Is Trump about to start bombing another country?

He's not doing his Nobel Peace Prize chances any favours...

According to reports, Trump is thinking about military action against an al-Qaeda-linked group in Mali.

His administration is reportedly weighing strikes against JNIM, or Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks and kidnappings since announcing its formation in 2017.

US President Donald Trump. Image: Getty.

The group, which is allied with al-Qaeda, has increasingly attacked nearby West African nations, including a lethal attack at an airport in Niger’s capital last month.

In the meantime, it has terrorized Mali’s interior with fuel blockades and sieges.

The Washington Post reported that Trump is mulling whether to take action in Mali while mired in a months-long war with Iran.

Trump’s administration labels him “the peace president” with a “peace through strength” platform as he openly seeks international peace prizes.

Trump himself has openly and repeatedly claimed he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, asserting that he has successfully resolved multiple international conflicts.

What happens if the US attacks Mali

The attacks, if approved, would add to a growing list of nations and international waterways bombed by the U.S. military since 2025.

Previously, Trump ordered strikes in Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen, in addition to killing more than 200 people on alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean.

An alliance of military-controlled governments including Burkina Faso and Niger have largely cut Western ties and turned to Vladimir Putin's Russia for security help after recent military coups ousted their democratically elected leaders, and Mali is among them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republic of Mali's Junta Leader, General Assmi Goita, who was on a six-day official visit to Russia in June of last year. (Getty Images)

In spite of recent reports, whether Trump was weighing military action in Mali was not confirmed by The White House.

As they spoke to The Independent, an administration official revealed that the administration hopes the Alliance of Sahel States “prevails against terrorism, but the blame for the deteriorating security situation falls upon Russia who has proven to be an ineffective security partner for Mali.”

The latest comes as Mali’s junta-controlled government and Russian mercenaries are struggling to combat JNIM and other military groups that have occupied the region.

Meanwhile, another group, which is the rival IS Sahel, is affiliated with the Islamic State.

This group has pushed into Mali’s border with Niger, where militants kidnapped American missionary Kevin Rideout last year.

Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa is home to roughly 25 million people and is among the largest gold producers in Africa, containing large lithium deposits that foreign companies are hoping to exploit.