By Fatima Mukhtar
United States President Donald Trump’s renewed threat to launch military action in Nigeria “to protect Christians” has stirred international concern, even as a new BBC report reveals the growing fears of Iranian Christian converts facing deportation from the United States.
Trump, who recently accused Nigerian authorities of failing to stop attacks on Christians, vowed that the U.S. military would strike if the situation “continues unchecked.” His comments have been widely criticized by African leaders, with the African Union insisting there is no genocide in Nigeria and urging foreign nations to avoid actions that could destabilize the region.
Nigeria has also firmly rejected Trump’s claims, describing them as exaggerated and harmful to diplomatic relations.
Meanwhile, in a separate but related development, Iranian citizens who abandoned Islam for Christianity have told the BBC they fear for their lives as U.S. immigration authorities continue deporting converts back to Iran.
According to the report, several asylum seekers warned that returning to Iran places them at severe risk of arrest and persecution, as the Iranian government considers conversion from Islam a crime. One deportee, whose identity was concealed for safety, said he faced “immediate danger” upon arrival despite previously being granted protections by a U.S. judge.
Human rights groups say hundreds of Iranian Christian converts are now caught in a dangerous gap between U.S. immigration policy and the threats they face in their home country.
The contrast has drawn global attention: while Trump emphasizes protecting Christians abroad, critics argue that asylum-seeking Christians from Iran are not receiving the same level of protection within the United States.
Observers warn that both situations — Trump’s threat against Nigeria and the deportation of converts — could heighten tensions and raise questions about the consistency of U.S. policy on religious freedom.
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