Trump Denies Using Nuclear Bomb Against Iran: Why It Matters

This is the first time the president has mentioned nuclear weapons, but he did not rule out America's use of the "mother of all bombs."

US President Donald Trump has for the first time explicitly ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran, but has not denied US media reports that his administration is considering deploying the US's deadliest non-nuclear weapon, nicknamed the "Mother of All Bombs", in the near future.

In an interview published Thursday by the right-wing US news site Newsmax, Trump suggested he had no plans to use nuclear weapons, but also clarified that the devastating air weapon, the GBU-43/B massive air-explosive bomb (MOAB - the mother of all bombs), is "not nuclear."

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"I don't use nuclear. We don't have to. We're the biggest nuclear power in the world," he told Newsmax.

The remarks were Trump's first definitive statement on the nuclear issue since speculation of a possible nuclear conflict early in the US-Israel war against Iran. They also appear to confirm speculation that another phase of the war is imminent, possibly after the November 3 US midterm elections.

Trump told Newsmax that the U.S. may indeed launch another attack on Iran's nuclear sites, particularly at Klang, a mountain where Tehran is believed to have hidden a nuclear facility deep within layers of granite.

He ruled out the use of nuclear weapons or tactical nuclear weapons.

"I don't use nuclear. We don't have to. We are the biggest nuclear power in the world," he said.

He also clarified that the MOAB, which CNN reported the US government is considering using, is "not nuclear".

Asked whether the MOAB was a "tactical nuke" — that is, a smaller nuclear munition — Trump reiterated that it was not.

"Well, the mother of all bombs is not nuclear," Trump said. "It's not nuclear at all. It's just a very large bomb."

Trump declined to say whether he had authorized its use in Iran.

Trump also suggested that there is a possibility of renewed attacks in the near future. He argued that the US could not end the war now because it had to ensure Iran could not develop a nuclear weapon, saying he believed "if they had it, I think they would use it immediately".

Trump also asserted that the war will end "very soon" either by force or diplomacy, after which oil prices will fall.

Asked if he would "put troops on the ground," Trump said: "No, I don't see that, I don't see that." Earlier in the war, Trump had hinted at sending troops, which analysts said would be devastating for American troops because of Iran's mountainous terrain.

The MOAB carries a massive payload of about 8,500 kg (18,000 lb or 8.5 tons) of high explosives. It weighs 9,800 kilograms (21,605 pounds, or roughly 10 tons)—about the same as four cars—and is just over nine meters (about 30 feet) long. Stealth bombers are too small to carry it, so it must be deployed by the larger Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

Experts told Al Jazeera that the missile was designed to explode a few meters above the ground, sending out powerful fireballs capable of blowing up buildings and other hard-surface structures within a 1km radius. The U.S. Air Force said the mushroom cloud from its explosion was seen 32 kilometers (20 miles) away in tests.

"Its large explosive charge can cause devastating explosive effects against personnel, equipment and vulnerable structures," said Elijah Magnier, a Brussels-based weapons and military analyst. "It's purpose is to create an incredibly powerful explosion at level one."

However, Magnier said there are doubts about whether the use of the massive surface explosive would be effective against Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities. He added: It is difficult for larger cargo planes to access the ground in Iran.

What has Trump already said about nuclear weapons?

Trump has never explicitly mentioned the use of nuclear weapons, but he has also never ruled it out.

Speculation about whether Washington might use nuclear weapons was rife in the early days of the conflict, largely due to the extreme nature of Trump's numerous threats against Tehran.

For example, in April, as Iran blockaded ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump wrote on his Truth Social site: "If Iran doesn't agree to a peace deal and reopen the strait, an entire civilization will die tonight and never come back."

He also threatened to destroy Iran's infrastructure, saying the bombing campaign would be "power plant day and bridge day, all in one package" in Iran.

Experts widely interpreted his statements as a threat of nuclear annihilation, but a threat that has not yet been able to force Iran to the negotiating table.

Although Trump largely distanced himself from his fencing rhetoric in the following weeks, he repeated at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month that he could "destroy" Iran. He also said in the assembly that he believes that an agreement will be reached after the interim period.

"Tactical" nuclear weapons (TNW) are smaller nuclear munitions designed for the battlefield, as opposed to strategic nuclear munitions designed for mass destruction.

TNWs are thought by some to have less impact than a nuclear bomb, but experts warn that their name is misleading and can be devastating nonetheless. Their explosive yield, between 0.3 and 50 kilotons, can affect areas within a radius of 500-600 km.

The United States dropped a 15-kiloton nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, meaning that the weapon would be considered a TNW today. The United States, North Korea and Russia have TNWs in their arsenals, although no country has ever used them. TNWs are not subject to any international treaties and are largely unregulated

How might another American attack on Iran be?

With Trump unable to rule out abandoning the MOAB, analysts speculate that the United States may launch another — perhaps final — intensive bombing campaign targeting Iran's nuclear and defense sites, particularly Mount Pickaxe.

The US could also continue its naval blockade of Iranian ports while escorting merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has pledged to respond to escalating attacks by targeting oil and digital infrastructure in neighboring Persian Gulf countries.

Senior defense officials have also warned that Iran would attack its neighbors if the U.S. launched ground operations, although Trump appears to have denied that.

Earlier in the war, he hinted at the possibility of sending ground forces to recover about 400 kilograms of "yellowcake" - highly enriched uranium that Washington and Israel claim Tehran has hidden underground.

Trump's phone calls in March to Kurdish militia groups fighting Iran fueled speculation that Washington could coordinate with them for an invasion, though that did not happen.