United States President, Donald Trump, on Thursday ruled out the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, despite earlier threats suggesting the possibility of devastating action against the country.
Speaking with reporters at the White House, Trump dismissed the idea of deploying nuclear arms, stressing that conventional military capabilities were sufficient.
“No, I wouldn’t use it,” he said.
“Why would I use a nuclear weapon when we’ve, in a very conventional way, decimated them without it?” the president added.
“A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody.”
On April 7, the US president issued a stark warning to Iran, saying a “whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back,” a statement that drew global concern.
However, within hours of that threat, Trump agreed to a ceasefire in the conflict involving the United States and Israel—a truce that has since been extended.
During the conflict, Vice President JD Vance had warned that Washington was prepared to escalate its offensive with weapons “not previously used,” sparking speculation about possible nuclear options.
The White House, however, quickly clarified that Vance was not referring to nuclear weapons.
Vance had also been involved in negotiations with Iran, pushing for stricter concessions over its controversial nuclear programme, though the talks ultimately failed to yield results.
Reaffirming his stance, Trump said his administration’s goal remains to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“We want an Iran without a nuclear weapon that’s going to try and blow up one of our cities or blow up the entire Middle East,” he said.
Iran has consistently denied pursuing any nuclear ambition, while the International Atomic Energy Agency has stated that an atomic bomb was not imminent before the conflict.
The US remains the only country to have deployed nuclear weapons in warfare, during World War II, when atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in the deaths of about 214,000 people.
Although Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, it has neither confirmed nor denied its arsenal.
Trump’s blanket rejection of nuclear weapon use appears to contrast with long-standing US defence policy, which retains the option of deploying such weapons under extreme circumstances.
The US has also resisted international calls to adopt a “no first use” policy in nuclear conflicts.
In the past, Trump has advocated ending the country’s moratorium on nuclear testing, citing concerns over alleged secret tests by China and Russia.
Meanwhile, former US President Barack Obama had pushed for a long-term vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, while maintaining that America’s nuclear arsenal serves as a deterrent as long as such weapons exist.
