US President Donald Trump has said he would not consider using nuclear weapons against Iran, softening earlier rhetoric amid ongoing tensions in the region.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump dismissed the idea of deploying nuclear arms, arguing 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?”
Trump’s remarks mark a notable shift from his earlier statements earlier this month, when he warned of catastrophic consequences for Iran during the conflict involving the United States and Israel. Despite the escalation in rhetoric at the time, a ceasefire was soon agreed upon and later extended.
The US president reiterated that Washington’s primary objective remains preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“We want an Iran without a nuclear weapon that’s going to try and blow up one of our cities or destabilize the Middle East,” Trump said.
Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, while international monitors, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, have indicated that an immediate nuclear threat was not present prior to the conflict.
During the conflict, US Vice President JD Vance had suggested that Washington was prepared to escalate using more advanced weaponry. However, the White House later clarified that his remarks did not refer to nuclear options.
The United States remains the only country to have used nuclear weapons in warfare, during Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which resulted in massive loss of life.
While Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, it has never officially confirmed their existence.
Trump’s latest comments appear to contrast with longstanding US nuclear policy, which maintains the option of nuclear use under certain circumstances as a deterrent.
