Trump rules out using a nuclear bomb on Iran: Why that matters

United States President Donald Trump has for the archetypal clip explicitly ruled retired the usage of a atomic limb against Iran, but has not denied US media reports that his medication is considering deploying the US’s most lethal non-nuclear munition, nicknamed the “mother of each bombs” successful the adjacent future.

In an interrogation published connected Thursday by right-wing American quality tract Newsmax, Trump suggested helium does not program to usage atomic weapons, but besides clarified that the devastating aerial weapon, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB – ‘mother of each bombs ) “is not nuclear”.

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“I wouldn’t usage nuclear. We don’t person to. We’re the top atomic powerfulness successful the world,” helium told Newsmax.

The comments marked Trump’s archetypal definitive connection connected the atomic taxable pursuing speculation astir a imaginable atomic struggle earlier successful the US and Israel’s warfare connected Iran. They besides appeared to corroborate speculation that different signifier of the warfare is imminent, likely aft the US midterm elections connected November 3.

Here’s what we know:

A outer presumption of passageway entrances connected Pickaxe Mountain astatine the Natanz atomic installation successful Iran, June 30, 2026 [Vantor/via Reuters]

What did Trump say?

Trump told Newsmax that the US mightiness so motorboat different onslaught connected Iran’s atomic sites, peculiarly on Pickaxe Mountain, wherever Tehran is believed to beryllium hiding a atomic installation heavy nether layers of granite.

He ruled retired utilizing a atomic limb oregon a tactical atomic weapon.

“I wouldn’t usage nuclear. We don’t person to. We’re the top atomic powerfulness successful the world,” helium said.

He besides clarified that the MOAB, which CNN reported the US authorities is considering using, “is not nuclear”.

Responding to a question astir whether the MOAB is “tactical nuclear” – meaning smaller atomic munitions – Trump reiterated that it is not.

“Well, the parent of each bombs is not nuclear,” Trump said. “It’s not atomic astatine all. This is conscionable an highly ample bomb.”

Trump declined to accidental whether helium had authorised its usage successful Iran.

Trump besides suggested renewed attacks are apt successful the adjacent future. The US cannot extremity the warfare present due to the fact that it has to guarantee Iran cannot nutrient a atomic weapon, helium argued, saying helium believes that “if they had it, they would usage it, successful my opinion, instantaneously”.

Trump besides reiterated that the warfare would extremity “very soon” whether by unit oregon diplomacy and that lipid prices would past drop.

When asked if helium would enactment “troops connected the ground”, Trump said: “No, I don’t spot that, I don’t spot it.” Earlier successful the war, Trump had made comments regarding sending successful troops, a determination analysts said would beryllium devastating for US soldiers due to the fact that of Iran’s mountainous territory.

What is the ‘mother of each bombs’?

The MOAB carries a monolithic payload of astir 8,500kg (18,000 pounds oregon 8.5 tonnes) of precocious explosives. It weighs 9,800kg (21,605 pounds oregon astir 10 tonnes) – astir the aforesaid arsenic 4 cars – and is conscionable implicit 9 metres (about 30 feet) long. Stealth bombers are excessively tiny to transportation it, truthful it has to beryllium deployed by larger, Lockheed C-130 Hercules transporters.

It is designed to detonate a fewer metres supra the ground, sending retired aggravated fireballs that tin blast buildings and different hard-surface structures wrong a 1km radius, experts person told Al Jazeera. It is truthful almighty that a mushroom unreality from its blast has been seen 32km (20 miles) distant successful tests, the US Air Force has said.

“Its ample explosive complaint tin nutrient devastating blast effects against exposed personnel, instrumentality and susceptible structures,” Brussels-based subject and weapons expert Elijah Magnier said. “Its intent is to make an exceptionally almighty blast crossed a aboveground area.”

However, Magnier said determination is uncertainty astir whether utilizing the monolithic aboveground explosive would beryllium effectual against profoundly buried atomic installations successful Iran. He added that the terrain successful Iran could beryllium hard for larger cargo craft to access.

What has Trump antecedently said astir atomic weapons?

Trump has ne'er explicitly mentioned utilizing a atomic weapon, but helium has besides ne'er ruled it out.

Speculation regarding whether Washington mightiness usage atomic weapons was rife successful the aboriginal days of the conflict, mostly due to the fact that of the utmost quality of Trump’s galore threats against Tehran.

In April, for example, arsenic Iran enforced a blockade connected ships successful the Strait of Hormuz, Trump posted connected his Truth Social tract that “…a full civilisation volition dice tonight, ne'er to beryllium brought backmost again”, if Iran did not hold to a bid woody and reopen the strait.

He besides threatened to destruct Iran’s infrastructure, saying a bombing run “will beryllium Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, each wrapped up successful one”, successful Iran.

Experts wide interpreted his statements arsenic a menace of atomic destruction, but 1 that inactive failed to unit Iran to the table.

Although Trump mostly moved distant from his sabre-rattling rhetoric successful the pursuing weeks, helium reiterated astatine the United Nations General Assembly successful New York past period that helium could “annihilate” Iran. He besides told the assembly that helium believed a woody would look aft the midterms.

What is simply a ‘tactical’ atomic weapon?

“Tactical” atomic weapons (TNW) are smaller atomic munitions designed for the battlefield arsenic opposed to strategical atomic munitions designed for wide destruction.

Some comprehend TNWs arsenic having a lesser interaction than an atomic bomb, but experts pass that their names are misleading and they tin nevertheless beryllium devastating. Their explosive yield, betwixt 0.3 and 50 kilotons, tin interaction areas wrong a 500-600km radius.

The US dropped a 15-kiloton atomic weaponry connected Hiroshima, meaning that limb would contiguous beryllium considered a TNW. The US, North Korea and Russia person TNWs successful their arsenals, though nary state has ever utilized them. TNWs are not taxable to immoderate planetary treaties and are mostly unregulated.

What mightiness different US onslaught connected Iran look like?

With Trump failing to regularisation retired dropping the MOAB, analysts speculate that the US mightiness motorboat different – possibly last – intensive bombing run targeting Iran’s atomic and defence sites, peculiarly Pickaxe Mountain.

The US could besides proceed its naval blockade connected Iranian ports, portion providing escorts for commercialized ships done the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has vowed to respond to escalatory strikes by targeting lipid and digital infrastructure successful neighbouring Gulf states.

Senior defence officials person besides warned that Iran volition invade its neighbours if the US launches a crushed operation, though Trump appears to person ruled that out.

Earlier successful the war, helium hinted astatine the anticipation of sending crushed forces to retrieve immoderate 400kg of “yellowcake” – highly enriched uranium that Washington and Israel assertion Tehran has hidden underground.

Trump’s phone calls successful March to Kurdish militia groups warring Iran provoked speculation that Washington could coordinate with them for an invasion, though that did not happen.