--- title: Countries Trump Has Ordered Strikes On in His Second Term description: Trump ran in 2024 on a campaign that swore to avoid dragging the U.S. into foreign wars. canonical: https://time.com/7382074/countries-trump-has-ordered-strikes-on-second-term/ author: Tiago Ventura article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-03-02T16:15:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-19T11:49:52.618Z article:section: Politics og:title: Countries Trump Has Ordered Strikes On in His Second Term og:description: Trump ran in 2024 on a campaign that swore to avoid dragging the U.S. into foreign wars. og:url: https://time.com/7382074/countries-trump-has-ordered-strikes-on-second-term/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dc76e2a7df507ac/69b0489cafd29a82d32462e7/GettyImages-2263872604.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6724 og:image:height: 3782 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS-TRUMP og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Countries Trump Has Ordered Strikes On in His Second Term twitter:description: Trump ran in 2024 on a campaign that swore to avoid dragging the U.S. into foreign wars. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dc76e2a7df507ac/69b0489cafd29a82d32462e7/GettyImages-2263872604.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # From Iran to Venezuela, Here Are the Countries Trump Has Ordered Strikes On in His Second Term > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Mar 2, 2026 4:15 PM UTC  President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One before departing Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on March 1, 2026. President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One before departing Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on March 1, 2026. Mandel Ngan—Getty Images  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Mar 2, 2026 4:15 PM UTC President Donald [Trump ran in 2024](https://time.com/7201547/person-of-the-year-2024-donald-trump-choice/) on a campaign that swore to avoid dragging the U.S. into foreign wars, instead focusing on home prosperity. Earlier this year, the White House referred to him as the “[President of Peace](https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/02/president-trumps-peace-through-strength-renewed-american-leadership-and-global-security/).” But that title is being [scrutinized](https://time.com/7381852/iran-war-congress-war-powers-act/) following the U.S. decision to strike Iran over the weekend. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” said Trump as he announced the launch of U.S.-Israeli military action early Saturday morning. The targeted strikes [killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei](https://time.com/7381859/ali-khamenei-obituary-supreme-leader-iran-dead-86/) and other senior figures of the Iranian regime. And the impact is being felt beyond the Middle East, with Iran launching widespread retaliatory strikes against the U.S.-aligned Gulf states. On Monday morning, a [British airbase in Cyprus was targeted](https://time.com/7382076/british-base-hit-iran-war-drones-united-kingdom-terror-threat/), hours after U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he was changing course and allowing the U.S. to use British bases to launch defensive missiles. As the Iran war widens, Trump said in an [interview](https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/03/trump-iran-attack-negotiations/686201/) that Iranian leaders “want to talk” and he has agreed to speak with them. When asked how long the military operation would last, he declined to specify a timeline, though he later [said](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15604111/Trump-Iran-missiles-race-stockpiles-Israel-Tehran.html) it could extend up to four weeks. He has also [refused](https://nypost.com/2026/03/02/us-news/trump-wont-rule-out-sending-us-troops-into-iran-if-necessary-tells-the-post-i-dont-care-about-polling/) to rule out deploying ground troops in Iran, “if necessary.”  Smoke rises from the area after it was targeted in attacks as a series of explosions are heard in Tehran, Iran on March 01, 2026. Fatemeh Bahrami- AnadoluAnadolu/Getty So far, four U.S. troops have been [killed](https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2028446849078530280), and others seriously wounded. Trump called the fallen service members “true American patriots” in a public address, admitting that “sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That's the way it is.” The strikes on Iran mark the latest military action ordered by Trump following his return to the White House in January 2025. Here are the countries and areas Trump has ordered strikes on in his second term: ## **2025** ### **Somalia** On Feb. 1, the U.S. carried out airstrikes against Islamic State operatives in Somalia. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth [said](https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4050461/secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-statement-on-us-africa-command-strikes-in-som/) the strikes were directed by Trump and coordinated with Somalia’s government. The Pentagon assessed that “multiple” operatives were killed and no civilians were harmed. Trump later [said](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113929767736564719) that a senior IS planner and recruits were targeted. ### **Iraq** On March 13, U.S.-led coalition forces, alongside Iraqi national intelligence services and Security Forces, killed a senior Islamic State leader in a “precision airstrike” in Iraq’s western Al Anbar province, [according](https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/4121311/centcom-forces-kill-isis-chief-of-global-operations-who-also-served-as-isis-2/) to U.S. Central Command. Trump [said](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114164024901387974) on March 14 that a “fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed” after being “relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters.” ### **Yemen** Between March and May, the U.S. launched naval and airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels in what was codenamed Operation Rough Rider, the largest U.S. military operation in the Middle East during Trump’s second term at that time. The strikes targeted radar systems, air defenses, and missile and drone launch sites in response to the [Houthis targeting international vessels in the Red Sea](https://time.com/6554861/yemen-houthi-rebels-history-cause-israel-hamas-war/). On May 6, Trump declared the campaign over “effective immediately,” following a cease-fire brokered by Oman between the U.S. and the Houthis. ### **Iran** In early June, amid negotiations over nuclear capabilities, Israel began striking Iranian targets. On June 22, the U.S. [joined](https://time.com/7296469/u-s-strikes-iran-nuclear-trump-war/) the campaign, striking three key nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in Operation Midnight Hammer, using B‑2 bombers and submarine-launched Tomahawks. Trump said the strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” the facilities and Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts. The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based organization, [reported](https://www.en-hrana.org/twelve-days-under-fire-a-comprehensive-report-on-the-iran-israel-war/) at least 5,665 casualties, including 1,190 killed and 4,475 injured, both military and civilian, as a result of the broader 12-day conflict. ### **Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean** On Sept. 2, the U.S. carried out its first strike against what Trump said was a drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by Tren de Aragua. The strikes later [expanded](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115373751811822463) to routes in nearby Latin American waters, including the eastern Pacific off Central America. The strikes continued into the new year. On Feb. 16, three separate U.S. military strikes killed 11 people on three boats that the military deemed were “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” in the Caribbean Sea. **Read More**: [_Which Countries Have Stopped Sharing Intelligence With U.S. Over Boat Strikes in Caribbean?_](https://time.com/7333231/countries-stop-sharing-intelligence-with-united-states-amid-boat-strikes-caribbean/) ### **Syria** On Dec. 19, the U.S. [carried out](https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/4365803/centcom-launches-operation-hawkeye-strike-against-isis-in-syria/) large-scale strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria under Operation Hawkeye Strike. The campaign followed an IS [attack](https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/1999881329593258126) on U.S. forces earlier that month where two U.S. soldiers and an American civil interpreter were killed. U.S. and Jordanian partner forces fired more than 100 precision munitions at over 70 targets in multiple locations across central Syria. On Jan. 10, U.S. and partner forces [conducted](https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/4375251/us-partner-forces-strike-isis-targets-in-syria/#:~:text=U.S.%20Central%20Command%20Forces%2C%20alongside,10%2C%202026.) further large-scale strikes against multiple ISIS targets across Syria. Later, on Jan. 16 CENTCOM [conducted](https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/4382189/us-forces-kill-al-qaeda-affiliate-leader-linked-to-isis-ambush-on-americans-in/) a strike in northwest Syria that resulted in the death of Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, a leader affiliated with Al-Qaeda who had “direct ties to an ISIS terrorist responsible for an ambush which killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter on Dec. 13, 2025.” ### **Nigeria** Trump initially [deployed](https://x.com/DOlusegun/status/2023458841342447934) 100 U.S. military personnel to Nigeria to train local forces, threatening strikes if the government did not address what he described as a “genocide” of Christians. Nigerian officials [rejected](https://fmino.gov.ng/fg-refutes-false-claims-of-religious-genocide-in-nigeria/) that characterization, describing the violence as part of longstanding civil conflict. On Dec. 25, U.S. Africa Command, in coordination with Nigerian authorities, [conducted](https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/36158/us-africa-command-conducts-strike-against-isis-in-nigeria?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) strikes against ISIS operatives in Sokoto State. Trump [said](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115782683955516402) the “powerful and deadly strike” killed multiple ISIS terrorists.  ## **2026** ### **Venezuela** On Jan. 3, American special operations forces carried out a pre-dawn raid in Caracas, bombing the capital and [detaining](https://time.com/7342941/venezuela-maduro-bombing-trump-delta-force/) Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife,[ Cilia Flores](https://time.com/7343188/who-is-cilia-flores-maduro-wife-venezuela-politics/), who were transported to the U.S. to face trial on narco-terrorism charges. Trump [referred](https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTDpo7XjdZm/) to the operation as one of the “most stunning, effective, and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history.”  Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad on Jan. 5, 2026. XNY—Getty Images ### **Iran** The U.S. military had been building up its presence in the Middle East region for weeks amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear capabilities. After last Thursday's third round of indirect talks in Geneva between U.S. and Iranian officials yielded no deal, Trump moved ahead with a surprise military operation titled Operation Epic Fury without congressional approval. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7382074/countries-trump-has-ordered-strikes-on-second-term/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7382074/countries-trump-has-ordered-strikes-on-second-term/"},"headline":"From Iran to Venezuela, Here Are the Countries Trump Has Ordered Strikes On in His Second Term","datePublished":"2026-03-02T16:15:09.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-19T11:49:52.618Z","description":"Trump ran in 2024 on a campaign that swore to avoid dragging the U.S. into foreign wars.","url":"https://time.com/7382074/countries-trump-has-ordered-strikes-on-second-term/","keywords":["Trump Administration","Donald Trump","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dc76e2a7df507ac/69b0489cafd29a82d32462e7/GettyImages-2263872604.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tiago Ventura","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dc76e2a7df507ac/69b0489cafd29a82d32462e7/GettyImages-2263872604.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-POLITICS-TRUMP","caption":"US-POLITICS-TRUMP","creditText":"Mandel Ngan—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/trump-administration/","name":"Trump Administration"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7382074/countries-trump-has-ordered-strikes-on-second-term/","name":"From Iran to Venezuela, Here Are the Countries Trump Has Ordered Strikes On in His Second Term"}}]}] ```