In a dramatic Christmas night announcement, former U.S. President Donald Trump declared that American forces had executed a significant military operation against Islamic State militants in Nigeria.
Christmas Night Announcement of Military Action
Using his social media platform on Thursday, December 25, 2025, Trump stated he had directed a "powerful and deadly strike" against what he called "ISIS Terrorist Scum" in Northwest Nigeria. The president's post emphasized that the targeted group had been "viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries."
The brief announcement did not provide specific operational details, such as the method of the strike, the number of aircraft or munitions involved, or an assessment of casualties and damage. The White House did not immediately release further information to clarify the scope or effects of the military action.
Escalating U.S. Response to Religious Violence
This military action follows weeks of escalating rhetoric and policy moves from the Trump administration concerning Nigeria. Last month, the president said he had ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in the West African nation, responding to persistent reports of violence targeting Christian communities.
In recent weeks, the U.S. State Department announced it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members believed to be involved in mass killings and violence against Christians. This policy shift was part of a broader hardening of the U.S. stance.
Critically, the United States recently designated Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act, a formal classification that signals severe violations of religious freedom and can precede sanctions or other punitive measures.
Trump's Warning and Justification
In his Christmas post, Trump framed the strike as the fulfillment of a prior warning. "I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was," he wrote. He praised U.S. defense officials, claiming they had "executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing."
The president concluded with a broader declaration of policy: "our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper." The announcement places a renewed international spotlight on the long-standing conflict in Nigeria's northern regions, where Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram militants have been active for years, often committing violence that falls along religious and ethnic lines.
The immediate consequences of the strike, both on the ground in Nigeria and for broader U.S. foreign policy in the Sahel region, remain to be seen as more operational details are awaited.
