US President Donald Trump on Monday night claimed that his decision to attack Iran averted World War III, adding that if he didn’t “decimate” Iran’s nuclear programme, Tehran would have built a nuclear weapon
within a month and used it on Israel and the Gulf region.
Addressing reporters in the White House, Trump said he has watched Iran for the last 20 years and that Iran’s leadership was full of “violent and vicious” people, claiming that 32,000 people were killed in the protests that erupted in December.
“If you give Iran a nuclear weapon, at least a very substantial part of the world would be blown up, and it’d be used almost immediately,” he said. “They are blowing up countries that are neighbours and some friends. They are sending thousands of missiles into countries that didn’t expect to be in the war, because they want to take over the Middle East.”
.@POTUS: “I don’t want wars. I want wars less than almost anybody… I think @VP understands better than most — if you give Iran a nuclear weapon, at least a very substantial part of the world would be blown up, and it’d be used almost immediately.” https://t.co/P0bwpBnyaR pic.twitter.com/WgSgQTF0zy
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2026
Trump also lashed out at former US President Barack Obama over his “horrible” nuclear deal with Iran, saying it would have enabled Iran to develop a nuclear weapon three years ago, which would have been eventually used against the United States.
‘Averted World War III’
Holding a model of the B-2 stealth bomber, Trump said that had he not “decimated” Iran’s nuclear programme in the US strikes in June, Iran would have developed a nuclear weapon within a month after that and used it against Israel and the Middle East.
“Had we not done this, you would have had a nuclear war that would have evolved into World War III, and more importantly, this is a war that there would have been nothing left. We have done a great thing,” he added.
“Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. They should not have it. They have no navy, they have no air force. They have no anti-aircraft weapons. They have no leadership. They set up a new leadership and now they are gone,” Trump asserted. “My biggest problem is I have no idea who we’re talking to because nobody ever heard of any of these people, they’re all dead.”
‘Iran Is No Longer A Bully’
The US president also said he did not want wars, adding that the campaign was against a “sick and evil” country. “When they say ‘Death to America,’ you should believe them. If they had a nuclear weapon, they would’ve used it,” he said.
“Other presidents called Iran the bully of the Middle East. Iran is a shell of itself, it’s no longer a bully. It’s the bully that got beat up. We beat the crap out of them, and they deserve that,” he added. He offered a vague timeline for the duration of the war with Iran, saying it will be “wrapped up soon.”
His remarks came as the US-Israeli war against Iran entered its 17th day on Monday, with both sides intensifying their rhetoric and military operations.
