Trump announced that the United States carried out “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against ISIS targets in Northwest Nigeria on December 25, 2025, citing the protection of Christians facing violent attacks.
The operation, executed by AFRICOM with precision strikes reportedly including Tomahawk missiles, targeted militant camps in Sokoto State.
While Trump framed the action as a response to religious persecution, both AFRICOM and Nigeria’s government confirmed the strikes were conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities amid heightened diplomatic pressure and security cooperation. U.S. officials signaled that further action could follow.
In a dramatic escalation of U.S. military involvement in West Africa, President Donald Trump announced on Christmas night that he authorized “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against ISIS targets in Northwest Nigeria.
The strikes, which took place on December 25, 2025, were characterized by the President as a direct response to the ongoing persecution and “slaughter” of the Christian population in the region.
The “Hell to Pay” Warning
Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump revealed that the operation was the fulfillment of a previous ultimatum he had issued to terrorist groups operating within Nigeria.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians… 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.”
Execution of the Strikes
The operation, executed by the Department of War (Pentagon) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), reportedly involved precision strikes—including Tomahawk missiles launched from U.S. Navy vessels—targeting militant camps in Sokoto State.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
Coordination with the Nigerian Government
While Trump’s rhetoric focused heavily on religious persecution, AFRICOM and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the strikes were conducted in coordination with local authorities.
The Nigerian government described the operation as “precision hits on terrorist targets” following structured security cooperation. This comes after weeks of diplomatic friction, during which Trump had redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and threatened to withdraw aid if the security situation did not improve.
Regional Implications
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the President’s stance, thanking Nigeria for its cooperation while signaling that this may not be a one-off event. “More to come,” he posted on X.
