United States President Donald Trump has warned that Washington could launch additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks against Christians persist, a statement that has reignited debate over US rhetoric and involvement in Nigeria’s security challenges.

Trump issued the warning in an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, days after the US military carried out an airstrike on Christmas Day against Islamic State (IS) militants operating in northwest Nigeria. The US military said the operation was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government and in coordination with local authorities.

“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump said. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”

The Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims that Christians are being systematically targeted, maintaining that insurgent and criminal groups attack both Christians and Muslims and that the violence is driven by a complex mix of terrorism, banditry and organised crime.

When asked about comments by his Africa adviser that extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State have killed more Muslims than Christians, Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also victims but insisted Christians were the primary targets. “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria,” he said. “But it’s mostly Christians.”

Trump has repeatedly raised the issue in recent months. In late October, he warned that Christianity faced what he described as an “existential threat” in Nigeria and suggested the United States could intervene militarily if the Nigerian government failed to curb the violence.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with an estimated population of over 230 million, has for years battled multiple security crises, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-West, and attacks by Islamist militant groups.

On Christmas Day, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed it struck terrorist camps in Sokoto State, killing several Islamic State militants. The operation followed weeks of reported US intelligence-gathering flights over parts of Nigeria from late November.

Despite pushing back against claims of religiously targeted killings, Nigerian authorities have said they are willing to deepen cooperation with the United States to combat terrorist groups and improve national security.

Following the strike, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X that further actions could follow, reinforcing Trump’s warning that the Christmas Day operation may not be the last if violence continues.