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How many different countries will the US conduct military action against in 2026?

icon for How many different countries will the US conduct military action against in 2026?

How many different countries will the US conduct military action against in 2026?

8 62.4%

9 26.7%

10 2.3%

11 <1%

Polymarket

$1,628,820 Vol.

8 62.4%

9 26.7%

10 2.3%

11 <1%

Polymarket

$1,628,820 Vol.

icon for 8

8

$316,330 Vol.

62%

icon for 9

9

$62,871 Vol.

27%

icon for 10

10

$28,821 Vol.

2%

icon for 11

11

$27,973 Vol.

1%

icon for 12

12

$45,899 Vol.

<1%

icon for 13

13

$101,975 Vol.

<1%

icon for 14

14

$150,443 Vol.

<1%

icon for 15+

15+

$128,354 Vol.

<1%

This market will resolve according to the total number of different countries' soil that the United States initiates a drone, missile, or air strike on between January 1, 2026, 12:00 AM ET and December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET. Strikes on embassies or consulates will count towards the country the embassy or consulate is located in, not towards the country they represent. Strikes within the territory controlled by the United States as of December 31, 2025, 11:59 PM ET will not be counted towards this market's resolution. For the purposes of this market, a qualifying "strike" is defined as the use of aerial bombs, drones, or missiles (including cruise or ballistic missiles) launched by US military forces that impact another country's ground territory that is officially acknowledged by the US government or a consensus of credible reporting. Missiles or drones that are intercepted and surface-to-air missile strikes will not count towards the resolution of this market, regardless of whether they land on another country's territory or cause damage. Actions such as artillery fire, small arms fire, FPV or ATGM strikes directly, ground incursions, naval shelling, cyberattacks, or other operations conducted by US ground operatives will not qualify. The resolution source will be a consensus of credible reporting.**US military operations in 2026 have centered on a core set of theaters, with major actions already recorded against roughly seven to nine countries through mid-August.** Primary drivers include the extended 2026 Iran war, which began with large-scale US-Israeli strikes on February 28 targeting nuclear, missile, and leadership sites and has featured repeated waves of airstrikes into July and August amid ongoing regional retaliation and Strait of Hormuz tensions. Additional operations encompass the January raid capturing Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, sustained counterterrorism strikes in Somalia and Iraq, responses in Syria, and actions against Houthi targets in Yemen plus reported strikes and deployments in Nigeria. Caribbean counter-narcotics efforts have also involved lethal force against suspected smuggling vessels linked to Venezuelan networks. These developments align with trader pricing that clusters on 8 or 9 total countries for the full year. The consensus reflects the current operational tempo—focused on Iran escalation, Latin American interdiction, and African/Middle Eastern counterterrorism—without evidence of rapid expansion into entirely new nations. Remaining months could add incremental actions through existing mandates or responses to attacks, but structural constraints such as force posture, diplomatic signals, and congressional oversight limit the likelihood of broad new fronts. Historical patterns of US engagement and the absence of announced plans against additional state actors further anchor probabilities around the leading outcomes.

This market will resolve according to the total number of different countries' soil that the United States initiates a drone, missile, or air strike on between January 1, 2026, 12:00 AM ET and December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Strikes on embassies or consulates will count towards the country the embassy or consulate is located in, not towards the country they represent.

Strikes within the territory controlled by the United States as of December 31, 2025, 11:59 PM ET will not be counted towards this market's resolution.

For the purposes of this market, a qualifying "strike" is defined as the use of aerial bombs, drones, or missiles (including cruise or ballistic missiles) launched by US military forces that impact another country's ground territory that is officially acknowledged by the US government or a consensus of credible reporting.

Missiles or drones that are intercepted and surface-to-air missile strikes will not count towards the resolution of this market, regardless of whether they land on another country's territory or cause damage.

Actions such as artillery fire, small arms fire, FPV or ATGM strikes directly, ground incursions, naval shelling, cyberattacks, or other operations conducted by US ground operatives will not qualify.

The resolution source will be a consensus of credible reporting.
Volume
$1,628,820
End Date
Dec 31, 2026
Market Opened
Nov 13, 2025, 11:15 AM ET
This market will resolve according to the total number of different countries' soil that the United States initiates a drone, missile, or air strike on between January 1, 2026, 12:00 AM ET and December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET. Strikes on embassies or consulates will count towards the country the embassy or consulate is located in, not towards the country they represent. Strikes within the territory controlled by the United States as of December 31, 2025, 11:59 PM ET will not be counted towards this market's resolution. For the purposes of this market, a qualifying "strike" is defined as the use of aerial bombs, drones, or missiles (including cruise or ballistic missiles) launched by US military forces that impact another country's ground territory that is officially acknowledged by the US government or a consensus of credible reporting. Missiles or drones that are intercepted and surface-to-air missile strikes will not count towards the resolution of this market, regardless of whether they land on another country's territory or cause damage. Actions such as artillery fire, small arms fire, FPV or ATGM strikes directly, ground incursions, naval shelling, cyberattacks, or other operations conducted by US ground operatives will not qualify. The resolution source will be a consensus of credible reporting.
This market will resolve according to the total number of different countries' soil that the United States initiates a drone, missile, or air strike on between January 1, 2026, 12:00 AM ET and December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET. Strikes on embassies or consulates will count towards the country the embassy or consulate is located in, not towards the country they represent. Strikes within the territory controlled by the United States as of December 31, 2025, 11:59 PM ET will not be counted towards this market's resolution. For the purposes of this market, a qualifying "strike" is defined as the use of aerial bombs, drones, or missiles (including cruise or ballistic missiles) launched by US military forces that impact another country's ground territory that is officially acknowledged by the US government or a consensus of credible reporting. Missiles or drones that are intercepted and surface-to-air missile strikes will not count towards the resolution of this market, regardless of whether they land on another country's territory or cause damage. Actions such as artillery fire, small arms fire, FPV or ATGM strikes directly, ground incursions, naval shelling, cyberattacks, or other operations conducted by US ground operatives will not qualify. The resolution source will be a consensus of credible reporting.**US military operations in 2026 have centered on a core set of theaters, with major actions already recorded against roughly seven to nine countries through mid-August.** Primary drivers include the extended 2026 Iran war, which began with large-scale US-Israeli strikes on February 28 targeting nuclear, missile, and leadership sites and has featured repeated waves of airstrikes into July and August amid ongoing regional retaliation and Strait of Hormuz tensions. Additional operations encompass the January raid capturing Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, sustained counterterrorism strikes in Somalia and Iraq, responses in Syria, and actions against Houthi targets in Yemen plus reported strikes and deployments in Nigeria. Caribbean counter-narcotics efforts have also involved lethal force against suspected smuggling vessels linked to Venezuelan networks. These developments align with trader pricing that clusters on 8 or 9 total countries for the full year. The consensus reflects the current operational tempo—focused on Iran escalation, Latin American interdiction, and African/Middle Eastern counterterrorism—without evidence of rapid expansion into entirely new nations. Remaining months could add incremental actions through existing mandates or responses to attacks, but structural constraints such as force posture, diplomatic signals, and congressional oversight limit the likelihood of broad new fronts. Historical patterns of US engagement and the absence of announced plans against additional state actors further anchor probabilities around the leading outcomes.

This market will resolve according to the total number of different countries' soil that the United States initiates a drone, missile, or air strike on between January 1, 2026, 12:00 AM ET and December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Strikes on embassies or consulates will count towards the country the embassy or consulate is located in, not towards the country they represent.

Strikes within the territory controlled by the United States as of December 31, 2025, 11:59 PM ET will not be counted towards this market's resolution.

For the purposes of this market, a qualifying "strike" is defined as the use of aerial bombs, drones, or missiles (including cruise or ballistic missiles) launched by US military forces that impact another country's ground territory that is officially acknowledged by the US government or a consensus of credible reporting.

Missiles or drones that are intercepted and surface-to-air missile strikes will not count towards the resolution of this market, regardless of whether they land on another country's territory or cause damage.

Actions such as artillery fire, small arms fire, FPV or ATGM strikes directly, ground incursions, naval shelling, cyberattacks, or other operations conducted by US ground operatives will not qualify.

The resolution source will be a consensus of credible reporting.
Volume
$1,628,820
End Date
Dec 31, 2026
Market Opened
Nov 13, 2025, 11:15 AM ET
This market will resolve according to the total number of different countries' soil that the United States initiates a drone, missile, or air strike on between January 1, 2026, 12:00 AM ET and December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET. Strikes on embassies or consulates will count towards the country the embassy or consulate is located in, not towards the country they represent. Strikes within the territory controlled by the United States as of December 31, 2025, 11:59 PM ET will not be counted towards this market's resolution. For the purposes of this market, a qualifying "strike" is defined as the use of aerial bombs, drones, or missiles (including cruise or ballistic missiles) launched by US military forces that impact another country's ground territory that is officially acknowledged by the US government or a consensus of credible reporting. Missiles or drones that are intercepted and surface-to-air missile strikes will not count towards the resolution of this market, regardless of whether they land on another country's territory or cause damage. Actions such as artillery fire, small arms fire, FPV or ATGM strikes directly, ground incursions, naval shelling, cyberattacks, or other operations conducted by US ground operatives will not qualify. The resolution source will be a consensus of credible reporting.

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Frequently Asked Questions

"How many different countries will the US conduct military action against in 2026?" is a prediction market on Polymarket with 16 possible outcomes where traders buy and sell shares based on what they believe will happen. The current leading outcome is "8" at 62%, followed by "9" at 27%. Prices reflect real-time crowd-sourced probabilities. For example, a share priced at 62¢ implies that the market collectively assigns a 62% chance to that outcome. These odds shift continuously as traders react to new developments and information. Shares in the correct outcome are redeemable for $1 each upon market resolution.

As of today, "How many different countries will the US conduct military action against in 2026?" has generated $1.6 million in total trading volume since the market launched on Nov 13, 2025. This level of trading activity reflects strong engagement from the Polymarket community and helps ensure that the current odds are informed by a deep pool of market participants. You can track live price movements and trade on any outcome directly on this page.

To trade on "How many different countries will the US conduct military action against in 2026?," browse the 16 available outcomes listed on this page. Each outcome displays a current price representing the market's implied probability. To take a position, select the outcome you believe is most likely, choose "Yes" to trade in favor of it or "No" to trade against it, enter your amount, and click "Trade." If your chosen outcome is correct when the market resolves, your "Yes" shares pay out $1 each. If it's incorrect, they pay out $0. You can also sell your shares at any time before resolution if you want to lock in a profit or cut a loss.

The current frontrunner for "How many different countries will the US conduct military action against in 2026?" is "8" at 62%, meaning the market assigns a 62% chance to that outcome. The next closest outcome is "9" at 27%. These odds update in real-time as traders buy and sell shares, so they reflect the latest collective view of what's most likely to happen. Check back frequently or bookmark this page to follow how the odds shift as new information emerges.

The resolution rules for "How many different countries will the US conduct military action against in 2026?" define exactly what needs to happen for each outcome to be declared a winner — including the official data sources used to determine the result. You can review the complete resolution criteria in the "Rules" section on this page above the comments. We recommend reading the rules carefully before trading, as they specify the precise conditions, edge cases, and sources that govern how this market is settled.