President Donald Trump has warned that if attacks on Christians continue, the US may launch another military strike in Nigeria.

Trump spoke when the New York Times (NYT) asked him in an interview if the Christmas Day missile strikes against the Islamic State terror group were part of a larger military operation.

The strikes came roughly a month after Trump promised to send soldiers into Nigeria “guns blazing to wipe out the terrorists killing our cherished Christians,” as some US politicians claimed a genocide against Christians in the West African country.

Ademola Oshodi, senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on international affairs and protocol, stated that Nigeria retained decision-making authority over the one-off incident.

Following the strikes, Trump promised more would come.

In an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, he doubled down.

“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” he said.

“But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”

The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of targeted Christian killings.

Last October, Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, said Boko Haram and ISIS were killing more Muslims than Christians.

Asked about his adviser’s statement, Trump said, “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians.”