Pakistan ranks 9th and Iran 14th in global military strength rankings

The Global Firepower’s 2024 Military Strength Ranking has been released, providing a comprehensive assessment of the military capabilities of 145 countries worldwide.

The ranking is based on over 60 individual factors, including the quantity of military units, financial standing, logistical capabilities, and geography.

In this year’s ranking, Pakistan has been listed as the 9th most powerful military globally. Pakistan’s Power Index score is 0.1711, with a score of 0.0000 considered 'perfect’. This score is a testament to Pakistan’s military strength on the global stage.

Pakistan’s military ranking has shown a steady improvement over the years. In 2019, it was ranked as the 10th most powerful army in the world. By 2022, it had moved up to the 9th position. In 2023, it jumped to the 7th rank. However, in the latest 2024 Global Firepower review, Pakistan is ranked 9th.

On the other hand, Iran, another significant player in the region, is ranked 14th in the same list. Iran’s Power Index score stands at 0.2269. Despite the challenges, Iran has managed to maintain a strong military presence, securing its place in the top 15 global military powers.

However, the relations between these two countries have recently been strained. Pakistan conducted military strikes inside Iran, targeting what it claimed were separatist Baloch militants. This action was in response to Iran’s strikes in Pakistan, which targeted sites belonging to a Sunni separatist militant group. The strikes by both countries mark an extraordinary step, as it is highly unusual for either side to attack militants on each other’s soil.

The Pakistani strikes were part of an operation called “Marg Bar Sarmachar”, which loosely translates to "death to the guerrilla fighters". A number of militants were reportedly killed during the operation. However, Iranian authorities reported that at least seven people, including three women and four children, were killed in the strikes.

This incident marks a major escalation between the two neighbouring powers and comes at a time of expanding conflict in the Middle East and the wider region. Both Pakistan and Iran have long fought militants in the restive Baloch region along their shared border, but the latest incident has sent tensions between the two neighbours soaring.