In 2025, the United States conducted a year-long campaign of airstrikes described as defending the homeland, with operations spanning Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Nigeria, Venezuela, and the Caribbean/Eastern Pacific. The campaign targeted ISIS and ISIS-Somalia affiliates, Houthi militants, Iranian nuclear sites, and narco-trafficking networks, among other threats, under a unified framing of homeland defense.
The strikes were directed by President Donald J. Trump and carried out by the U.S. military/Department of War across multiple theaters worldwide. The effort was presented as a coordinated campaign, with named operations and region-specific strikes.
Notable operations and targets mentioned in the reporting included Midnight Hammer (aimed at Iranian nuclear sites), Operation Southern Spear (targeting narco-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean/Eastern Pacific), and Operation Hawkeye (focused on Syria). Additional strikes targeted ISIS–affiliated groups in Somalia and Nigeria, with actions also reported in Yemen, Iraq, and other regions against ISIS networks.
The campaign described active or recent operations in Somalia (ISIS-Somalia), Yemen (Houthis), Iraq (ISIS leaders), Iran (nuclear sites), Syria, Nigeria (Sokoto State), the Caribbean/Eastern Pacific (narco-trafficking vessels), Northwest Nigeria, and Venezuela, among other regional mentions.
Rationale: Officials framed the strikes as defenses of the homeland and vital national interests, aimed at counterterrorism, countering narcotics trafficking, and deterring adversaries in key theaters, including protection of Christian communities in some narratives.
Casualties and detentions: The reporting notes deaths or targeting of militants (for example, ISIS fighters and leaders) and detentions in some operations (including ISIS-Somalia operatives killed and more than 300 terrorists detained). Civilian casualties are not consistently reported in the materials provided.
Implications and reactions: The campaign drew both praise and controversy. Some officials and commentators argued that escalation was warranted for homeland security and regional stability, while others warned of rising tensions, potential civilian harm, and the risks of a protracted global conflict.
The details draw on a range of referenced reporting and analyses, including outlets such as Fox News, Reuters, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, the Washington Post, CFR, Brookings, and White House materials referenced in the source data.