WORLD WAR 3 RISK INDEX i

Global security dynamics today are characterized by persistent regional frictions and compounding pressure on critical maritime trade corridors. North Korean defense transfers to Russia illustrate active cross-theater links, while concurrent strikes on commercial shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb strait and Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt transit and elevate energy and grain logistics costs globally. Across the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East, state actors are balancing military readiness maneuvers and defense budget increases with selective diplomatic engagements and operational restraints.