U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he has no intention of using nuclear weapons against Iran, nor did he foresee the deployment of ground troops to that country.
In an interview with Newsmax, Trump said that the interview would be broadcast on Thursday evening: "I will not use nuclear weapons. There is no need for us to do so. We are the most powerful nuclear nation in the world."
This right-wing cable news media asked Trump about reports that Washington is considering using the GBU-43 /B giant bunker-busting bombs (MOAB), also known as the “Mother of All Bombs.”
Trump said, "The 'Mother of All Bombs' is not a nuclear weapon, not at all. It's just an extremely large bomb. It's like a miniature nuclear bomb. But the 'Mother of All Bombs' is a large bomb, yet it is not a nuclear weapon." He did not explicitly confirm or deny the relevant reports.
When asked whether he would send "troops to the ground," Trump said, "No, I don't see that happening, I don't see it."
MOAB is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal. It was used in Afghanistan in 2017 to combat ISIS militants.
MOAB Strike Plan
Earlier on Thursday, CNN reported that the US military had formulated new strike plans, with targets including Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities.
The media reported that if Trump orders the resumption of combat operations, these strikes could be carried out before or after the mid-term elections. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comments. CNBC
On October 8, Trump stated that he would not order the resumption of military strikes before the mid-term elections on November 3.
Risks of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz
After a series of attacks on this key waterway, merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz are facing even greater risks.
The UK Maritime Trade Action Group ( UKMTO ) stated that after the container ship GFS Pride , registered in Singapore, was hit by an unidentified flying object, caught fire, and subsequently sank, the threat in the Strait of Hormuz remains "severe".
UKMTO also added that 'intentional hostile actions' are very likely to occur, and stated that since October 11th, there have been 8 attack incidents recorded in this critical waterway.
