmerkar of Uruk's year-long siege of Aratta
  - c. 2500 BCE Dumuzid of Uruk captured Enmebaragesi of Kish single-handed
  - c. 2500 BCE Enshakushanna of Uruk conquered Hamazi, Akkad, Kish, and Nippur, claiming hegemony over all of Sumer. Enshakushanna was succeeded in Uruk by Lugal-kinishe-dudu, but the hegemony seems to have passed to Eannatum of Lagash for a time
  - c. 2500 BCE Eannatum of Lagash conquered all of Sumer, including Ur, Nippur, Akshak, Larsa, and Uruk (controlled by Enshakushanna)
  - c. 2500 BCE En-anna-tum I of Lagash succeeded his brother Eannatum and defended Lagash against Ur-Lumma of Umma
  - c. 2500 BCE Entemena of Lagash succeeded his father En-anna-tum I and re-established Lagash as a power in Sumer. He defeated Illi of Umma, with the aid of Lugal-kinishe-dudu of Uruk (the successor to Enshakushanna)
  - c. 2500 BCE Lugal-Anne-Mundu of Adab subjected the "Four Quarters" of the world — i.e., the entire Fertile Crescent region, from the Mediterranean to the Zagros Mountains
  - c. 2295 BCE — 2271 BCE (Short chronology) Lugal-zage-si of Umma conquered several of the Sumerian city-states — including Kish, where he overthrew Ur-Zababa; Lagash, where he overthrew Urukagina; Ur, Nippur, and Larsa; as well as Uruk
- Akkadian Empire
  - c. 2270 BCE (Short chronology) Sargon of Akkad established a vast empire which is thought to have included large parts of Mesopotamia, and included parts of modern-day Iran, Asia Minor and Syria
    - Conquest of Elam
    - 2271 BCE Battle of Uruk
    - Syria and Canaan campaigns
    - Akkadian conquest of Ebla
    - Magan revolt
    - Lullubi campaign of Naram-sin
- Gutian period
  - c. 2150 BCE (Short chronology) Gutian attacks on the Akkadian Empire
- Fifth Dynasty of Uruk
  - c. 2055 BCE — 2048 BCE (Short chronology) After defeating the Gutian with the aid of other cities, Utu-hengal of Uruk established himself as the king of Sumer
    - c. 2050 BCE (Short chronology) Defeat of Tirigan, the last Gutian ruler in Sumer
- Third Dynasty of Ur
  - c. 2047 BCE — 2030 BCE (Short chronology) Ur-Nammu of Ur conquered Lagash
  - c. 1940 BCE (Short chronology) Elamite Sack of Ur
- First Babylonian Dynasty
  - c. 1830 BCE — 1817 BCE (Short chronology) The Amorite chieftain Sumu-abum won independence from the city-state Kazallu
  - c. 1752 BCE — 1730 BCE (Short chronology) Damiq-ilishu of Isin, the last king on the Sumerian King List, is defeated by Sin-Muballit of Babylon
  - c. 1728 BCE — 1686 BCE (Short chronology) Hammurabi of Babylon extended Babylon's control over Mesopotamia by winning a series of wars against neighboring kingdoms
- Kassite period
  - c. 1531 BCE (Short chronology) Fall of Babylon
  - c. 1507 BCE (Short chronology) Kassite attacks on Babylon
Ancient Levant conflicts
- c. 2000 BCE Battle of Siddim
- Israelite Campaigns
  - Early Israelite campaigns
    - 1400 BCE Battle of Ai (legendary)
    - Battle of Hazor (legendary)
    - Battle of Jericho (legendary)
    - Lachish
    - Battle of the Waters of Merom (legendary)
Ancient Anatolia conflicts
- c. 2492 BCE Battle between Haik and Nimrod
- 1650 BCE — 1600 BCE Conquests of Hattusili I and Mursili I
- 1430 BCE — 1350 BCE Kaska invasions of Hatti

Early Iron Age

Note: This section is covering Iron Age I and II, Iron Age III is related as Classic Period

Main articles: Egyptian Empire, Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Judah, Neo-Assyrian Empire, Median Empire, Neo-Babylonian Empire, and Achaemenid Empire

Ancient Egypt conflicts
- 1279 BCE — 1213 BCE Ramesses II campaigns in the Near East
- Third Intermediate Period of Egypt
  - 925 BCE Sack of Jerusalem
  - 727 BCE Kushite Invasion to Egypt
  - 609 BCE Battle of Megiddo - a battle between the Kingdom of Egypt and the Kingdom of Judah
Ancient Anatolia conflicts
- 1260 BCE — 1240 BCE Trojan War
Ancient Mesopotamia conflicts
- Kassite period
  - c. 1232 BCE — 1225 BCE (Short chronology) Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria defeated Kashtiliash IV, the Kassite king of Babylon and captured the city of Babylon to ensure full Assyrian supremacy over Mesopotamia
  - c. 1157 BCE — 1155 BCE (Short chronology) Enlil-nadin-ahi, the final king of the Kassite dynasty that had ruled over Babylon, was defeated by Kutir-Nahhunte of Elam, the successor of Shutruk-Nakhunte
- Fourth Babylonian Dynasty
  - c. 1125 BCE — 1104 BCE (Short chronology) Nebuchadnezzar I of Isin's War with Elam
Israelite Campaigns
- Later Israelite Campaigns
  - 1000 BCE Siege of Jebus
Assyrian campaigns
- 853 BCE Battle of Qarqar
- 721 BCE Assyrian conquest of Israel
- Second Assyrian invasion to Southern Levant
  - 701 BCE Siege of Lachish
  - 701 BCE Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib
- 693 BCE Battle of Diyala River (Pyrrhic Assyrian victory)
- 693 BCE Siege of Babylon
- 626 BCE Revolt of Babylon (Decisive Babylonian victory; eviction of Assyrian troops)
Neo-Babylonian campaigns
- 612 BCE Battle of Nineveh
- 605 BCE Battle of Carchemish - a battle between the Kingdom of Egypt and Assyrian allies against the Neo-Babylonian Empire
- Jewish–Babylonian war
  - 597 BCE Siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II
  - 587 BCE Siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II
Median campaigns
- May 28, 585 BCE Battle of Halys
Achaemenid conquests of Cyrus the Great
- 552 BCE Persian Revolt
- 552 BCE Battle of Hyrba
- 551 BCE Battle of the Persian Border
- 550 BCE Battle of Pasargadae
- 547 BCE Battle of Pteria
- 547 BCE Battle of Thymbra
- 547 BCE Siege of Sardis
- 539 BCE Battle of Opis

Classic antiquity conflicts

Ottoman period conflicts 1453-1918

Ottoman expansion

Ottoman era period conflicts 1453-1516

Yazidi uprising against Safavids 1506-1510
Şahkulu Rebellion 1511

Ottoman Empire period conflicts

Ottoman–Persian Wars 16th-19th centuries
Jelali revolts 1519-1659
Conflicts between the Ottomans and the Druze of Mount Lebanon
- Battle of Majdel Anjar 1622
- 1633 conflict
- 1642 conflict
- 1660 conflict
- 1683-1699 conflict
- Battle of Ain Darra 1711
Cretan War (1645–69)
- Atmeydanı Incident
- Çınar Incident 1656
Edirne revolt 1703
1717 Omani invasion of Bahrain
Patrona Halil uprising 1730
Zahir al-Umar Revolt (Galilee) 1742-1743
Ali Bey Al-Kabir Revolt (Egypt) 1769-1772
Bajalan uprising 1775
French campaign in Egypt and Syria 1798-1801
Baban uprising 1806-1808
Ottoman coups of 1807–08
- Kabakçı Mustafa revolt
Muhammad Ali's campaigns
Cizre uprising 1829
Atçalı Kel Mehmet revolt 1829-30
Prince Mohammad of Soran uprising 1833
Yezidi uprising 1837
Sîncar uprising 1837

Ottoman Tanzimat period

First Botan uprising 1843
Bedr Khan Bey uprising 1843
Culemerg uprising 1843
Bedirhan Bey uprising 1847^[1]
Yezdan Sher uprising 1855^[2]
1860 Druze–Maronite conflict
- French expedition in Syria 1860-61
Qatari–Bahraini War 1867-68
Russo-Turkish War (1877–78)
Urabi Revolt (Egypt) 1879-82
Shaykh 'Ubaydullah of Nehri and Shemdinan uprising 1880-1881^[3]
Royal Civil War in Arabia 1887-91
- Battle of Mulayda 1891
1892 Tobacco Rebellion (Iran)
Hamidian massacres 1894-96
- Zeitun Rebellion (1895–96)
Unification of Saudi Arabia
- Saudi–Rashidi War 1903-06
Persian Constitutional Revolution 1908-09
Young Turk Revolution 1908-09
- 31 March Incident 1909
- Countercoup (1909)
Adana massacre 1909
Hauran Druze Rebellion 1909
1913 Ottoman coup d'état
Middle Eastern theatre of World War I 1914-1918
- Sinai and Palestine Campaign
- Mesopotamian campaign
- Caucasus Campaign
- Persian Campaign
- Gallipoli Campaign
- North African Campaign (World War I)
- Arab Revolt
- Armenian Genocide
- Assyrian genocide
- 1st Dersim rebellion

Post-Ottoman era conflicts

This article is about past conflicts in the Near East. For modern conflicts (post-Ottoman period), see List of modern conflicts in the Middle East.

References

↑ Ergil, Doğu, PKK: The Kurdistan Workers' Party, in Marianne Heiberg, Brendan O'Leary, John Tirman, eds., Terror, insurgency, and the state: ending protracted conflicts, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007, p.356
↑ Chaliand, Gérard , The Kurdish tragedy, Palgrave Macmillan, 1994, p.25
↑ Vanly, Ismet Chériff, The Kurds in the Soviet Union, in Philip G. Kreyenbroek, Stefan Sperl, eds., The Kurds: a contemporary overview, Routledge, 2000, p.196

List of modern conflicts in the Middle East

1910s	World War I Middle Eastern theatre Arab Revolt Armenian Genocide Assyrian genocide Unification of Saudi Arabia Simko Shikak revolt Egyptian revolution of 1919 Turkish War of Independence Greco-Turkish War Turkish–Armenian War Franco-Turkish War Revolts Mahmud Barzanji revolts

1920s	Franco-Syrian War Iraqi revolt against the British Sectarian conflict in Mandatory Palestine Adwan Rebellion Arab separatism in Khuzestan Great Syrian Revolt Sheikh Said rebellion 1921 Persian coup d'état

1930s	Ararat rebellion Ahmed Barzani revolt Simele massacre Saudi–Yemeni War (1934) Goharshad Mosque rebellion 1935–36 Iraqi Shia revolts 1935 Yazidi revolt Dersim rebellion

1940s	World War II Italian bombing of Palestine Anglo-Iraqi War Syria–Lebanon Campaign Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran 1943 Barzani revolt Alwaziri coup Al-Wathbah uprising Kurdish separatism in Iran Iran crisis of 1946 Arab–Israeli conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict

1950s	Egyptian revolution of 1952 1953 Iranian coup d'état Jebel Akhdar War Cypriot ethnic crisis Yemeni–Adenese clan violence 1958 Lebanon crisis 1958 Iraqi revolution 1959 Mosul uprising

1960s	Iraqi–Kurdish conflict Dhofar Rebellion North Yemen Civil War Feb. 1963 Iraqi coup 8th March Syrian Revolution Nov. 1963 Iraqi coup Aden Emergency 1964 Hama riot 1966 Syrian coup d'état

1970s	Black September in Jordan 1972 North Yemen–South Yemen war Turkish invasion of Cyprus Lebanese Civil War Political violence in Turkey (1976–80) Libyan–Egyptian War Islamist uprising in Syria NDF Rebellion Iranian Revolution Consolidation of the Iranian Revolution Khuzestan conflict 1979 Qatif Uprising Grand Mosque seizure

1980s	Sadr uprising (1980) Iran–Iraq War 1980 Turkish coup d'état Kurdish separatism in Turkey Turkey-PKK conflict South Yemen Civil War 1986 Egyptian conscripts riot 1986 Damascus bombings Mecca massacre Abu Nidal's executions

1990s	Gulf War (1990–1991) 1991 uprisings in Iraq Terror campaign in Egypt (1990s) Yemeni Civil War (1994) Islamic insurgency in Saudi Arabia (2000–present) Operation Desert Fox al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen 1999 Shia uprising in Iraq

2000s	Iraq War Balochi insurgency in Iran 2004 al-Qamishli riots Houthi insurgency in Yemen Iran–Israel proxy conflict Fatah–Hamas conflict Nahr al-Bared fighting 2008 conflict in Lebanon South Yemen insurgency 2009–10 Iranian election protests

2010s	Arab Spring Yemeni Revolution Bahraini uprising Egyptian Crisis Arab Winter Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon American-led intervention Sinai insurgency Iraqi insurgency (2011–13) Iraqi Civil War (2014–present) American-led intervention Military intervention against ISIL Yemeni Crisis Yemeni Civil War

This list includes post-Ottoman conflicts (after 1918) of at least 100 fatalities each Prolonged conflicts are listed in the decade when initiated; ongoing conflicts are marked italic and conflict with +100,000 killed with bold.