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How Many Countries Has Trump Bombed? Counterterror or Overreach?
In under a year, the Trump administration has expanded U.S. military strikes across seven countries — from high-volume campaigns in Yemen and Somalia, to one-off “precision” strikes in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Nigeria, plus a controversial maritime strike campaign tied to Venezuela.
In this episode, I go country by country (least strikes → most) to answer five questions for each: when did the strikes happen, what was the stated justification, how many people died, are more strikes likely, and were they justified? The headline: strike counts are easier to track than deaths — because official casualty reporting is often incomplete, and independent monitors don’t always agree.
Countries covered (least strikes → most)
Iraq (1 strike)
A March 2025 precision strike that CENTCOM says killed ISIS’s “global #2” leader and one other operative.
Nigeria (1 strike)
A December 2025 U.S. strike in Sokoto State; AFRICOM said “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed, without giving a public number.
Iran (1 strike operation)
A June 2025 strike package reported to hit Iran’s main nuclear sites (Natanz, Isfahan, Fordow), involving B-2 bombers, bunker-busters, and Tomahawk missiles. Public casualty totals are unclear in the reporting.
Syria (1 major operation / many targets)
Operation Hawkeye Strike (Dec 2025): CENTCOM said the U.S. hit 70+ ISIS targets using 100+ precision munitions, following attacks on U.S./partner forces.
Venezuela-linked maritime campaign (30+ strikes/operations)
Since Sept 2025, Reuters reports “more than 30” lethal operations against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 110 people. Human Rights Watch argues these actions amount to unlawful “extrajudicial killings.”
Somalia (111 strikes)
Al Jazeera, citing New America’s strike tracking, reports at least 111 U.S. strikes since Jan 2025, tied to operations against al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia. AFRICOM statements and independent reporting disagree at times on civilian harm, and total deaths across the full set of strikes are not publicly consolidated.
Yemen (339 strikes)
Yemen Data Project reports 339 U.S. strikes in 53 days (Mar 15–May 6, 2025) during “Operation Rough Rider,” with at least 238 civilians killed and 467 injured (including children). Reuters reported a ceasefire announcement in early May.
Big takeaways
The strike campaign is highly concentrated in Yemen and Somalia, with a separate and legally contentious campaign at sea tied to Venezuela.
Counting strikes is easier than counting deaths — especially where official casualty reporting is limited or disputed.
The “justified?” question depends on which framework you use: self-defense & counterterror vs sovereignty, proportionality, transparency, and civilian protection.
Sources
ACLED (as cited by Al Jazeera), Yemen Data Project, Reuters, CENTCOM, AFRICOM, Human Rights Watch, and New America strike tracking.
View all episodes
By Nick ZenkinIn under a year, the Trump administration has expanded U.S. military strikes across seven countries — from high-volume campaigns in Yemen and Somalia, to one-off “precision” strikes in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Nigeria, plus a controversial maritime strike campaign tied to Venezuela.
In this episode, I go country by country (least strikes → most) to answer five questions for each: when did the strikes happen, what was the stated justification, how many people died, are more strikes likely, and were they justified? The headline: strike counts are easier to track than deaths — because official casualty reporting is often incomplete, and independent monitors don’t always agree.
Countries covered (least strikes → most)
Iraq (1 strike)
A March 2025 precision strike that CENTCOM says killed ISIS’s “global #2” leader and one other operative.
Nigeria (1 strike)
A December 2025 U.S. strike in Sokoto State; AFRICOM said “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed, without giving a public number.
Iran (1 strike operation)
A June 2025 strike package reported to hit Iran’s main nuclear sites (Natanz, Isfahan, Fordow), involving B-2 bombers, bunker-busters, and Tomahawk missiles. Public casualty totals are unclear in the reporting.
Syria (1 major operation / many targets)
Operation Hawkeye Strike (Dec 2025): CENTCOM said the U.S. hit 70+ ISIS targets using 100+ precision munitions, following attacks on U.S./partner forces.
Venezuela-linked maritime campaign (30+ strikes/operations)
Since Sept 2025, Reuters reports “more than 30” lethal operations against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 110 people. Human Rights Watch argues these actions amount to unlawful “extrajudicial killings.”
Somalia (111 strikes)
Al Jazeera, citing New America’s strike tracking, reports at least 111 U.S. strikes since Jan 2025, tied to operations against al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia. AFRICOM statements and independent reporting disagree at times on civilian harm, and total deaths across the full set of strikes are not publicly consolidated.
Yemen (339 strikes)
Yemen Data Project reports 339 U.S. strikes in 53 days (Mar 15–May 6, 2025) during “Operation Rough Rider,” with at least 238 civilians killed and 467 injured (including children). Reuters reported a ceasefire announcement in early May.
Big takeaways
The strike campaign is highly concentrated in Yemen and Somalia, with a separate and legally contentious campaign at sea tied to Venezuela.
Counting strikes is easier than counting deaths — especially where official casualty reporting is limited or disputed.
The “justified?” question depends on which framework you use: self-defense & counterterror vs sovereignty, proportionality, transparency, and civilian protection.
Sources
ACLED (as cited by Al Jazeera), Yemen Data Project, Reuters, CENTCOM, AFRICOM, Human Rights Watch, and New America strike tracking.