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Trump rules out nuclear strike on Iran, refuses to rule out "mother of all bombs"
In a Newsmax interview, Trump ruled out nuclear weapons and ground troops against Iran but stopped short of ruling out the 9.8-ton MOAB; he named the fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site as a possible target. He also said Tehran has asked for the attacks to stop and negotiations are ongoing.
Why it matters
The interview draws a clear escalation boundary: nuclear weapons and ground troops are off the table, but heavy conventional strike options remain. It follows CNN's report that the US military has drawn up new strike plans against Iran's energy and nuclear sites that could include the MOAB — with Israel's October 27 election adding a regional clock.
Full report
Trump gave the interview to Newsmax host Rob Finnerty at the White House on Thursday (Oct 15), published early Friday. Asked about CNN's report on new strike plans, he neither confirmed nor denied it, stressing instead the weapon's nature: "The mother of all bombs is not nuclear at all. It's just an extremely large bomb."
Per CNN's reporting, the new plans cover Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities and could include the GBU-43/B MOAB — roughly 9.8 metric tons, carrying about 8,500 kg of H6 explosive, developed in 2003 and first used in combat in Afghanistan in 2017. Trump named a target himself: the heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. "We may have to go there. We'll take a shot at that one. We'll knock it out fast."
He ruled out the two other options: nuclear weapons ("We don't have to. We're the greatest nuclear power in the world") and ground troops ("I don't see that"). He also predicted "the Iran war will be over very soon," saying Tehran had asked for the attacks to stop: "They've asked us to please stop. And we do, because we're negotiating with them."
His stated timeline has shifted repeatedly this week: last Thursday he wrote on Truth Social that further strikes would wait until after November 3; on Monday he said the election calendar would not dictate his Iran policy; on Tuesday night at an Alaska campaign rally he turned menacing: "Oh, wait till you see what we do to Iran." The White House declined further comment.
The interview also covered Israel's October 27 election. Asked whether he would get involved in Netanyahu's campaign, Trump said "they'd like me to be," without committing; asked whether he trusts Netanyahu, he replied: "In the world of politics, I don't trust anybody."
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