Trump launched strikes on seven countries in 2025

A recap of military escalation during the second Trump Administration's first year.

Despite limited coverage in the national news, there was a significant increase in U.S. military strikes last year. In 2025, the U.S. launched at least 626 air strikes, compared to Biden’s entire four-year term which involved 555 air strikes. Here is a summary of military actions taken by the Trump Administration last year.

Somalia

Trump’s first military target was Somalia in February, where he launched a still-ongoing campaign against Islamic State (IS) operatives. We have deployed more than 130 strikes on Somali soil since Trump re-took office (more than Bush, Obama, and Biden combined) killing between 115 and 292 people, mostly militants.

Iraq

In March, the U.S. launched air strikes in Iraq in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and Security Forces, killing the second-highest ranking leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Yemen

From March to May, the U.S. launched hundreds of strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen in response to their targeting of Israel and commercial ships in the Red Sea. The operation killed hundreds of civilians and injured hundreds more. It ended with a ceasefire brokered by Oman between the U.S. and Yemen’s Houthis.

These were the strikes that Defense Secretary Hegseth sent sensitive information about in not one, but two unsecure Signal group chats. An Inspector General investigation found that Hegseth’s leak “created a risk to operational security” which could have resulted in “potential harm to U.S. pilots.” Still, Hegseth claims the report exonerates him, and no disciplinary actions have been reported.

Iran

On June 22, the U.S. deployed air and submarine missiles against three target locations in Iran with the intent of destabilizing their nuclear program. The attack followed several days of Israeli strikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites as well. Early reporting contradicted President Trump’s statement that Iran’s nuclear capabilities were “completely and fully obliterated”, estimating that their nuclear program was only set back a couple of months. The Pentagon eventually determined that the nuclear program was set back by up to two years.

International Waters

Since September the U.S. military has sustained a campaign of strikes on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coasts of Venezuela, Columbia, and Mexico. More than 100 people, whom the Trump administration claimed without evidence were drug traffickers, were killed while the U.S. deployed a large armada in the Caribbean. Speculation of war crimes surfaced after reports that the first strike in September included a “second tap” to kill survivors in the water.

Syria

The U.S. launched Operation Hawkeye Strike to avenge the death of three U.S. citizens in a terrorist attack in Syria by an IS gunman. The ongoing retaliatory operation began on December 19 and included 11 missions last year. The total death toll is unclear, but the U.S. Central Command has said nearly 25 IS members have been killed or captured.

Nigeria

With the support and guidance of the Nigerian government, the U.S. launched a strike in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, delivering what President Trump sardonically called a “Christmas present” to members of Lakurawa, an alleged Islamic State-backed group (though IS has not claimed affiliation). Trump claims the strikes were a response to Christian persecution, but Nigeria’s Foreign Minister has said the joint operation had “nothing to do with a particular religion.” In reality, most of the people suffering under Lakurawa control are Muslim.

Venezuela

In December, following the strikes on boats in international waters, the U.S. began to seize oil tankers and announced a blockade on tankers going in and out of Venezuela. Then the CIA struck a docking area in Venezuela, which the Administration claimed was being used by drug cartels. It was the first known U.S. attack on Venezuelan soil, producing no reported casualties, and a precursor to the large-scale attack that followed on January 3.