U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 23rd (local time) that the United States would not use nuclear weapons against Iran, with which it is at war.
According to Reuters and others, President Trump, when asked at a White House event on "reducing medical costs" whether he was willing to use nuclear weapons on Iran, answered, "No."
He added, "Why would we use nuclear weapons when we have already completely devastated them with conventional means without nuclear weapons," and said, "We will not use nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons must never be used by anyone."
Earlier, on the 7th, President Trump targeted Iran on the social media platform Truth Social, saying, "An entire civilization will disappear tonight and never be restored." Some viewed this as keeping open the possibility of using nuclear weapons, but he made clear that he had no intention of using nuclear weapons that day.
Asked how long he was willing to wait for a long-term peace agreement with Iran, President Trump said, "Do not rush." He also said Iran may have "slightly" increased its weapons during the two-week cease-fire, but explained that U.S. forces could neutralize those weapons within a day.
He also emphasized, "I want the best transaction," adding, "We could make a transaction right now, but I do not want to do that. I want an eternal transaction."