Current U.S. Wars and Conflicts of 2023
Wars Involving the United States of America in 2023
The United States has been at war since the 2001 terrorist attacks. Resulting from those attacks, the U.S. launched wars in Afghanistan in 2001 and in Iraq in 2003. The Iraq War ended in December, 2011, when American forces departed Iraq. The Afghanistan War for America ended in August, 2021. However, while these two major American wars of the 21st Century concluded, America’s “global war on terrorism” did not end. U.S. forces are still on the ground in multiple nations, fighting al-Qaida and related Jihadist groups, such as the Islamic State (ISIS), al-Shabaab, and others.
In addition, America’s long-standing shadow and proxy conflict with Iran continues. And, while the U.S. is not an official participant in the Ukraine War, American support of Ukraine against Russia basically places America in a proxy war with Moscow.
List of current American conflicts and wars in 2023
Afghanistan–Since the 9/11 Terrorist attacks on the United States, American forces have been actively engaged against al-Qaida and the Taliban in and near Afghanistan. The United States officially and very chaotically ended her War in Afghanistan in August of 2021, but still conducts occasional strikes on terrorist targets with drones and missiles.
Iraq-While America’s War in Iraq ended in December, 2011, U.S. forces returned in 2014 to help Iraq fight off the surging Islamic State (ISIS) forces. In 2023, as ISIS forces have returned to guerrilla and terrorist tactics, U.S. and other allied forces remain in northern Iraq (and neighboring Syria) to continue fighting ISIS in the region.
Iran-The U.S., Israel, and likely other Western allies are engaged in a proxy/covert war with Iran over Iran’s involvement in the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and elsewhere. Continued tension over Iran’s nuclear weapons program and Iranian hostile action in the Gulf region mean continued tension in the area.
With the return of Benjamin Netanyahu to leadership in Israel, the possibility of an Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear program is again a strong possibility. Netanyahu is a long-time critic of appeasing the Iranian regime. It is generally feared that an Israeli strike on Iran would expand the conflict to include the United States.
Syria-In 2023, U.S. military forces remain on the ground in Syria, taking part in anti-ISIS operations and in support of anti-Assad rebels and Kurdish allies. This activity is a leftover from the long Syrian Civil War and the Islamic State War that the U.S. entered in 2014.
The continued presence of American troops inside Syria causes continued tension with the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad, as well as Assad’s allies (also on the ground inside Syria), Russia and Iran. Also, Turkey, a NATO member along with the U.S., is at war with the Kurdish militias that the U.S. depends on for help in the anti-ISIS operations. This creates diplomatic tension between the U.S. and Turkey.
Middle East Map
Somalia and the Horn of Africa:
For several years, the U.S. and other nations engaged in anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast, including rescue operations inside Somalia. As piracy has dropped off, U.S. anti-piracy operations have been reduced.
Besides the anti-piracy operations, the U.S. is also involved in Somalia due to the continuing Shabaab War. The U.S. funds and trains Ugandan, Burundian, Ethiopian, Kenyan, and other African forces who are actively fighting in Somalia to aid the weak central government against the al-Qaida affiliated al-Shabaab rebels. The United States frequently launches drone attacks, Special Forces raids, and naval attacks on al-Qaida and Shabaab targets in Somalia. There is no reason to believe this will change in 2023.
Yemen:
Yemen is one of America’s fronts in the ongoing war against al-Qaida and the Islamic State with drone strikes against Islamist and Jihadist targets in Yemen. Several terrorist attempts against the U.S. have originated in Yemen.
Potential American Conflicts for 2023
Ukraine: As mentioned above, Russia’s major invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, led to a massive increase in American support for Ukraine. While American forces are not involved in combat, the U.S. supplies Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons and training. In support of Ukraine and the Eastern European NATO allies, the U.S. increased the number of American troops in Eastern Europe to guard against potential Russian aggression.
The United States is clearly in a proxy war with Russia in 2023, and, while logic might preclude Russia doing anything stupid to bring the U.S. and NATO into the war, Vladimir Putin, the autocratic leader of Russia, has made several very bad war decisions so far in this conflict.
North Korea continues to be belligerent, with 2022 ending with more missile tests, and drone over flys that prompted South Korea’s military to respond.
China also continues to make noise about Taiwan, and as 2022 ended, we saw major air and naval incursions of Taiwanese air and sea boundaries as China continues to push the envelope in her aggression towards Taiwanese democracy. In February, 2023, China sent a surveillance balloon into American airspace, provoking a diplomatic crisis.
