The Trump administration is considering military action in Mali targeting Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate that has intensified its presence across the West African nation. If approved, Mali would become the eighth country struck under Trump's second term, which began in 2025.
Sebastian Gorka, the National Security Council's senior director for counterterrorism, is pushing for strikes, though senior officials remain divided. JNIM killed Mali's defense minister in 2026 and downed a military helicopter in July during clashes with Malian forces and Russian Africa Corps troops.
Direct U.S. intervention risks confrontation with Russian military personnel already operating alongside Mali's junta. The administration has separately conducted controversial counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that have killed dozens.