After Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term, the United States carried out military actions across multiple regions, despite declaring that he would end wars.
Trump had campaigned on a promise to end conflicts, declaring, “I’m not going to start wars, I’m going to stop wars.” His administration also framed his approach as focused on peace.
Yet by 2026, US forces were engaged in major operations in the Middle East, including a large-scale conflict with Iran, as well as interventions in Latin America and beyond.
A growing list of countries have been affected by strikes, deployments or direct intervention, raising fresh questions about the direction of US foreign policy and warnings from some analysts of a wider global escalation.
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As that list expands, here are the places where Trump has authorized military action.
Iran
The ongoing conflict with Iran has escalated over its nuclear programme. After earlier strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in 2025, the conflict intensified in February 2026, when the US joined Israel in a large-scale air campaign targeting military and strategic sites across the country.
The strikes hit hundreds of targets and were part of a broader effort to degrade Iran’s military capabilities. Senior Iranian figures were killed, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei,
Some 65% of Americans believe Trump will order troops to take part in a large-scale ground deployment to Iran, Reuters reports.
Ecuador
Reports this month that the Trump administration approved security cooperation with Ecuador targeting groups labeled as ‘terrorists’ appeared in Al Jazeera and USA Today.
The military involvement is not against the country’s government itself and the White House said it was working with Ecuadorian authorities to combat ‘terrorists’ with joint operations already underway.
However key details remain unclear and neither side has specified who is being targeted, where the operations are taking place, or how far the mission will go, USA Today reports.
Syria
In January 2026, the Trump administration carried out large-scale airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, following an attack on US-linked forces. The Pentagon said the strikes were intended to disrupt ISIS operations and protect American and partner personnel in the region, according to BBC News.
However, the circumstances behind the attack remain unclear. Some reports suggested the assailant may not have been directly acting on behalf of ISIS, and the group itself did not formally claim responsibility, the New York Times reports.
Despite the escalation, Syrian authorities have signalled continued cooperation with the US and its allies in efforts to counter ISIS, as noted by the Council on Foreign Relations.
Caribbean and eastern Pacific
Since late 2025, the Donald Trump administration has authorised dozens of strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. More than 40 such operations have been reported, with over 100 deaths, according to NBC News.
The campaign has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers, while the White House maintains the strikes are necessary to prevent illicit drugs from reaching the United States.
Venezuela
The Trump administration has also taken direct action in Venezuela, targeting the government of President Nicolás Maduro. In January 2026, US forces carried out an incursion into Caracas that resulted in Maduro’s capture, leaving the country facing significant political uncertainty.
Maduro was transferred to the United States to face charges. Trump has 'never formally declared war on Venezuela, despite overseeing an aggressive military campaign on the South American country,' Time reports.
Yemen
From March to May 2025, the US carried out a sustained campaign of naval and airstrikes against Houthis in Yemen. The operation targeted military infrastructure, including radar systems, air defences, and missile and drone launch sites, in response to attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
Human rights groups have raised concerns about the impact of the strikes.
US officials have defended the Yemen operations as legally justified under the president’s authority to protect US forces and interests, stating they were carried out in accordance with constitutional and statutory requirements outlined to Congress.
Somalia
Since early 2025, the Donald Trump administration has carried out an intensive campaign of airstrikes in Somalia, targeting both Islamic State and al-Shabaab.
More than 100 strikes have been reported, most conducted by drone, according to NewsNation.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the campaign reflects ongoing security cooperation with the United States to counter extremist threats.
US officials say the strikes have killed multiple militant operatives.
Iraq
In March 2025, US forces carried out a precision airstrike in Iraq that killed a senior Islamic State leader, identified by United States Central Command as Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai.
Following the escalation with Iran in 2026, U.S. officials also held discussions with Kurdish groups in northern Iraq about potentially supporting forces opposed to Tehran, according to NBC News. No policy decision has been publicly confirmed.
Cuba
In March 2026, President Donald Trump made confrontational remarks regarding Cuba, suggesting the island ‘may fall pretty soon’ and that the United States could ‘take’ the country amid its ongoing economic and energy crisis.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly rejected the comments, pledging to resist any interference.
While no formal US military action has occurred in Cuba, the statements signal a stark warning distinct from the administration’s anti-drug operations elsewhere in the Caribbean.
Topics: News, US News, World News, Iran, Donald Trump
Greg Harris