STORY: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (April 23) that he would not use a nuclear weapon in the war against Iran.

"Why would I use a nuclear weapon? We've totally, in a very conventional way, decimated them without it," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked whether he would use such a weapon.

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

Asked how long he was willing to wait for a long-term peace deal with Iran, Trump said, "Don't rush me."

He said Iran might have loaded up their weaponry "a little bit" during the two-week ceasefire, but added that the U.S. military could knock that out in about one day.

"Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft is gone ...maybe they loaded up a little bit during the two-week hiatus, but we'll knock that out about one day, if they did," Trump added.

"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," Trump said.

(Production: Mariana Hernandez)

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Trump says he wouldn't use a nuclear weapon on Iran

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (APRIL 23, 2026) (UNRESTRICTED POOL - Access all)

1. U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TALKING TO REPORTERS

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, IN EXCHANGE WITH OFF-CAMERA REPORTER:

REPORTER: “Sir, would you use a nuclear weapon against Iran? You posted on Truth Social…”

TRUMP: “No. No, I wouldn't. We don't need it. Why do I need it? Why would a stupid question like that be asked? Why would I? Why would I use a nuclear weapon when we've totally, in a very conventional way, decimated them without it. No, I wouldn't use it. A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody.''

3. REPORTERS LISTENING TO TRUMP

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, IN EXCHANGE WITH OFF-CAMERA REPORTER:

REPORTER: "How long are you willing to wait until you get a (unintelligible) response?"

TRUMP: "Don't rush me, Jeff. You know, guys like you, you want to say, 'oh', so we were in Vietnam, like for 18 years. We were in Iraq for many, many years. We're in for all the I... don't like to say World War II, because that was a biggie. But we were four and a half, almost five years in World War II. We were in the Korean War for seven years. I've been doing this for six weeks."

5. REPORTERS LISTENING TO TRUMP

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“Anti-aircraft, is gone, all of their anti-aircraft machinery is gone. Maybe they loaded up a little bit during the two week hiatus, but we'll knock that out in about one day if they did. We've done an amazing job. Their leaders are gone, their leaders are all gone.''

7. REPORTERS RAISING THEIR HANDS TO ASK QUESTION

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“So we've taken out their military. We've hit about 75% of our targets. We stopped a little early because they wanted to have some peace. And we have a blockade that's 100% effective. And they're getting no business. And as you know, they're not doing well economically, financially. They're not doing any business because of the blockade. 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. They're in turmoil. So we thought we'd give them a little chance to get some of their turmoil resolved."

9. REPORTERS LISTENING TO TRUMP

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, IN EXCHANGE WITH OFF-CAMERA REPORTER:

REPORTER: "The U.S. now has been involved with Iran. You had initially said it would be 4 to 6 weeks."

TRUMP: "Well I hoped that. But I also took a little break. I gave them a break and remember this. I want to make the best deal. I could make a deal right now. Do you know that if I left right now, we had a tremendous success, it would take them 20 years to rebuild. But I don't want to do that. I want to have it everlasting. I want to have it where they never get, they never have a chance to get... I mean the way, you ask that question I did said I thought it would take 4 to 6 weeks and I was right because at the end of six weeks, at the end of four weeks, their military was decimated. But now what I'm doing, I don't, I can't tell you that. I don't want to put that kind of a timetable on it, but it'll go pretty quickly and we'll have the Strait opened up. Now, right now we have it closed. We have total control of the Strait and the fact that it's closed, you know, they would have opened it up three days ago. They came to us and they said, 'we will agree to open the Strait.' And all my people are happy. Everybody was happy except me. I said, 'Wait a minute, If we open the Strait, that means they're going to make $500 million a day. I don't want them to make $500 million a day until they settle this thing.' So I'm the one that kept it closed. We have total control of it, and it'll open when they make a deal or something else happens. That's very positive."

11. TRUMP AND REPORTERS DURING PRESS CONFERENCE

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, IN EXCHANGE WITH OFF-CAMERA REPORTER:

REPORTER: "What do you say to the American people who question how much longer this will take? Obviously, you know that they are having you..."

TRUMP: "You are such a disgrace. Did you hear what I just said. Vietnam, how many years was Vietnam?"

REPORTER: "I understand that sir, but you are past your 6 week deadline."

TRUMP: "Well, I did my. I took, I took the country out militarily in the first four weeks. I took it out militarily. Now all we're doing is sitting back and seeing what deal. And if they don't want to make a deal, then I'll finish it up militarily with the other 25% of the targets. We've hit, 78% of the targets that we've wanted to hit. We've knocked out their manufacturing."

13. REPORTERS LISTENING TO TRUMP

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, IN EXCHANGE WITH OFF-CAMERA REPORTER:

REPORTER: "If you need more time, does that mean Americans should anticipate spending more on gasoline for the foreseeable future?"

TRUMP: "For a little while. You know 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. You want to see what a shock would be. And I have to be honest. The stock market is at an all time high right now. I thought it would have been down 20, 25% when we had. Wait a minute. Wait. Can I finish my question, wise guy?"

15. REPORTERS LISTENING TO TRUMP