Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, a spokesman for the Nigerien junta, said in a statement that Niger will cut off US military ties amidst rising concerns about a uranium deal with Iran.

In a major setback to the Pentagon's presence in West Africa, Niger announced over the weekend that it is suspending military cooperation with the United States. This move is likely to force Washington to withdraw its troops and severely undermine AFRICOM's influence on the continent.

Statistics from the...