Trump Rules Out Nuclear Weapons Against Iran — "The Mother of All Bombs Is Not Nuclear"

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran and said he has no plans to send American ground troops into the country, drawing two red lines even as the U.S. military develops new strike options against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites.

In an interview with Newsmax aired Thursday, Trump was asked about a CNN report that the Pentagon is drafting strike plans that could include the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast — the “mother of all bombs” — against Iranian targets including the suspected underground nuclear site known as Pickaxe Mountain.

“The mother of all bombs is not nuclear. It's not nuclear at all. This is just an extremely large bomb. It's like a tiny nuclear bomb, but the mother of all bombs is one big bomb, but it's not nuclear,” Trump said.

Pressed directly on whether he would ever go nuclear against Iran, he answered flatly: “No, I wouldn't use nuclear. We don't have to.”

On the question of American ground troops, Trump was equally dismissive: “No, I don't see that. I don't.”

At the same time, Trump kept air strikes firmly on the table — including a possible attack on Pickaxe Mountain, an underground complex near Natanz that analysts link to Iran's nuclear program. “Now, we're looking at Pickaxe Mountain. We may have to go there,” he said. “We'll take a shot at that one. We'll knock it out fast.”

Trump also said Washington wants to ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon, warning that pulling back before that goal is secured could require further U.S. military action within a year: “We want to make it so that they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

He predicted the war could end soon, claiming Tehran is negotiating: “The Iran war will be over very soon. It's going to end very soon... They've asked us to please stop. And we do, because we're negotiating with them.” He added that an end to hostilities would send oil prices “dropping like a rock — and gas prices as well.”

Asked about reports he might enter Israeli election politics ahead of the Knesset vote, Trump noted Israeli officials want him involved but declined to commit — then offered a blunt assessment when asked whether he trusts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “I don't trust anybody, honestly. In the world of politics, I don't trust anybody.”

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