9 countries that could get involved next in the Iran war

More than a dozen countries were drawn into the Iran war in its first week, and more appear to be on the cusp.

The big picture: If major powers like China or Russia step in beyond the margins, the regional conflict risks widening into something far more dangerous — a direct U.S.-Russia confrontation by proxy, or a global energy crisis that forces Beijing's hand.

Read more below about the countries to watch.

China

Beijing initially condemned the U.S. strikes as a violation of international law and pushed for de-escalation at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, while evacuating more than 3,000 of its citizens from Iran.

• Reliant on the Strait of Hormuz for 80% of its Iranian oil imports, China has been pushing Tehran for safe passage through the critical waterway.
• Experts told NBC News that the Iran war may increase the urgency for China and the U.S. to directly discuss the growing conflict.

What they're saying: "This was a war that should never have happened, and a war that benefited no one," Wang Yi, China's foreign minister, said at a news briefing Sunday, according to CNN.

Russia

Moscow's foreign ministry called the U.S. attack "a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent U.N. member state."

• Russia has reportedly been providing Iran with intelligence to target U.S. forces — a fact Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tried to wave away on "60 Minutes" Sunday, saying it "doesn't matter" because the U.S. is "completely decimating" Iran.
• Russia is also expected to ramp up oil exports to India and China as Hormuz chaos drives up prices, especially after the Trump administration granted a sanctions waiver to India to buy Russian oil.

Turkey

Turkey said it won't allow its airspace to be used against Iran — an awkward position for a U.S. and NATO ally.

• The tension crystallized this week after NATO intercepted at least two Iranian missiles heading toward Turkish territory, including this weekend.
• Turkey condemned Iran's strikes on Azerbaijan last week, and on Monday deployed six F-16s to Northern Cyprus to protect the Mediterranean island from Iranian strikes.
• Kurdish involvement in Iran could also trigger a response from Turkey, which has long had a hostile relationship with the Kurds.

Yemen

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have not yet entered the war but have signaled they may, which would open yet another front and threaten shipping in the Red Sea.

• Yemen was among the countries mentioned in a warning from the State Department for Americans to flee due to its proximity to Iran and Houthi support for the regime.

Ukraine

Kyiv is already cooperating with the U.S. and Gulf states on drone defense, leveraging its hard-won experience countering Iranian Shaheds in the Russia war.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country will "help to defend from war those who help us, Ukraine, bring a just end to the war" with Russia, according to multiple reports.
• President Trump said Thursday: "Certainly I'll take, you know, any assistance from any country."

Egypt and Syria

The State Department has urged Americans in both countries to leave immediately.

• Egypt is already feeling economic pain from the war's shockwaves.
• Syria is the wild card — Israel has deep intelligence ties with the Kurds there, and Kurdish involvement in Iran could destabilize Syria's efforts at rebuilding the country after the fall of the Assad regime.

South Korea and North Korea

The U.S. and South Korean militaries are in active discussions about redeploying U.S.-owned Patriot batteries currently stationed in South Korea to the Iran theater, Reuters reports.

• Meanwhile, North Korea — which has historically been an ally to the Iranian regime — faces new uncertainty and questions about that relationship.

Go deeper: Here are all the countries now involved in the Iran war