CNN Report Says Trump Has Threatened or Targeted About 15 Countries During Presidency

A CNN report says US President Donald Trump has threatened, refused to rule out, or carried out military action involving about 15 countries during his presidency. The report adds that Oman was recently included after Trump warned it could face US military action over the Strait of Hormuz. It also lists countries such as Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen as having been struck, while others including Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Panama, Colombia, and Greenland were reportedly threatened at different times.

US President Donald Trump has reportedly threatened, refused to rule out, or carried out military action against around 15 countries during his time in office, according to a CNN report, a figure that represents roughly one out of every 13 countries globally.
The report states that Oman was recently added to this list after Trump warned that the country could face US military action if it attempted to influence control of the Strait of Hormuz alongside Iran. During a White House Cabinet meeting, he was quoted as saying, “Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow ’em up,” remarks that were presented as informal comments rather than a formal policy announcement.
CNN notes that the inclusion of Oman fits into what it describes as a broader pattern in Trump’s foreign policy approach, where the possibility or threat of force has frequently been referenced in discussions involving other countries. The report further claims that during his current term alone, Trump has authorised or overseen strikes in several countries, including Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Some of these countries, it adds, were also targeted during his first term in office.
In addition, the report highlights that the US has carried out strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, with nearly 60 boats reportedly targeted and more than 190 people killed. These operations are presented as separate from conventional military strikes against state-linked targets.
Beyond direct action, CNN reports that Trump has also at different times threatened or declined to rule out military strikes against several other countries, including Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, and the Danish territory of Greenland. In some of these cases, discussions have extended beyond military threats into broader geopolitical suggestions, including possible US control or influence over territories such as Greenland, the Panama Canal, and parts of the Caribbean and Latin America.
The report also references comments made during Trump’s first term in which he threatened countries such as Mexico and North Korea. It notes that the nature of these threats has varied, ranging from specific military operations against targeted groups, such as terrorist organisations, to broader statements that did not outline clear operational plans.
According to CNN’s analysis, the countries that have been threatened or targeted span multiple regions of the world, including Africa, Asia, North America, and South America, and involve at least four of the world’s six inhabited continents. The Middle East is highlighted as a particular focus, with Iran, Iraq, Oman, Syria, and Yemen among those mentioned in the context of military action or threats.
The report further estimates that the countries involved account for a significant share of the global population, suggesting that a large portion of the world has, at some point, been within the scope of potential US military action under Trump’s leadership.
CNN concludes that the pattern reflects an unusually frequent use of military rhetoric and the projection of force as part of US foreign policy discourse during his presidency, including both direct interventions and public statements suggesting possible future action.