During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly promised not to drag the US into new wars. Even in his victory speech, Trump declared, “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars,” presenting himself as the anti-intervention candidate against what he called Washington’s “forever wars.”
The promise did not last long. In his first year back in office, Trump expanded US military operations across multiple countries, carrying out strikes in Yemen, Nigeria, Syria, Somalia, and Iraq. The administration launched a dramatic operation in Venezuela at the start of the year, kidnapping President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
The biggest escalation came on February 28 this year, when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes inside Iran, triggering the biggest military confrontation of Trump’s second term. Trump claimed that the Iran operation was necessary to eliminate threats from Tehran. But it only triggered criticism — not just from rivals but from his own supporters, many of whom had supported him because of his repeated promises to avoid costly wars.
Cost of war
The US-Iran conflict alone reportedly cost Washington nearly $29 billion, according to Pentagon estimates, making it the most expensive military escalation of Trump’s second term. Operations in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Nigeria consumed millions of dollars in missiles, air strikes, aircraft deployments and military logistics across the region.
Beyond the financial burden, the conflicts also left a devastating human toll across the Middle East. More than 7,000 people have been killedfrom Lebanon to Oman, as the violence spread across the region.
Iran reported the highest toll with 3,468 deaths, followed closely by Lebanon with 3,371. Casualties were also reported in Iraq, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and other Middle Eastern countries.
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