If you asked the average person on the street what wars are the us in right now, they’d probably mention Ukraine or maybe the Middle East. They might even say "none" because Congress hasn't technically declared a war since the 1940s. But that’s a legal technicality that doesn't match the smoke on the horizon.
The truth is much messier. As of January 2026, the United States is entangled in a series of "kinetic actions," counter-terrorism strikes, and high-stakes regime changes that look, smell, and feel like war to anyone caught in the crossfire. We aren't just sending checks anymore. In some places, boots are hitting the dirt in ways we haven't seen in years.
The January Surprise: Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela
The biggest shift in the 2026 conflict landscape happened just a few days ago. On January 3, 2026, the U.S. military executed a direct, high-risk operation in Caracas. It was called Operation Absolute Resolve.
For months, the Trump administration had been hitting boats in the Caribbean, calling them drug runners. Then, the hammer dropped. U.S. Special Forces breached the compound of Nicolás Maduro. It wasn't a quiet exit. Reports indicate about 75 guards—a mix of Venezuelan and Cuban personnel—were killed in the firefight. Maduro and his wife were captured and flown to New York to face charges.
Is this a war? The White House calls it a "counternarcotics extraction." But when you use the military to remove a head of state, the distinction is basically invisible. Right now, a blockade remains in place around Venezuela, and U.S. troops are navigating a very tense, very volatile power vacuum in Caracas while the administration demands the removal of Chinese and Russian advisors.
The Proxy Burnout: Ukraine and Gaza
The way the U.S. handles its "forever-ish" involvements changed fast. In Ukraine, the massive flow of military funding has slowed to a trickle compared to the 2023-2024 era. The U.S. is "stepping back," according to recent reports from the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), leaving Europe to scramble for ways to use frozen Russian assets to keep the front lines from collapsing. It’s a "war of attrition" where the U.S. is now more of a frustrated spectator than the primary engine.
Then there's Gaza. It’s January 2026, and we are supposedly in "Phase 2" of a ceasefire plan.
- The Board of Peace: A U.S.-led group is overseeing a technocratic committee to run Gaza.
- The Reality: While the heavy bombing has slowed, the U.S. still has a "Board of Peace" (yes, that’s the actual name) attempting to manage the day-to-day affairs of a destroyed territory.
- The Threat: U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff recently warned of "serious consequences" if the final hostages aren't returned.
It’s a fragile peace that looks a lot like a long-term occupation by proxy.
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The Secret (and Not-So-Secret) Air Wars
Somalia is the war no one talks about. But AFRICOM—the U.S. Africa Command—is busy. Just this week, on January 12, 2026, the U.S. conducted airstrikes near Godane, Somalia, targeting al-Shabaab. They hit ISIS-Somalia targets on January 9th and 11th too.
It’s a rhythm. Strike, assess, repeat.
We’re also seeing a new front in Nigeria. On Christmas Day 2025, the U.S. authorized strikes against alleged militants there—the first time we’ve gone kinetic in Nigeria in this specific way. If you’re keeping count, that means U.S. drones or jets are dropping munitions in at least four or five countries simultaneously, often without a single headline on the evening news.
Iraq: The Long Goodbye?
In Iraq, the "war" is supposedly winding down, but the exit is complicated. U.S. forces just started dismantling their headquarters at the Ain al-Asad airbase this week. Most of that gear is being moved to the al-Tanf base in Syria.
Wait, so we’re leaving Iraq but doubling down in Syria? Basically.
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The agreement says the U.S. will stay in the Kurdistan Region until at least September 2026. Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly prepping "retaliation plans" for U.S. bases in the region. It’s a chess game where the pieces are live soldiers and the board is a powder keg.
The "War From Within": Domestic Deployments
Perhaps the most controversial answer to what wars are the us in right now isn't happening overseas. In late 2025, the federal government began deploying National Guard and federal forces to U.S. cities like Portland, Memphis, and Washington D.C.
The President described this as a "war from within" against "domestic terrorists" and "invaders." While the administration claimed to end the efforts in Los Angeles and Chicago on December 31, 2025, thousands of troops remain mobilized across 19 states to support ICE and "crime crackdowns." When military units are patrolling American streets with "full force" authorization, the line between policing and warfare gets incredibly thin.
Making Sense of the Chaos
So, where does that leave us? If you're looking for a simple list, here is the "non-war" war map for 2026:
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- Venezuela: Active regime change/occupation following Maduro's capture.
- Somalia & Nigeria: Ongoing counter-terrorism air campaign.
- Syria & Iraq: Transitioning forces, holding ground in Kurdistan and al-Tanf.
- Yemen: Continued involvement in the Red Sea crisis and supporting the "Nation Shield Forces."
- The Home Front: Ongoing National Guard deployments in specific "high-intensity" zones.
Actionable Steps for Staying Informed
The landscape of modern conflict moves faster than the news cycle. If you want to keep track of where the U.S. is actually putting boots or dropping bombs, don't just wait for a "declaration of war."
- Follow the "Global Conflict Tracker": Organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) provide real-time updates on "non-declared" conflicts that the nightly news ignores.
- Watch AFRICOM Press Releases: If you want to know where the air war is happening, go to the source. They post strike updates that rarely make it to the front page.
- Monitor War Powers Act Reports: The President is legally required to notify Congress of certain military actions. These reports often contain the "why" and "where" of deployments that aren't publicly televised.
- Check Local News in Conflict Zones: Sites like The New Region or Middle East Eye often have reporters on the ground in places like Iraq or Caracas who see the troop movements before the Pentagon confirms them.
We might not be in a "World War" by the 1940s definition, but the U.S. is currently engaged in more military operations than at almost any point in the last decade. Staying informed means looking past the labels and watching where the hardware is moving.