What is the story about?
In a bid to justify his war on Iran and seek a face-saving exit, President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed that Iran would have used a nuclear weapon on West Asian nations if it had one and hailed American strikes on Iran for "obliterating" the Iranian nuclear programme.
Had the United States not gone to war, Trump claimed that Iran would have acquired a nuclear weapon within two weeks and used it against West Asian nations. He also blamed the 2015 nuclear deal struck under former President Barack Obama for letting Iran develop the purported nuclear weapon.
Trump said, "If Iran had a nuclear weapon, they would have used it. And if I didn't end the horrible Barack Hussein Obama Iran nuclear deal in my first administration, they would have had a nuclear weapon three or four years ago...You would have had them having, two weeks after that attack, had we not made the attack, they would have had a nuclear weapon. They would have absolutely used it. And they would have used it on the entire Middle East, including Israel."
Follow our live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran here
Trump, however, did not explain how Iran could have made a nuclear weapon in March when he had already claimed to have "obliterated" the Iranian nuclear programme last year with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
Confirming negotiations with Iran, Trump said that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law who does not hold any government position, are part of talks with Iran.
Trump repeated the claim that no one expected Iran to strike West Asian countries in retaliation to US and Israeli strikes. When he asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if he was equally surprised, he replied "way more than we thought at first".
In a bid to shift the narrative, Trump said the war with Iran was not a war at all and a mere "military operation" and it was the Democrats who called it a war.
Even as both the sides continue to exchange strikes, Trump declared victory in the war in a bid to seek a face-saving exit from a conflict.
"We literally have planes flying over Tehran and other parts of their country. They can't do a thing about it. For instance, if I wanna take down that power plant, they can't do a thing about it...They are totally defeated," said Trump.
Even as Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off the world's 20-25 per cent of oil and gas supplies and sending energy prices through the roof, Trump claimed that Iran had been defeated and "militarily, they are dead".
Had the United States not gone to war, Trump claimed that Iran would have acquired a nuclear weapon within two weeks and used it against West Asian nations. He also blamed the 2015 nuclear deal struck under former President Barack Obama for letting Iran develop the purported nuclear weapon.
Trump said, "If Iran had a nuclear weapon, they would have used it. And if I didn't end the horrible Barack Hussein Obama Iran nuclear deal in my first administration, they would have had a nuclear weapon three or four years ago...You would have had them having, two weeks after that attack, had we not made the attack, they would have had a nuclear weapon. They would have absolutely used it. And they would have used it on the entire Middle East, including Israel."
Follow our live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran here
Trump, however, did not explain how Iran could have made a nuclear weapon in March when he had already claimed to have "obliterated" the Iranian nuclear programme last year with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
Confirming negotiations with Iran, Trump said that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law who does not hold any government position, are part of talks with Iran.
#WATCH | On those who are involved in the Iran negotiations from the US administration, US President Donald Trump says, "... JD (Vance) is involved. Marco is involved. Jared Kushner is involved... Steve Witkoff is involved, and I am involved... If Iran had a nuclear weapon, it… pic.twitter.com/6uDhh3TZVi
— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2026
Trump repeated the claim that no one expected Iran to strike West Asian countries in retaliation to US and Israeli strikes. When he asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if he was equally surprised, he replied "way more than we thought at first".
In a bid to shift the narrative, Trump said the war with Iran was not a war at all and a mere "military operation" and it was the Democrats who called it a war.
Even as both the sides continue to exchange strikes, Trump declared victory in the war in a bid to seek a face-saving exit from a conflict.
"We literally have planes flying over Tehran and other parts of their country. They can't do a thing about it. For instance, if I wanna take down that power plant, they can't do a thing about it...They are totally defeated," said Trump.
Even as Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off the world's 20-25 per cent of oil and gas supplies and sending energy prices through the roof, Trump claimed that Iran had been defeated and "militarily, they are dead".
