Between 2021 and 2023, the U.S. government executed counterterrorism operations in 78 countries, including ground combat in nine and air strikes in four. While this represents a slight decrease from the 85 countries targeted during the 2018-2020 period, the counterterrorism footprint remains largely consistent with previous administrations.
The reported data does not cover all aspects of U.S. military engagement, such as operations against Russia and China, military bases involved in counterterrorism, arms sales, or the activities of special operations forces and the CIA. Additionally, "military information support operations" and "psychological operations," including those in Iran, are also omitted from this snapshot.
This ongoing global counterterrorism effort reflects the U.S. strategy to enhance its influence abroad, ultimately aimed at fostering domestic prosperity and security. The map underscores that the response to the 9/11 attacks continues to shape U.S. foreign policy and military engagement.
