DIPLOMACY
Trump threatens US military action in Nigeria over treatment of Christians
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he has asked the Defense Department to prepare for possible “fast” military action in Nigeria if the West African nation fails to crack down on the killing of Christians.
The U.S. government will also immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and top oil producer, Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
If the United States sends in military forces, it would go in “‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump wrote, without providing any evidence of specifics about the treatment of Christians in Nigeria.
Trump called Nigeria a “disgraced country” and warned its government must move quickly. “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!” he wrote.
Abuja had no immediate reaction to Trump’s threat of military action. The White House also had no immediate comment on the potential timing of any U.S. military action.
Although the U.S. Department of Defense referred Reuters to the White House for comment on Trump’s threat, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released a social media post of his own.
“The Department of War is preparing for action,” Hegseth wrote on X. “Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
Trump’s post on Nigeria came a day after his administration added Nigeria back to a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations that the U.S. says have violated religious freedom. Other nations on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.
Before Trump posted his attack threat, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier on Saturday pushed back against claims of religious intolerance and defended his country’s efforts to protect religious freedom.
“The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” Tinubu said in a statement, citing “constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”
Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry, in a separate statement, vowed to keep fighting violent extremism and said it hoped Washington would remain a close ally, saying it “will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion. Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.”
The U.S. military footprint in West Africa was significantly diminished when about 1,000 troops withdrew from Niger last year. While the U.S. sometimes has small groups of troops in the region to take part in drills, the largest U.S. military base on the continent is in East Africa in Djibouti, which hosts over 5,000 troops and is used for operations in the region.
TRUMP PUT NIGERIA ON ‘CONCERN LIST’ DURING FIRST TERM
Trump had designated Nigeria a country of concern during his first term in the White House. His Democratic successor Joe Biden removed it from the U.S. State Department list in 2021.
On Friday, Trump said “thousands of Christians” were being killed in Nigeria by radical Islamists, but offered no details.
Nigeria, which has 200 ethnic groups practicing Christianity, Islam and traditional religions, has a long history of peaceful coexistence, but it has also seen flare-ups of violence among groups, often exacerbated by ethnic divisions or conflict over scarce resources.
The extremist Islamist armed group Boko Haram has also terrorized northeast Nigeria, an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of people over the past 15 years. Human rights experts have said most Boko Haram victims have been Muslims.
U.S. lawmakers such as Representative Tom Cole, a Republican who chairs the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, hailed Trump’s move on Friday, citing what they called “the alarming and ongoing persecution of Christians across the country.”
The committee’s fiscal 2026 national security appropriations bill included increased funding for international religious freedom programs and support for programs supporting communities in Nigeria targeted by extremist violence.
Trump’s re-designation of Nigeria as a country of concern opens the door to a range of policy responses such as sanctions or waivers, but they are not automatic.
Some religious groups pressed Trump for the re-designation in a letter last month, according to a copy on the Hudson Institute think tank’s website.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote without offering any specifics. He also called on the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee to investigate.
Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey and Idrees Ali in Washington, Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Editing by MacDonald Dzirutwe, Andrea Ricci, Sergio Non and Lincoln Feast.
-Reuters
- Summary
- Iranian media says five players secretly left the hotel
- Australian media said players were seeking government help after ‘breaking free’
- Trump says Albanese is doing very good job in ‘delicate situation’
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the Iranian women’s soccer team after reports that five players had sought asylum in Australia.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said five players in Australia for the Asian Cup secretly left the team hotel with Australian police, and media reports said they were seeking Australian government assistance after “breaking free”.
People attempt to block a bus transporting Iranian players following the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Group A match between Iran and the Philippines at Gold Coast Stadium on the Gold Coast, Australia, March 8, 2026. AAP/via REUTERS
After initially posting on social media that Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake” by allowing the team to be sent back home, Trump said in a later post that he had spoken to Albanese and that the Australian leader was “doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation”.
Trump said five members of the Iran squad “have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way”.
“Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return,” he said.
Australia’s SBS News said five players from the Iranian women’s team were now under the protection of the Australian Federal Police, seeking assistance from the government. It said government sources had confirmed the reports, adding that Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had flown to Brisbane to meet with the women.
The Iranians’ campaign in the Australian-hosted Asian Cup tournament started just as the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. They were eliminated on Sunday after losing 2-0 to the Philippines.
In his earlier post, Trump said members of the team would “likely be killed” if forced to return to Iran. “The U.S. will take them if you won’t, ” he added.
Australia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks.
FIFPRO VOICES CONCERNS
Soccer’s global players’ union FIFPRO said on Monday there were serious concerns for the welfare of the Iranian team after being labelled for refusing to sing their national anthem before a game.
The players’ decision to stand in silence during Iran’s anthem before their first match against South Korea was labelled by a commentator on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting as the “pinnacle of dishonour”.
Iranian media quoted Farideh Shojaei, vice president for women’s affairs at the Iranian Football Federation, as saying the team had left the hotel through the back door with the police.
“We have contacted the embassy, the football federation, the foreign ministry and anywhere possible to see what will happen,” she said. “We have even spoken with the families of these five players.”
Iranian media named the players as Zahra Sarbali, Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Ghanbari, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramazani-Zadeh.
It said other team members were still in Australia and quoted Shojaei as saying the squad had planned to return to Iran via Dubai, but the United Arab Emirates had not allowed them to do so.
It said efforts were now expected to be made for the team to return via Malaysia and Turkey.
The Iranian team sang their national anthem and saluted before their second match against Australia, sparking fears among human rights campaigners that the women had been coerced by government minders.
When asked whether Australia would grant the players asylum, Matt Thistlethwaite, the assistant minister for foreign affairs and trade, said the government could not go into individual circumstances for privacy reasons.
-Reuters
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Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, has reaffirmed that the security and stability of Gulf Arab states are inseparable from Morocco’s own national security.
Speaking during an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the League of Arab States held on Sunday to discuss Iran’s attacks on Arab states, Bourita stressed that Morocco views any threat to Gulf countries as a direct threat to itself.
“What harms you harms us, and what affects us affects you,” Bourita said, reiterating Morocco’s long-standing commitment to the security of Gulf nations.
The meeting, attended remotely by the Moroccan minister, was convened to address what participants described as Iran’s aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Arab countries.
Bourita noted that Morocco’s position reflects the policy consistently articulated by King Mohammed VI, who has repeatedly emphasised solidarity with Gulf partners. He revealed that the Moroccan monarch recently held telephone conversations with leaders of Gulf states to express Morocco’s support for their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
The minister also recalled the king’s remarks during the Moroccan-Gulf Summit on April 20, 2016, where Mohammed VI declared that defending shared security among Arab nations is “not only a common duty but an indivisible one.”
During the emergency session, Bourita strongly condemned what he described as “brutal Iranian attacks” on Arab countries, calling them a blatant violation of their sovereignty and a serious threat to regional stability. Morocco, he said, stands in full solidarity with the affected states and supports any legitimate measures they deem necessary to safeguard their citizens and territories.
He further accused the Iranian regime of pursuing destabilizing policies across the region, alleging that Tehran seeks to create and support militias and groups loyal to it in order to undermine the stability and interests of neighboring countries.
Bourita urged Arab nations to strengthen unity and collective action through the League of Arab States as the most effective means of protecting regional security and safeguarding national sovereignty.
Concluding his remarks, the Moroccan foreign minister called for a unified Arab stance against actions that threaten regional stability and demanded the immediate cessation of Iranian attacks, saying such a move would open the door for diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation in the region.
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Mohammed VI has reaffirmed Morocco’s “full support and solidarity” with several Arab Gulf states following what he described as “blatant attacks” on their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a statement issued Saturday by the Royal Cabinet, the Moroccan monarch disclosed that he held separate telephone conversations with key Gulf leaders, including Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates; Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia; and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
According to the Royal Cabinet, King Mohammed VI strongly condemned the attacks targeting the sovereignty of the “brotherly states” and reiterated Morocco’s readiness to stand by them in any legitimate measures they consider necessary to safeguard their security and ensure the safety of their citizens.
The statement underscored the “deep fraternal ties and enduring solidarity” binding Morocco to the Gulf nations, stressing that the security and stability of the Arab Gulf region are inseparable from Morocco’s own national security.
“Any infringement upon their integrity constitutes a serious and unacceptable aggression and a direct threat to regional stability,” the statement read.
Morocco has long maintained close political, economic and security ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with cooperation spanning investment, energy, defence and diplomatic coordination on regional issues.
Saturday’s high-level consultations signal Rabat’s intention to reinforce those alliances at a time of heightened regional tensions, while affirming its position that threats to Gulf states are viewed as threats to broader Arab and regional stability.
The Royal Cabinet did not provide further details on the nature of the attacks referenced in the conversations, but the statement reflects Morocco’s consistent diplomatic posture of collective Arab solidarity in times of crisis.
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