Since returning to the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump has overseen a rapid and wide-ranging expansion of American military activity overseas, authorising strikes across the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean within the first year of his second term.
Despite branding himself a “peace president,” Trump has framed the surge in military action as an extension of his long-standing doctrine of “peace through strength.” Speaking at his January inaugural ball, Trump said America’s success would be judged not only by wars it wins, but by conflicts it avoids, adding that his “proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier.”
In practice, 2025 has marked one of the most active years for U.S. overseas military operations in recent history.
Somalia: Renewed Campaign Against ISIS
February 1 — ongoing
The first major strike of Trump’s second term targeted Islamic State affiliates in Somalia.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation aimed to degrade ISIS’s capacity to plan and execute attacks against U.S. interests, allies and civilians.
The campaign has continued throughout the year, signalling a sustained U.S. counterterrorism posture in East Africa.
Iraq: Senior ISIS Leader Killed
March 13
A U.S.-led coalition strike in Iraq’s Anbar Province killed Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, described by Iraqi authorities as ISIS’s second-highest-ranking leader.
Iraq’s prime minister called al-Rifai “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world,” underscoring the strike’s symbolic and operational importance.
Yemen: Costly Air Campaign Against Houthis
March 15 – May 6
In mid-March, the Trump administration launched an intensive air campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to the Pentagon, targets included command centres, air-defence systems and facilities used to manufacture and store advanced weapons.
The operation employed JASSM long-range cruise missiles, JSOW glide bombs and Tomahawk missiles, surpassing $1 billion in costs within its first month.
The campaign ended on May 6 following an Oman-brokered ceasefire.
Iran: Bunker-Buster Strike on Nuclear Sites
June 22
In one of the most dramatic military actions of 2025, Operation Midnight Hammer saw seven B-2 stealth bombers fly from Missouri to strike Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear facilities.
The bombers dropped 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on Fordo and Natanz, while a U.S. Navy submarine launched more than a dozen Tomahawk missiles at Isfahan.
Trump declared the mission had achieved “total obliteration” of Iran’s enrichment capability, a claim Tehran strongly disputed.
Pentagon assessments later suggested Iran’s nuclear programme may have been set back by up to two years.
Caribbean and Eastern Pacific: War on Drug Cartels
September 2 — ongoing
Since September, U.S. forces have carried out lethal maritime strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific as part of a sweeping counternarcotics campaign targeting drug trafficking linked to Venezuela.
Trump has described the deployment as the “largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America,” vowing that the operation would expand further.
At least 106 people have reportedly been killed in strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels.
Syria: Retaliatory Strikes Against ISIS
December 19
Trump ordered Operation Hawkeye Strike after a terrorist attack in Syria killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian American interpreter.
According to U.S. Central Command, American fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery struck more than 70 suspected ISIS targets across central Syria.
The operation was named after Iowa’s “Hawkeye State,” honouring the fallen soldiers.
Nigeria: Christmas Day Airstrikes
December 25
On Christmas Day, Trump announced U.S. airstrikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria, saying the action was taken to protect Christian communities he claimed were facing mass violence.
The operation involved more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a U.S. Navy vessel in the Gulf of Guinea and was coordinated with Nigerian forces. Trump later said the timing was deliberate, calling it a “Christmas present.”
Venezuela: First Known Strike Inside the Country
December — ongoing
In December, U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly carried out a drone strike on a coastal facility in Venezuela — the first known U.S. attack inside the country since Washington escalated pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
The strike allegedly targeted infrastructure used by the Tren de Aragua criminal network to store and prepare narcotics for shipment.
A ‘Peace President’ or Force-First Doctrine?
Trump’s supporters argue the operations demonstrate decisive leadership and deterrence, while critics say the scale and pace of strikes contradict his peacemaker image. What is clear is that 2025 has repositioned U.S. military power as a central tool of Trump’s foreign policy — even as he insists the ultimate goal remains avoiding larger wars.
Discover more from Defence Talks | Defense News Hub, Military Updates, Security Insights
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
