US President Donald Trump on Thursday said nuclear weapons would not be used in the ongoing conflict with Iran, arguing that American conventional strikes had already inflicted heavy damage.
Addressing reporters at the White House, Trump said there was no justification for deploying nuclear arms. He maintained that Iran had already been “decimated” through conventional means and stressed that such weapons should never be used.
“Why would I use a nuclear weapon? We’ve totally, in a very conventional way, decimated them without it,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked whether he would use such a weapon.
“No, I wouldn’t use it. A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody,” he added.
On the diplomatic front, Trump indicated he is not rushing into an agreement with Tehran, saying he is focused on securing a durable, long-term deal rather than a quick resolution.
He noted that Iran may have attempted to rebuild parts of its military during a recent two-week ceasefire, but asserted that any such recovery could be rapidly undone. According to him, Iran’s naval forces, air force and air defence systems have been largely destroyed.
Meanwhile, USS George HW Bush has entered the area of operations under US Central Command, becoming the third US aircraft carrier deployed in the region amid a fragile pause in hostilities. The carrier is currently in the Indian Ocean, while the USS Abraham Lincoln is stationed in the Arabian Sea and the USS Gerald R Ford is in the Red Sea.
The Bush had departed from Norfolk, Virginia, in late March and initially crossed the Atlantic before taking an unusual southern route around the Horn of Africa en route to the Middle East.
The Bush, which left its home port of Norfolk, Va. at the end of March, proceeded to sail across the Atlantic Ocean but then made the unusual choice to turn south and sail around the Horn of Africa before heading north toward the waters of the Middle East
In a post on Truth Social, Trump dismissed suggestions that he was eager to end the conflict, criticising sections of the media and questioning their credibility.
“Iran’s Navy is lying at the bottom of the sea, their Air Force is demolished, their anti-aircraft and radar systems are gone, their leaders are no longer with us, and the blockade is airtight and strong,” he said. “Time is not on their side.”
He added that any deal would only be finalised when it aligns with US interests, those of its allies and broader global stability, stressing that “the clock is ticking” for Iran.
With inputs from Reuters
