From Iran strikes to Maduro raid: 7 major US military operations
Major US military operations since 2001 include wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, along with recent raids, airstrikes and counterterror missions across multiple countries.
The United States has carried out a series of military operations across multiple regions over the past two decades, ranging from large-scale wars to targeted raids and airstrikes. These actions have come back into focus following the recent joint US-Israel strikes on Iranian targets, which have intensified geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and beyond.
From counterterrorism operations in Syria to anti-drug missions in Latin America and major wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, US military involvement abroad has taken many forms. Here is a closer look at six significant operations spanning different countries and time periods.
On March 3, 2026, US and Ecuadorian military forces launched coordinated operations targeting organised crime and drug-trafficking networks inside Ecuador. The mission was confirmed by US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which said the action was directed against “designated terrorist organizations” involved in narco-terrorism and illegal mining.
ALSO READ | President’s war powers: Who can take the US to war? What the American Constitution says
While details of the operation remain classified, Ecuador’s government described it as part of a new phase in its campaign against powerful criminal cartels that have fueled escalating violence in the country. Ecuador has increasingly sought international military cooperation as it confronts transnational drug networks that operate across South America.
Earlier in 2026, the United States conducted one of its most dramatic overseas operations in Venezuela. On January 3, US special operations forces launched a raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The mission, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, involved multiple branches of the US military, including Delta Force and aviation units from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The couple was flown to the US warship USS Iwo Jima and later transferred to the United States to face charges related to narcotics trafficking and other offenses in federal court.
The operation sparked intense international debate over sovereignty and the legality of conducting such a military action on foreign soil.
In December 2025, US Central Command launched Operation Hawkeye Strike, a major air and artillery campaign targeting ISIS infrastructure in Syria. The operation followed an attack earlier that month that killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter near Palmyra.
During the operation, US and partner forces, including Jordanian aircraft, struck more than 70 ISIS targets across central Syria using over 100 precision munitions. The strikes targeted weapons depots, training camps, command centers, and logistical hubs associated with the militant group.
The mission was part of the broader US-led campaign against ISIS that has continued in Syria for more than a decade.
On June 22, 2025, the United States carried out a major strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.
During the mission, B-2 Spirit stealth bombers launched from Whiteman Air Force Base struck three key Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—using massive bunker-buster bombs known as GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators. Submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles were also used in the attack.
The operation marked the first combat use of the GBU-57 bombs and represented a significant escalation in tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme.
The longest war in US history began in October 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The United States, leading an international coalition, invaded Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban government that had sheltered the group.
American-backed forces quickly toppled the Taliban regime, but the conflict evolved into a prolonged insurgency that lasted nearly two decades.
The war formally ended in 2021 as US forces withdrew and the Taliban returned to power, bringing an end to the American-supported Afghan government.
Another major US military intervention occurred in Iraq beginning in March 2003. The United States and allied forces invaded the country after issuing an ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to leave power.
Coalition forces rapidly defeated Iraq’s military and removed Hussein from power, but the subsequent occupation triggered a prolonged insurgency and sectarian conflict.
The United States gradually reduced its military presence after violence declined in the late 2000s, and American combat troops formally withdrew from Iraq in December 2011.
In March 1965, the United States launched Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The operation was ordered by President Lyndon B Johnson after escalating attacks by North Vietnamese forces and Viet Cong insurgents against South Vietnam and US personnel.
Over the next three years, US Air Force and Navy aircraft carried out thousands of bombing sorties targeting transportation networks, industrial facilities, supply routes, and military installations across North Vietnam. The campaign aimed to weaken Hanoi’s ability to support the insurgency in South Vietnam and pressure its leadership into negotiations.
Operation Rolling Thunder continued until November 1968 and became one of the longest and most controversial bombing campaigns conducted by the United States during the Vietnam War.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
The United States has carried out a series of military operations across multiple regions over the past two decades, ranging from large-scale wars to targeted raids and airstrikes. These actions have come back into focus following the recent joint US-Israel strikes on Iranian targets, which have intensified geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and beyond.
From counterterrorism operations in Syria to anti-drug missions in Latin America and major wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, US military involvement abroad has taken many forms. Here is a closer look at six significant operations spanning different countries and time periods.
On March 3, 2026, US and Ecuadorian military forces launched coordinated operations targeting organised crime and drug-trafficking networks inside Ecuador. The mission was confirmed by US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which said the action was directed against “designated terrorist organizations” involved in narco-terrorism and illegal mining.
ALSO READ | President’s war powers: Who can take the US to war? What the American Constitution says
While details of the operation remain classified, Ecuador’s government described it as part of a new phase in its campaign against powerful criminal cartels that have fueled escalating violence in the country. Ecuador has increasingly sought international military cooperation as it confronts transnational drug networks that operate across South America.
Earlier in 2026, the United States conducted one of its most dramatic overseas operations in Venezuela. On January 3, US special operations forces launched a raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The mission, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, involved multiple branches of the US military, including Delta Force and aviation units from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The couple was flown to the US warship USS Iwo Jima and later transferred to the United States to face charges related to narcotics trafficking and other offenses in federal court.
The operation sparked intense international debate over sovereignty and the legality of conducting such a military action on foreign soil.
In December 2025, US Central Command launched Operation Hawkeye Strike, a major air and artillery campaign targeting ISIS infrastructure in Syria. The operation followed an attack earlier that month that killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter near Palmyra.
During the operation, US and partner forces, including Jordanian aircraft, struck more than 70 ISIS targets across central Syria using over 100 precision munitions. The strikes targeted weapons depots, training camps, command centers, and logistical hubs associated with the militant group.
The mission was part of the broader US-led campaign against ISIS that has continued in Syria for more than a decade.
On June 22, 2025, the United States carried out a major strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.
During the mission, B-2 Spirit stealth bombers launched from Whiteman Air Force Base struck three key Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—using massive bunker-buster bombs known as GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators. Submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles were also used in the attack.
The operation marked the first combat use of the GBU-57 bombs and represented a significant escalation in tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme.
The longest war in US history began in October 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The United States, leading an international coalition, invaded Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban government that had sheltered the group.
American-backed forces quickly toppled the Taliban regime, but the conflict evolved into a prolonged insurgency that lasted nearly two decades.
The war formally ended in 2021 as US forces withdrew and the Taliban returned to power, bringing an end to the American-supported Afghan government.
Another major US military intervention occurred in Iraq beginning in March 2003. The United States and allied forces invaded the country after issuing an ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to leave power.
Coalition forces rapidly defeated Iraq’s military and removed Hussein from power, but the subsequent occupation triggered a prolonged insurgency and sectarian conflict.
The United States gradually reduced its military presence after violence declined in the late 2000s, and American combat troops formally withdrew from Iraq in December 2011.
In March 1965, the United States launched Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The operation was ordered by President Lyndon B Johnson after escalating attacks by North Vietnamese forces and Viet Cong insurgents against South Vietnam and US personnel.
Over the next three years, US Air Force and Navy aircraft carried out thousands of bombing sorties targeting transportation networks, industrial facilities, supply routes, and military installations across North Vietnam. The campaign aimed to weaken Hanoi’s ability to support the insurgency in South Vietnam and pressure its leadership into negotiations.
Operation Rolling Thunder continued until November 1968 and became one of the longest and most controversial bombing campaigns conducted by the United States during the Vietnam War.
