The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has issued a propaganda message reacting to reports that the U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to prepare for possible military operations against Islamic militants in Nigeria.
In the message shared through the group’s usual communication channels, ISWAP described Trump as a “reckless American tyrant,” accusing him of being influenced by “evangelical Christian and Jewish advisers.” The group claimed that the United States was attempting to portray itself as a “global defender of Christians” while pursuing military expansion across Africa.
The statement warned that Washington’s rhetoric could drag the U.S. into more conflicts across the continent, citing ongoing insurgencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique as examples of where the U.S. may seek justification for further intervention.
ISWAP said it viewed the situation as part of the Islamic State’s global strategy to overstretch U.S. military power across multiple fronts, naming Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and the Lake Chad Basin as pressure zones designed to exhaust American resources.
The terrorist group also issued new directives to its fighters, warning them to avoid public gatherings, reduce travel, and limit smartphone use due to what it described as “expected escalation in U.S. drone and surveillance operations.”
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According to The New York Times, the U.S. military under Trump’s directive had drafted several contingency plans for potential engagement in Nigeria. These proposals were reportedly submitted by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) to the Department of War at the request of Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Officials said the plans were categorized into “heavy,” “medium,” and “light” options. The “heavy” plan includes deploying an aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf of Guinea and launching airstrikes on ISWAP strongholds in northern Nigeria. The “medium” plan calls for targeted drone attacks using MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator drones, supported by U.S. intelligence operations. The “light” option focuses on intelligence sharing and logistical support for joint operations with Nigerian forces.
Despite the proposals, senior Pentagon officials have reportedly admitted that limited strikes would not end Nigeria’s long-standing insurgency unless backed by a large-scale campaign similar to those waged in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Trump, in a social media post on Wednesday night, defended his stance, warning that the U.S. was ready to “intervene” if Christian killings in Nigeria continued unchecked. “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” he wrote. “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening there. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world.”
Meanwhile, China has reaffirmed its support for Nigeria, declaring that it stands with the Nigerian government “as it leads its people on the development path suited to its national conditions.”
The development marks a new escalation in global attention on Nigeria’s security crisis, with fears that U.S. military involvement could widen regional instability even as international powers position themselves on opposing sides of the conflict.
