President Donald Trump has carried out nearly as many U.S. military airstrikes in the first five months of his presidency as were recorded during the entire four-year term of his predecessor, Joe Biden, according to a new report.
Despite pledges on the 2024 campaign trail to end America’s involvement in “forever wars,” Trump has ordered hundreds of bombings across at least five countries, failing so far to end the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
The review, conducted by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), revealed that U.S. forces have carried out at least 529 airstrikes across more than 240 locations in the Middle East and Africa since Trump assumed office in January.
The vast majority of these strikes – totalling 474 – were launched in Yemen, targeting the Houthi movement which supports Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza.
The report adds that U.S. stealth bombers and bunker-busting munitions were used to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, tipping the military balance in favour of Israel.
“We worked [with Netanyahu] as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before. And we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel,” Trump said following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
While strikes have also hit Syria and Iraq, the report states that Yemen and Somalia were the countries bombed the most during Trump’s first six months in office. In response to questions from Anadolu Agency, the Pentagon only acknowledged strikes in Yemen and Iran.
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“In just five months, Trump has overseen nearly as many U.S. airstrikes (529) as were recorded across the entire four years of the previous administration (555),” said ACLED President Clionadh Raleigh.
Observers say many of the airstrikes have been carried out by US Navy aircraft carriers such as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Harry S. Truman, which have been deployed to the region.
Although the exact locations of U.S. military bases are often withheld for security reasons, other strikes are believed to have originated from American bases in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other allied Muslim-majority states in the region.
“The US military is moving faster, hitting harder, and doing so with fewer constraints. Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and now Iran are all familiar terrain—but this isn’t about geography, it’s about frequency,” Raleigh added.
Locations of airstrikes
In Yemen, the heaviest-bombed country so far in 2025, the stated U.S. objective has been to degrade Houthi capabilities to target Israeli interests and to disrupt Red Sea shipping in support of the besieged population in Gaza.
While attracting fewer international media attention, 44 airstrikes have also been recorded in Somalia this year. The US says it is targeting militants from ISIS-Somalia and Al-Shabaab.
American strikes in Iraq and Syria are reportedly aimed at militias viewed by Washington as Iranian proxies.
Trump has framed his foreign policy approach as one of “peace through strength,” echoing a long-standing U.S. military doctrine.
“Like in 2017, we will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen.
“We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end—and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into,” Trump said in his inaugural address.
“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I want to be: a peacemaker and a unifier,” he added.
However, the contrast in Washington’s approach to military action in the Middle East versus Europe has not gone unnoticed.
