President Donald Trump is presiding over a rapidly escalating campaign of US air strikes across multiple continents, with new data revealing the scale of the military intervention has more than doubled in a single year.
A Global Surge in Military Operations
According to the monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), the number of global US military air and drone strikes in 2025 was more than double the figure for the previous year. This marks a significant intensification since 2024.
The campaign has seen operations in familiar conflict zones but has also opened new fronts. Targets in Somalia and Yemen have been hit most frequently, analysts note. In Somalia, strikes focus on al-Shabaab and Islamic State affiliates, while in Yemen, Houthi militants are the primary objective.
New Fronts and High-Profile Strikes
This expanding air war has moved beyond traditional theatres. On Monday, President Trump acknowledged a US strike on a dock facility in Venezuela, marking the first known land-based attack in the country as part of a campaign against so-called 'narco-terrorists'.
This followed a Christmas Day operation in north-western Nigeria, where the Pentagon said it struck ISIS targets. Dr Ladd Serwat, senior Africa analyst at ACLED, told Metro: "This was the first US air strike in Nigeria since 1997." He described it as part of a "rapidly escalating campaign of aerial warfare."
Other major operations under Trump include strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran during the summer, which the President claimed had been "completely and totally obliterated," though independent assessments suggested a more limited setback. US forces also claimed to have killed ISIS's global second-in-command in an air strike in Iraq's Anbar Province on March 13.
Strategic Intent and Questioned Impact
Military analysts observe a distinct shift in strategy. Peter Layton, a military aviation analyst at the Griffith Asia Institute, said: "The first year of the second Trump administration has certainly featured a new emphasis on air strikes compared to the previous Biden administration."
He noted the strikes are frequent, diverse across multiple countries, and increasing in rate, primarily targeting non-state groups like ISIL and drug smugglers. Layton suggested a key intent is to send a public, performative message of retribution, particularly after the killing of two US servicemen in Syria by ISIS in December.
However, the practical impact of this barrage is debated. While Trump hails "perfect" hits, commentators question the effectiveness in complex conflict zones like Nigeria. Furthermore, the escalation is pursued by a President who once advocated for the US to stop policing the world but is now reportedly eager to land the Nobel Peace Prize.
Looking ahead, Layton assesses that the long-term trend of frequent air strikes is likely to continue through 2026, offering a low-risk way to project power against non-state actors and weaker states, signalling America's continued appetite for global military intervention.
