In which countries has Joe Biden authorized military strikes since 2021?

1. Biden’s first announced use of military force: Syria — a clear, well-documented case

The first public, presidentially‑attributed use of force under Biden was a set of retaliatory airstrikes against Iran‑backed militia facilities in eastern Syria on Feb. 25, 2021; the Pentagon said the operation was “at President Biden’s direction,” and Biden notified Congress asserting the action was taken under the U.S. right of self‑defense ^{[1] [5]}.

2. Afghanistan and the end of a long campaign: strikes and the August 2021 withdrawal

Reporting and military statistics show the majority of U.S. strikes in Biden’s first year occurred in Afghanistan before the August 2021 withdrawal — with independent tallies listing hundreds of aerial attacks there in 2021 — and at least one controversial drone strike in the withdrawal period killed civilians ^{[6] [7]}. The sources attribute those strikes to U.S. forces operating under Biden’s administration, but do not provide a list of individual strike authorizations signed by the president ^[6].

3. Somalia and counterterrorism operations: administration statements and targeted raids

The White House record and academic tracking cite Biden‑directed counterterrorism operations that included a January 2023 operation in northern Somalia resulting in the death of a senior ISIS operative, showing the administration authorized strikes/operations there ^{[3] [4]}. The Costs of War project maps U.S. counterterrorism operations across dozens of countries and notes air strikes in at least four countries during Biden’s first three years ^{[4] [8]}.

4. Yemen strikes in 2024 and legal/political pushback in Congress

Reuters and congressional documents show that U.S. strikes in Yemen prompted debate about whether Biden exceeded his constitutional or statutory authorities; members of Congress said he may have violated the War Powers Resolution after authorizing overnight strikes against Houthi forces during the Red Sea escalation ^{[2] [9]}. Those reports document strikes attributed to Biden’s direction but stress legal and political controversy over the administration’s legal basis for them ^[2].

5. Iraq and recurring operations tied to Syria/Iraq theater

Congressional analyses note the administration submitted War Powers reports and that strikes in the region — including actions in Iraq tied to strikes in Syria and the removal of certain militia leaders — were justified publicly as defensive and tied to protecting U.S. personnel; the Library of Congress summary cites 48‑hour reports and continued actions in Iraq and Syria ^[10]. Specific congressional materials describe at least one strike in Baghdad in February 2024 that killed a militia commander and was presented as U.S. action against Iran‑backed groups ^[10].

6. Academic and monitoring project view: far wider footprint but limited strike‑by‑strike visibility

The Costs of War/Watson (Brown University) research documents counterterrorism operations in 78 countries under Biden (2021–2023) and counts air strikes in at least four countries during that span; it cautions that many small or classified special operations, CIA actions, and other activities are not fully visible in public maps ^{[4] [11]}. That means public reporting can understate the geographic scope of U.S. force but also that a definitive, public list of every country where Biden “authorized” a strike is not published in the supplied sources ^[4].

7. Limits of the available reporting and competing claims

The supplied sources collectively name Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen as locations of strikes or operations under Biden’s authority and document contentious actions in Iraq tied to Syria operations, but they do not present a single, authoritative presidential docket of every authorization ^{[1] [6] [3] [2] [10] [4]}. Some sources emphasize legal defense by the administration (self‑defense/Article II claims), while congressional critics argue the actions violated the War Powers Resolution — a clear disagreement in the record ^{[5] [10] [2]}.

8. Bottom line for readers seeking a definitive list

Based on the provided reporting and research: Syria is an indisputable, early example; Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen are documented theaters with Biden‑directed strikes or operations; congressional and academic sources indicate other strikes in Iraq were connected to regional campaigns — but available sources do not supply a single, comprehensive list of all countries where Biden personally authorized every strike ^{[1] [6] [3] [2] [10] [4]}. If you want a near‑complete catalog, it would require combining Department of Defense 48‑hour reports, the White House public notices and the Costs of War data — sources beyond those bundled here ^{[10] [3] [4]}.