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Niger Coup: ECOWAS Hints at Possible Military Intervention, Coup Leaders Threaten to Kill the President

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu during the (ECOWAS) summit (AP)
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu during the (ECOWAS) summit (AP)
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Niger Coup: ECOWAS Hints at Possible Military Intervention, Coup Leaders Threaten to Kill the President

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu during the (ECOWAS) summit (AP)
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu during the (ECOWAS) summit (AP)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) approved military intervention in Niger "as soon as possible" to restore constitutional order, announced Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara on Thursday.

"The chiefs of staff will have other conferences to finalize things, but they have the agreement of the Conference of Heads of State for the operation to start as soon as possible," said Ouattara as he returned from the emergency ECOWAS summit.

ECOWAS decided to deploy the organization's standby force for possible use against the junta in Niger and demand the return of the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to office.

The ECOWAS Chair, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, said after a summit to discuss the coup in Niger: "No option is taken off the table, including the use of force as a last resort."

An official statement was read out, which included a resolution asking the bloc's defense chiefs to "activate the ECOWAS Standby Force with all its elements immediately," according to Reuters.

ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray said after the extraordinary summit that the organization had ordered the deployment of the ECOWAS reserve force to restore constitutional order in Niger.

Representatives of the junta told US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland of the threat to Bazoum during her visit to the country this week, a Western military official told the Associated Press (AP).

The summit, which Nigeria hosted Thursday, was held to discuss the response of the ECOWAS leaders after the military junta in Niamey challenged their previous threat to use force to restore democracy.

The meeting, which included closed-door talks, occurred hours after the coup leaders formed a new government, which imposed itself on the summit's agenda before it began.

Since the July 26 coup, the military council rejected diplomatic initiatives and ignored the August 06 deadline set by ECOWAS to relinquish power and free Bazoum to exercise his mandate.

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Revolutionary Guards: Israel’s Skies Are Open to Iran

IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini. (Tasnim)
IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini. (Tasnim)
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Revolutionary Guards: Israel’s Skies Are Open to Iran

IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini. (Tasnim)
IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini. (Tasnim)

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said Israel’s skies are "open and unprotected" against Iran, with "no obstacles" to launching new operations at the right time.

The statement denied any damage to Iran’s air defenses or missile production following an Israeli strike in late October.

IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini said joint military drills with the Iranian army would continue, showcasing what he called "a new chapter in Iran’s deterrence power."

The drills include revealing underground missile bases and testing ballistic missiles.

Iran is fully prepared for "major and complex battles of any scale," Naeini said, as tensions with Israel and regional developments grow.

Speaking at a press conference, he referred to recent changes in Syria and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. He accused Iran's enemies of using "cognitive warfare" to falsely portray the country as weakened.

Naeini pointed to Iran’s strikes on Israel in April and October, calling them "just a small part of our limitless power."

"The skies over occupied territories remain open and unprotected for us. We can act with more precision, speed, and destructive force," he added.

He accused Israel of spreading false narratives to weaken Iran’s morale but vowed to "correct the enemy’s distorted perception."

"We are always ready, and when the orders come, we will show our strength again," he warned.

Naeini described the military drills as a display of "strength and deterrence" and said their message "will reach the enemy in the coming days."

Iran’s army and the IRGC have begun three months of annual military drills across land, sea, and air, aimed at addressing new security threats and simulating real battles. The exercises, both defensive and offensive, aim to boost military readiness, counter terrorism and sabotage, and strengthen national morale.

Naeini dismissed Israeli claims that Iran’s defenses were weakened after the October 26 attack, saying missile production remains unaffected and defense systems are fully operational.

On warnings of a possible third Iranian strike on Israel, Naeini said: "There is no obstacle to new operations when the time is right." He promised future actions would be "more powerful and surprising."

He accused Israel of suffering heavy losses, claiming 1,000 Israeli soldiers have died since the start of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation in Gaza. Supporting resistance movements remains central to Iran’s military doctrine, he said.

Naeini emphasized that Iran does not seek war, but the drills are meant to strengthen deterrence and defense.

Iranian media reported that air defense units conducted exercises near sensitive sites, including the Natanz nuclear facility. Special forces were also deployed in western Iran to address security threats.

In early October, Iran launched 200 missiles towards Israel, with Tel Aviv reporting that most were intercepted by its air defenses or those of its allies.

Tehran said the attack was in retaliation for Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an IRGC commander in a strike on southern Beirut in September, along with the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July.

On October 26, Israeli warplanes targeted military sites in Iran, including missile facilities and radar systems, destroying them.