In a decisive return to aggressive counterterrorism, President Donald Trump has authorized operations resulting in the elimination of 74 terrorist leaders within the first three months of his second term. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz disclosed these figures to Just the News, highlighting a renewed focus on dismantling threats to the U.S. homeland.
The operations targeted high-ranking members of groups such as al-Qaeda, ISIS, and al-Shabaab, extending beyond the heavily publicized campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Waltz emphasized that these groups had active plans to strike Western assets and the U.S., exploiting vulnerabilities from the previous administration’s border policies.
Operations extended well beyond the ongoing air campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. While those efforts remain active due to the Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Trump administration has expanded its reach to address threats in North and East Africa, as well as in South Asia. U.S. Africa Command reported a sharp rise in airstrikes in Somalia, targeting ISIS and al-Shabaab operatives.
The renewed focus on counterterrorism reflects a strategic shift in U.S. foreign policy. Under President Biden, U.S. strikes against Islamist groups had significantly declined, leading to what intelligence officials described as a “resurgence” of terror networks in ungoverned spaces. President Trump has now reversed that trend, authorizing military action against terrorists wherever intelligence supports the threat.
Waltz described the strategy as offensive rather than reactive, emphasizing that the administration will not wait for an attack to act. The high number of senior terror figures eliminated in just 90 days underscores the administration’s message: the United States is returning to a posture of strength.
