Trump Dismisses Nuclear Strike Amid Hormuz Tensions
US President Donald Trump on Thursday asserted that he would refrain from employing a nuclear weapon in the conflict with Iran, emphasizing that such weapons ought never to be utilized by any party. In a recent interaction at the White House, President Trump addressed a query regarding the potential use of nuclear weapons against Iran, stating, “Why would a stupid question like that be asked?… No, I wouldn’t use it.” A nuclear weapon ought never to be permitted for use by any entity. Additionally, Trump asserted that the United States possesses a robust economy and an adequate oil supply, noting that several vessels are currently en route to the US rather than the Strait of Hormuz, in light of initiatives to limit Iran’s nuclear aspirations. “… We have this remarkable economy… I contacted JD, Marco, Howard, and Scott to inform them that, regrettably, we must take a slight detour. It is imperative that we engage with Iran to ensure the elimination of their nuclear weapons capabilities… A significant number of vessels are arriving in the United States, opting for this route over the Hormuz Strait… We do not currently face an oil shortage… Currently, our oil production exceeds that of Saudi Arabia and Russia combined… We are importing millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela,” he stated.
He also stated that the United States possesses “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and is intentionally keeping it closed to exert pressure on Iran for a deal, emphasizing his desire for a lasting agreement and his intention not to hasten the process, despite asserting that significant progress has been made. “… I gave them a break. I aim to secure the most advantageous agreement. I am in a position to finalize a deal at this moment. It is noteworthy that if I were to depart at this moment, we would have achieved a remarkable level of success. Rebuilding would require a two-decade timeline, a prospect I find unappealing. I desire to possess it indefinitely… My current activities are not something I can disclose. I prefer not to impose a specific timetable, yet the process is expected to progress rapidly. The Strait will be opened up. At present, it remains closed. We possess complete authority over the Strait,” he elaborated. “They would have facilitated its opening three days prior. They approached us and stated, ‘We will consent to the opening of the Strait.’ All of my associates exhibited contentment, with the exception of myself. I stated, ‘One minute, if we open the Strait, that implies they will generate $500 million daily.” I prefer that they do not generate $500 million daily until this matter is resolved.’ I am the individual who maintained its closure. We possess complete control over it. “It will open when they make a deal or something else happens that is very positive,” he stated.
Trump stated he is not under any pressure to conclude the West Asia conflict, asserting that the United States has already achieved a significant portion of its objectives and that Iran is experiencing acute pressure due to its oil circumstances. He indicated that additional military action is still a possibility if an agreement is not achieved, while also mentioning that Iran has consented to suspend the execution of several women in response to a request from the US. “…How many years was Vietnam?… I took the country out militarily in the first 4 weeks. Now what we are doing is sitting back and seeing what deal. If they dont want to make a deal, then I will finish it up militarily with the other 25% targets. We have hit 78% of the targets that we wanted to hit… It is amazing what we have done… You know who is under time pressure? They are. If they dont get their oil moving, their whole oil infrastructure is going to explode because they have no place to store it. Because they have no place to store it, if they have to stop it, something happens underground that essentially renders it in very poor shape, and you never recover fully… They have a matter of days before that event takes place,” Trump said.
Due to the lack of adequate storage facilities, halting operations leads to underground conditions that significantly deteriorate the material, resulting in an inability to achieve full recovery. Trump stated, “They have a matter of days before that event takes place.” He added, “I am not under any pressure whatsoever… Our ships are locked and loaded, and they are ready to go… They are very disorganised right now… 8 young women were going to be executed yesterday afternoon at 6 o clock.” I requested that they refrain from carrying out the execution, framing it as either a favor or a moral appeal. They returned with a response indicating that they will not be executing them… They are set to release four individuals imminently, while retaining four others in custody for a duration of one month before their release. Thus, they will not face execution,” he stated. In response to the question of whether Iran will need to cease its financial support for Hezbollah, Trump stated, “Yeah, they will have to cut that off.” That is essential.
