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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES — By Prime Brief Media

President Donald Trump has explicitly ruled out the use of nuclear weapons in the United States' ongoing military campaign against Iran, rejecting the option as unnecessary given the extensive damage already inflicted on Iranian military capabilities through conventional strikes.

Speaking during a press availability at the White House on Thursday, April 23, 2026, Trump responded to a reporter's question about the potential deployment of nuclear arms against Iran with evident frustration. "Why do I need it? Why would a stupid question like that be asked? Why would I use a nuclear weapon when we've totally, in a very conventional way, decimated them without it?" the President said.

He added unequivocally: "No, I wouldn't use it. A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody".

The remarks mark the President's most definitive statement to date on the nuclear question, following weeks of speculation triggered by his own social media posts threatening to "blow up the rest" of Iran and warnings that "a whole civilization will die tonight". That rhetoric had drawn comparisons to President Harry Truman's decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan during World War II, a parallel publicly suggested by Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas earlier this week.

The President's clarification comes as the conflict, which began on February 28, 2026, nears its third month. U.S. military officials have described a comprehensive degradation of Iranian forces, including the destruction of its navy, air force, anti-aircraft systems, defence industrial base, and command-and-control infrastructure.

Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran on April 22, two days before his nuclear comments. The extension, announced via social media, continues the truce "until their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other". The administration has attributed the diplomatic impasse to internal divisions within Tehran's leadership.

"They want to make a deal. We have been speaking to them, but they don't even know who is leading the country. They're in turmoil," Trump said, describing the Iranian leadership as "fighting like cats and dogs for who's going to control" the country.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian swiftly rejected those characterisations. "There are no hardliners or moderates in Iran. We are all Iranians and revolutionaries," Pezeshkian stated on X, emphasising that there is "a solid unity like steel between the people and the state".

Pressed on how long he is willing to wait for a negotiated settlement, Trump resisted any suggestion of a timeline. "Don't rush me. We were in Vietnam for 18 years. We were in Iraq for many, many years," he said. "I've been doing this for six weeks and their military is totally defeated".

The President outlined his strategic objective: "I want to make the best deal. I could make a deal right now... but I don't want to do that. I want to have it everlasting". He acknowledged that Iran may have reinforced its positions "a little bit" during the ceasefire, but warned: "We'll knock that out about one day, if they did".

On the economic front, Trump signalled that Americans should be prepared for elevated fuel prices "for a little while." He argued the sacrifice was warranted: "And you know what they get for that? Iran without a nuclear weapon that's going to try and blow up one of our cities or blow up the entire Middle East".

The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil supplies normally transit, remains a focal point of the confrontation. Trump claimed the U.S. now has "total control" of the waterway and that it "will open when they make a deal or something else happens that's very positive". The blockade, which Trump says is preventing Iran from earning $500 million daily, continues to disrupt global energy markets. The President indicated oil prices could reach $200 per barrel.

Prime Brief Media continues to monitor the diplomatic and military trajectory of the US-Iran conflict. We will provide updates as negotiations in Pakistan progress and as the extended ceasefire period unfolds.