#Trump Warns More U.S. Deaths Possible as Blasts Rock Mideast. New explosions struck Tehran while Iran said it had hit more American bases after the killing of the supreme leader.

President Trump warned Sunday there would likely be more American casualties as the U.S. and Israeli militaries continued to strike Iran. Three U.S. servicemembers were killed and five seriously wounded, U.S. Central Command said.

Trump also said Iran wanted to resume negotiations with the U.S. after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iranian security chief Ali Larijani has made a fresh push to resume nuclear talks with Washington, according to Arab and U.S. officials.

Israel and the U.S. have struck 2,000 targets since the start of their joint military campaign in Iran on Saturday morning. The two countries said they had destroyed the headquarters of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and hit air defenses, Navy ships, underground missile areas and other military assets.

Iran’s military broadened the scope of its response to targeting airports, ports and civilian sites in neighboring Gulf countries, prompting their governments to condemn Tehran for violating their sovereignty and threaten retaliation.

Oil prices jumped and stock futures dropped on Sunday, with Wall Street braced for the economic fallout of what could become a prolonged regional war.

Trump said the bombing would continue “throughout the week or as long as necessary.”

Israel said it had gained aerial freedom over Tehran and would be able to conduct intensive and frequent operations.

Administration officials will brief the full Congress on the strikes on Tuesday, amid criticism from Democrats over the grounds for U.S. intervention in Iran.

Iran is entering a “transitional period,” according to state media, after the killing of Khamenei and other senior Iranian leaders. Until a new supreme leader is chosen, a three-man council will run the country.

A crowd toppled a monument to Khamenei in a southern Iranian city. Meanwhile, supporters mourned his death.

Almost 400 missiles and about 1,000 drones fired from Iran were intercepted by security forces in five neighboring countries. But the barrage in some cases overwhelmed their defenses, undermining their reputations for safety.

Iran-backed Hezbollah vowed to “confront the aggression” of the U.S. and Israel.

Three commercial vessels around the critical Strait of Hormuz were attacked Sunday.

27 min ago
Lebanese Prime Minister Condemns Hezbollah Strikes on Israel

By Saleh al-Batati

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the rocket attacks from southern Lebanon on Israel are “a reckless and suspicious act that endangers Lebanon’s security and gives Israel pretexts to continue its attacks.” He vowed to “take all necessary measures to stop those responsible and protect the Lebanese people.”

The Director-General/CEO of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Philip Shaibu, on Wednesday anchored his vision for transforming Nigerian sports on what he described as the unwavering support of President Bola Tinubu.

U.S. to Send 200 Troops to Help #Nigeria Fight Islamist Insurgents. Americans will train local forces, but won’t see combat, officials say.

The U.S. is sending 200 troops to Nigeria to train the country’s military to fight Islamist militants, weeks after President Trump accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks, an American military official said Tuesday.

The troops will supplement a handful of U.S. military personnel already in Nigeria to help local forces use intelligence to identify targets for military strikes, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.

“The terrorist activity in West Africa—and Nigeria specifically—is something we’re incredibly concerned with,” a spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command said. “We want to partner with capable and willing partners that are able to address these shared security concerns.”

The fresh U.S. forces are expected to arrive in Nigeria over the coming weeks and will be stationed around the country to provide training and technical guidance for Nigerian troops. The Americans will, among other things, help their Nigerian counterparts coordinate simultaneous air and infantry operations, an often-risky military tactic.

“The U.S. troops aren’t going to be involved in direct combat or operations,” Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, the spokesman for Nigeria’s armed forces, told The Wall Street Journal. U.S. officials confirmed that the Americans won’t be involved in combat.

Uba said Nigeria requested the additional American assistance.

The escalating U.S. involvement in Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram and a breakaway militant group, Islamic State in West Africa Province, follows a sharp turn in rhetoric from the White House.

Late last year, Trump said Christians faced “genocide” in Nigeria, due to inaction by Nigerian authorities. Trump threatened to send U.S. forces into the country “guns-a-blazing” to wipe out Islamist militants. He threatened to slash U.S. aid to Nigeria “if it continues to allow the killing of Christians.”

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected Trump’s accusations. But U.S. officials say that since Trump’s public criticism, they have noticed increased willingness on Nigeria’s part to coordinate and intensify counterterrorism activities.

“Nigeria already identifies and knows all these terrorists we have,” Uba said.

With Nigerian support, a U.S. warship fired more than a dozen missiles on Christmas Day at two alleged Islamic State camps in Nigeria. Uba declined to say how many people were killed in the airstrikes. “I can confirm the intent was achieved,” he said.

Gen. Dagvin Anderson, the commander of U.S. forces in Africa, met top officials during a visit to Nigeria this month.

Key figures on the Christian political right in the U.S., including Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas), had grown increasingly critical of Nigeria in the months leading up to Trump’s accusation.

Nigeria is an African political and economic powerhouse, with a population of 237 million people. Muslims are more numerous in the north, where most militant activity has taken place during more than a decade of Islamist insurgency, while Christians are more populous in the south.

Both Muslims and Christians have suffered at the hands of Islamic State and Boko Haram. A Nigerian nonprofit reported Islamist militants were responsible for 43,000 Christian deaths between 2009 and 2021. The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law counted 29,000 Muslims killed during that period.

Boko Haram attracted global condemnation and sparked the #BringBackOurGirls campaign in 2014 when it kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in the town of Chibok.

UniAbuja VC Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi stresses transparent payroll, tax compliance and staff training to boost trust and accountability.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rescheduled the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly election to Saturday, January, 16, 2027, following the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026.

OAUSTECH has announced plans to launch maritime studies programmes in preparation for the anticipated Ondo deep seaport, positioning the institution to tap into #Nigeria’s emerging blue #economy.

FCT High Court dismissed objection against corruption video playback, reserved ruling on recusal motions in forgery, impersonation trial involving Victor Giwa.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has laid the foundation stone for a N1 billion Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) zonal office and a Computer-Based Tests (CBT) centre in the state.

One person has reportedly died following a clash that occurred between enforcement officials of the Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and military personnel over the demolition of illegal structures in Orile-Imo

ADC condemns FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s polling unit visits, calling them unconstitutional, partisan interference that risks intimidating voters during elections.