Trump says he won’t use nuclear weapon against Iran: ‘I decimated them without it’

'A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody,' Donald Trump stressed
President Donald Trump also made it clear that he doesn't want to rush while negotiating with Iran during an Oval Office event at the White House on Thursday, April 23 (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump also made it clear that he doesn't want to rush while negotiating with Iran during an Oval Office event at the White House on Thursday, April 23 (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)


WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump spoke with reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, April 23, when he said that he won’t use a nuclear weapon against Iran. He even stated that nobody should be allowed to use it.

During the question and answer session, when a reporter asked the Republican leader, “Would you use a nuclear weapon against Iran?” Trump got annoyed as he said, “No, I wouldn’t. We don’t need it. Why do I need it? Why would a stupid question like that be asked?”

Trump says he managed to 'decimate' Iran in a very conventional way

Trump then added, “Why would I use a nuclear weapon, when we’ve totally, in a very conventional way, decimated them without it. No, I wouldn’t use it. A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody.”

He has maintained that the US has the upper hand over Iran as the negotiations between the two countries go on. He even told reporters that he’s not “under time pressure,” but Tehran is.

President Donald Trump listens during an event on health care affordability in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump listens during an event on health care affordability in the Oval Office at the White House on Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“I took the country out militarily in the first four weeks. I took it out militarily. Now all we're doing is sitting back and seeing what the deal. And if they don't want to make a deal, then I'll finish it up militarily with the other 25 percent of the targets. We've hit 78 percent of the targets that we've wanted to hit,” Trump claimed.

Trump says he does not want to rush while negotiating with Iran

Reiterating the US’ apparent achievements against Iran in the ongoing conflict, Trump continued, “We've knocked out their manufacturing. We've knocked out their missile production. We've knocked out their drone production. We've knocked out everything.” 

“In some cases, when I say knocked it out, 70, 80, 90 percent, it's amazing what we've done. So I've done that within that period of time that I mentioned. But I don't want to rush myself,” the Republican leader asserted.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event for NCAA national champions in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump speaks during an event for NCAA national champions in the State Dining Room of the White House on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump says government of Iran is 'seriously fractured'

This came after earlier this week, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire until Iran's “leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.”



He also slammed the government of Iran by calling it “seriously fractured,” but also added that despite the ceasefire extension, the blockade of Iranian ports will continue.

Trump’s decision was called out by Mahdi Mohammadi, an advisor to the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who described it as “a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike.”

“Trump's ceasefire extension means nothing. The losing side cannot dictate terms. The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response. The time for Iran to take the initiative has come,” Mohammadi added.

RELATED TOPICS US STRIKES IRAN

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Trump said the Reflecting Pool was drained to repair damage he attributed to vandalism, rejecting reports that repairs were linked to peeling liner and algae
7 minutes ago
Trump says he is 'giving it back' to the people as he rolls back protections on two Utah monuments
58 minutes ago
Graham's assets were primarily invested in mutual funds and US government bonds, allowing him to largely avoid the stock trading controversies that have surrounded other lawmakers
1 hour ago
Iran's FM rejected Trump's claim, saying Iran, not the US, has 'been the Guardian of the Strait'
2 hours ago
The notification gives the Pentagon another 60 days to continue military operations without congressional approval
4 hours ago
An emotional John Thune fought back tears as he honored Lindsey Graham, recalling his final Ukraine mission and lifelong service
8 hours ago
The appointment comes days before Republicans begin filing for a special primary to pick their nominee for November's election
10 hours ago
The task force intensified the Pentagon's crackdown on leaks by boosting Justice Department coordination and speeding internal investigations
10 hours ago
The FBI said it investigated credible federal election allegations and would not tolerate employees who failed to uphold its standards
10 hours ago
Israel's US envoy said Ro Khanna ignored embassy coordination, instead arranging the trip with Palestinian activists and J Street
11 hours ago