Trump rules out use of nuclear weapons against Iran
14:27, 16/10/2026, Friday
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US President Donald Trump ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran in a television interview on Thursday, stressing that Washington does not need them and clarifying that the "mother of all bombs" remains a conventional weapon even as speculation mounted about its potential use after the midterm elections.
US President Donald Trump ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran during a television interview on Thursday, insisting that Washington possessed sufficient conventional firepower.
'Mother of all bombs' clarification
Speaking to Newsmax, Trump addressed speculation that his administration might deploy the "mother of all bombs" against Tehran, potentially after the upcoming midterm elections. "The mother of all bombs is not nuclear," Trump said, adding: "This is just an extremely large bomb." He reiterated that the weapon remained strictly conventional.
Nuclear option dismissed
The president explicitly dismissed using nuclear weapons against Iran, stating that American military superiority made such measures unnecessary. "No, I wouldn't use nuclear. We don't have to," he said. The comments came amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Alliance skepticism
When asked whether he trusted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump responded with sweeping skepticism about political alliances. "I don't trust anybody, honestly," he said. "In the world of politics, I don't trust anybody."