Trump’s ‘peace’ presidency: 7 nations struck and a leader captured in 12 months
Deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize, the US president recently launched major strikes on Caracas and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, claiming that the operation was aimed at ending a “narco-terrorist regime”.
US President Donald Trump dances as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo) Amid criticism from Europe over the United States’ military action against Venezuela, the White House Wednesday justified its action as “necessary”. It said President Donald Trump’s first resort will, “of course”, be diplomacy, but the country reserves the right to use military action against illegitimate regimes.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “The president, aof course, reserves the right to use the United States military, if necessary.”
“The President is fully deploying his peace through strength foreign policy agenda.” — @PressSec pic.twitter.com/zaNtVtVY6L
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 7, 2026
When asked if Trump would deploy US troops to safeguard oil workers, Leavitt said that the US president would do what is in the best interest of the American people. “It’s not something he wants to do; diplomacy is always the first option. As you saw, he tried that with Nicolas Maduro, but unfortunately, he was an illegitimate dictator and an unserious person,” she said.
.@PressSec: “The President, of course, reserves the right to use the United States military if necessary. It’s not something he wants to do. Diplomacy is always the first option. As you saw he tried that with Nicolas Maduro but unfortunately he was an illegitimate dictator and an… pic.twitter.com/nXzdCsTY9R
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 7, 2026
Since his taking office in January 2025, Trump, who models himself as the ‘president of peace’ claims to have stopped eight wars around the globe, including that of India and Pakistan. He also claimed that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for his “peace efforts”. Trump has so far exercised what he calls his “right to use US military” a total of seven times against other nations.
Which countries faced US military aggression in 2025?
Trump’s second term saw a barrage of military attacks being carried out by the US army against a total of seven countries, including Venezuela, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, Yemen and Somalia.
The US president recently launched major strikes on Caracas and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, claiming that the operation was aimed at ending a “narco-terrorist regime”.
Venezuela
Last week, the United States launched large-scale military strikes on Caracas and captured Maduro and his wife. Trump said the operation was aimed at ending what Washington describes as a “narco-terrorist regime” and securing a “transition” in the oil-rich South American nation.
The overnight strikes, which knocked out power in parts of the Venezuelan capital and hit military installations, mark the most direct US intervention in Venezuela in decades.
Before this, the US hit vessels from Venezuela, accusing the country of conducting a drug trade.
Syria
In December 2025, the US carried out military strikes against Islamic State (IS) fighters and weapons sites in Syria, following an attack that killed two US soldiers and an American interpreter.
The strikes, which were launched on December 20, targeted around 70 IS-linked sites across central Syria.
In a social media post, Trump said the strikes hit IS “strongholds” and warned the group against carrying out any further attacks on Americans.
“We are striking very strongly against ISIS strongholds in Syria, a place soaked in blood, which has many problems, but one that has a bright future if ISIS can be eradicated. The Government of Syria, led by a man who is working very hard to bring Greatness back to Syria, and is fully in support. All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE USA,” he wrote in a post on his Truth Social handle.
Iraq
The United States fired a missile salvo on Iraq’s al-Anbar province in March last year and killed a senior Islamic State (IS) group leader who, according to Iraq’s PM Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, was responsible for foreign operations.
Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufayi “was considered one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world”, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a post on X.
Later, Trump took X and said, “Today, the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed. He was relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters. His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government.”
Iran
The US strike targeted three of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in June last year.
Trump declared that the facilities were “completely and fully obliterated.”
He warned Tehran against carrying out retaliatory attacks, saying that “there will either be peace or tragedy for Iran, far greater than what we have witnessed over the last eight days.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Washington’s move and, in a video message addressed to the US President, said, “Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history.”
Nigeria
US President Donald Trump announced that American forces carried out a “powerful and deadly” strike on ISIS terrorists in northwest Nigeria, citing the group’s “vicious killing” of Christians. The US military said the strike was conducted at Nigeria’s request and killed multiple militants.
Trump warned further action would follow if attacks continued. Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to religious freedom while rejecting claims of systematic persecution of Christians amid ongoing extremist violence.
Yemen
In March 2025, the US conducted over 40 strikes across Yemeni territories — including the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, the northern Sadaa governorate, and the Hodeidah Port — in what it called “precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets”.
Trump, in a Truth Social post, addressed both the Houthis (Ansar Allah) and Iran, saying, “To all Houthi terrorists, your time is up, and your attacks must stop…To Iran, support for Houthi terrorists must end immediately…” Two days later, Trump reiterated that the Houthi attacks “emanate from, and are created by Iran”, and declared that every shot being fired by the Houthis will be viewed as a shot fired from Iran, which would “suffer consequences”.
Somalia
The US intensified air attacks in the country in February 2025. Later, a top US military officer was quoted as saying that it was the “largest air strike in the history of the world”.
On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, US State Department officials slammed Somalian authorities over alleged food aid theft and hit pause on “all ongoing US assistance programmes” to its government. “The US is deeply concerned by reports that Federal Government of Somalia officials have destroyed a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid for vulnerable Somalis. The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” the US State Department said in a post on X.
The 🇺🇸 is deeply concerned by reports that Federal Government of Somalia officials have destroyed a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid for vulnerable Somalis. The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance… pic.twitter.com/fCDTCBegbt
— USForeignAssist (@USForeignAssist) January 7, 2026
Going by Trump’s record, it wouldn’t be surprising if US continues its onslaught on Somalia now.
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