From Kabul to Baghdad: How many countries has US bombed since 2001 and at what cost?

Since 2001, the United States has fought three major wars and carried out air and drone strikes in at least 10 countries, reshaping global geopolitics in the name of the “war on terror”. These conflicts have caused an estimated 940,000 direct deaths and are projected to cost the US around $8 trillion, including long-term veterans’ care.

More than two decades after the attacks of 11 September 2001, the United States remains shaped by the wars that followed. What began as a declared “war on terror” under President George W Bush evolved into a long era of invasions, air strikes, and drone campaigns spanning several continents. Despite repeated pledges by successive presidents to reduce foreign entanglements, military force has remained a central tool of US policy.

Since 2001, the US has fought three large-scale wars and carried out bombing campaigns in at least 10 countries. These operations have ranged from full invasions to targeted drone strikes, in some cases occurring repeatedly within the same year. Not all covert or special missions are publicly recorded, meaning the true number may be higher.

The financial and human toll

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In the aftermath of 9/11, President Bush launched what he called a “war on terror”, a global military campaign that redefined US foreign policy and led to wars, regime-change operations, and sustained air assaults across multiple regions.

Research by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs estimates that US-led wars since 2001 have directly caused around 940,000 deaths in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and other conflict zones. This figure excludes indirect deaths resulting from hunger, damaged healthcare systems, and war-related disease.

The financial burden has been vast. The US has spent an estimated $5.8 trillion on military operations and related costs over the past two decades. That includes $2.1 trillion allocated by the Department of Defense, $1.1 trillion through Homeland Security, $884bn added to the Pentagon’s base budget, $465bn for veterans’ medical care, and roughly $1 trillion in interest payments on borrowed funds.

Future obligations will add further strain. At least $2.2 trillion more is projected to be required for veterans’ care over the next 30 years, bringing the total long-term cost of post-2001 wars to about $8 trillion.

Afghanistan: America’s longest war (2001-2021)

The first response to 9/11 was the invasion of Afghanistan. On 7 October 2001, the US launched Operation Enduring Freedom to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power.

The Taliban government fell within weeks. However, insurgent groups regrouped and mounted a prolonged resistance. What was intended as a swift campaign turned into the longest war in US history, stretching across four presidencies and ending only with the 2021 withdrawal, after which the Taliban regained control.

According to Brown University’s Costs of War project, an estimated 241,000 people died directly because of the conflict. Many more civilians perished from displacement, hunger, and untreated injuries. At least 3,586 US and NATO troops were killed. The war cost the United States roughly $2.26 trillion.

Iraq: From 'mission accomplished' to prolonged instability (2003-2011)

On 20 March 2003, President Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, arguing that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, a claim later proven false.

By 1 May 2003, Bush stood beneath a banner reading “mission accomplished”, declaring the end of major combat operations. Yet violence persisted for years. Armed groups filled the power vacuum, and instability helped fuel the emergence of ISIL (ISIS).

In 2008, Bush agreed to withdraw US combat forces, a process completed under President Barack Obama in 2011. Despite the formal end of the war, American involvement in Iraq continued in different forms.

The drone campaigns: Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen

Beyond declared wars, the US expanded its use of remote warfare. In the mid-2000s, the CIA began drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal regions along the Afghan border, targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban figures. These strikes signalled a shift towards technology-driven counterterrorism.

President Obama significantly increased drone operations, particularly in Pakistan. At the same time, US forces carried out air strikes in Somalia against suspected al-Qaeda affiliates and later against al-Shabab fighters.

In Yemen, missile and drone attacks targeted al-Qaeda leaders, adding another front to the wider counterterrorism campaign.

Libya: Intervention and aftermath

In 2011, amid an uprising against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the US joined a NATO-led intervention. American aircraft and missiles enforced a no-fly zone and struck Libyan government targets.

Gaddafi was eventually overthrown and killed. However, Libya descended into prolonged instability and factional conflict that continues to affect the country.

Iraq and Syria: The fight against ISIL

From 2014 onwards, the US launched sustained operations in Iraq and Syria to defeat ISIL. In Syria, American forces conducted extensive air strikes and supported local partner groups on the ground.

In Iraq, US troops advised and assisted Iraqi forces battling ISIL remnants while also seeking to counter Iranian influence. This effort included a 2020 strike ordered by President Donald Trump that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

More than 20 years after 9/11, the United States remains entangled in the consequences of decisions made in the name of security. The wars reshaped regions, cost trillions of dollars, and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, a legacy that continues to influence American policy and global politics today.