During his presidency, Trump authorized several military actions and interventions:
- Syria: In April 2017, the US launched cruise missile strikes against a Syrian airbase in response to a chemical weapons attack attributed to the Assad regime. The Trump administration also increased US deployments in Syria to combat the Islamic State group, leading to the defeat of ISIS's territorial caliphate in Iraq and Syria. However, Trump later ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Syria in December 2018, prompting the resignation of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.
- Afghanistan: Trump expressed a desire to reduce US involvement in Afghanistan and eventually oversaw the signing of a deal with the Taliban in February 2020, leading to a full US troop withdrawal a year later. However, during his term, military leaders also petitioned for more troops and the administration considered loosening the rules of engagement.
- Yemen: Trump authorized airstrikes against al-Qaeda and loosened the military's rules of engagement in Yemen, while also supporting the Saudi-led intervention in the war through air support and arms sales.
- Iran: Tensions escalated with Iran during the Trump administration, including the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020, which led to retaliatory missile strikes by Iran against US forces in Iraq. Recently, President Trump ordered airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. This action was taken without congressional approval and has been criticized by some lawmakers as potentially escalating the conflict.
- Somalia: Trump eased Obama-era restrictions on the use of force in Somalia, giving military commanders more freedom to act against the terrorist group al-Shabab.
While Trump's presidency did not initiate major new large-scale wars on the scale of those in Ukraine or the current conflict in the Middle East, it involved continued and escalated engagement in existing conflicts and military actions. The claim that Trump started "no wars" during his presidency has been disputed, as at least 65 active duty troops died in hostile action during his tenure.
