Trump rules out nuclear weapons and ground troops in Iran

US President Donald Trump has said he does not intend to use nuclear weapons against Iran or deploy ground troops to the country.

Speaking in an interview with Newsmax, which aired Thursday evening, he said: “I would not use nuclear power. We don’t have to. We are the largest nuclear power in the world.”

The right-wing cable asked Trump about reports that Washington was considering using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, widely known as the “Mother of All Bombs.”

“The mother of all bombs is not nuclear. It’s not nuclear at all. It’s just an extremely big bomb. It’s like a small nuclear bomb. But the mother of all bombs is a big bomb, but it’s not nuclear,” he said, without specifically confirming or denying the reports.

Asked if he would send “troops on the ground,” Trump replied: “No, I don’t see it, I don’t see it.”

The MOAB is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal. It was used in combat in 2017 against ISIS militants in Afghanistan.

Earlier on Thursday, CNN reported that the US military had developed new strike plans aimed at targeting Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites.

The strikes could take place if Trump orders a resumption of combat operations, before or after the midterm elections, the outlet reported. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Trump said on October 8 that he would not order a resumption of military strikes before the November 3 midterm elections.

Merchant shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz faces increased risks after a series of attacks in the critical waterway.

UK Maritime Trade Operations said the threat remained “serious” in the Strait of Hormuz, after the Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride was struck by an unknown projectile, caught fire and then sank.

The UKMTO added that “deliberate hostile action” was very likely and said it had recorded eight attacks in the critical waterway since October 11.