The White House set off alarm bells Thursday after confirming that President Donald Trump has not ruled out using a nuclear weapon against Iran, raising fears of a catastrophic escalation in the Middle East.
A White House official told Fox News that “none of the options are off the table” when it comes to how Trump might respond to the growing war between Israel and Iran. That includes the use of a tactical nuclear bomb—something that hasn’t happened since the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
This statement directly contradicted earlier reporting by The Guardian, which claimed Trump was not considering a nuclear strike.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Trump will make a decision “within two weeks” on whether to join Israel’s military campaign. She read a statement “directly from the president,” adding to the sense that nuclear force is under serious consideration. Trump denied a Wall Street Journal report that he had already approved an attack plan, but his administration isn’t calming concerns.
Military insiders worry that conventional weapons may not be enough to destroy Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear site, located deep beneath a mountain. Some believe that’s why a nuclear option is being considered.
Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, issued a blunt warning: “Radioactive fallout would be intense” if the U.S. dropped a B61-11 nuclear penetrator bomb on Fordow.
Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute, shared similar concerns. Experts agree: a nuclear strike on Iran would be a global disaster.
Eli Clifton, a senior adviser at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, called out the White House’s position as outrageous. “The U.S. is considering using a nuclear weapon for the first time since Hiroshima and Nagasaki because our client state murdered our Iranian negotiating partner and started a war?” he said.
Despite no evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear weapon—something U.S. intelligence agencies have confirmed—the Trump administration is weighing a preemptive strike that could kill thousands and drag the U.S. into another long war.
Russia, which holds the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, took notice. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “This would be a catastrophic development,” though he declined to speculate further.
Leavitt also said Thursday that Trump believes there’s still a “chance for substantial negotiations.” Anti-war groups took that as a sign that public pressure is working.
“The anti-war movement is working,” said the advocacy group Demand Progress. “There are Iran war powers votes coming up in Congress soon. Time to keep the pressure up. Use our tool at 1833STOPWAR (dot) com or call 1-833-STOP-WAR.”
When asked whether Trump would seek congressional approval before launching a strike on Iran, Leavitt dodged the question.
Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, warned that any strike on Iran would likely spiral out of control. “The notion that the United States can conduct a few airstrikes and declare victory is an illusion,” she said. “There is still a chance at a deal—and plenty of time to pursue one through negotiations.”
