US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington would not use nuclear weapons against Iran, insisting that such measures were unnecessary despite reports that the Pentagon was considering deploying its most powerful conventional bomb.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmax, Trump dismissed concerns surrounding the potential use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, commonly known as the “mother of all bombs.”
“The mother of all bombs is not a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, stressing that the United States had no need to resort to nuclear weapons in its confrontation with Tehran.
His remarks followed reports that the US military had developed new operational plans involving the massive conventional bomb for possible strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure.
CNN reported on Thursday, citing American officials familiar with military planning, that the weapon could be deployed if Trump authorised a resumption of major combat operations.
The GBU-43/B is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal and is designed to inflict extensive damage across large surface areas. However, military experts have questioned its effectiveness against Iran’s deeply fortified underground nuclear facilities.
CBS News separately reported that the White House and Pentagon had prepared contingency plans involving the weapon, although officials emphasised that no decision to deploy it had been announced.
The reported preparations come amid continuing uncertainty over the future of the US-Iran conflict, with Washington maintaining military pressure on Tehran while diplomatic efforts have failed to produce a lasting settlement.
Trump’s latest comments appeared intended to distinguish the potential use of powerful conventional weapons from any escalation involving nuclear arms, although they did not rule out further military strikes against Iran.
