U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States will not resort to the use of nuclear weapons in the ongoing war with Iran, saying that "there is no need for this after Iran has been crushed with conventional weapons." He added that Tehran may have "strengthened its arsenal a little bit" during the two-week ceasefire, but stressed that the U.S. military could "eliminate that in about a day."
Trump's remarks are part of a series of daily stances he has been releasing since the start of the confrontation with Iran, in light of the ongoing debate within the United States over the course of the war and the results of the temporary truce.
U.S. Options to Punish NATO Allies Who Didn't Support the War
A US official said an internal Pentagon email included options for punishing NATO countries that Washington believes have not provided sufficient support for military operations against Iran.
Proposed options include suspending Spain's membership in the alliance, as well as reviewing the U.S. position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands, according to the U.S. official.
The letter noted the possibility of depriving "hard-headed" countries of important positions within the alliance, a move that reflects the scale of tension within NATO over the war.
WSJ: US military needs 6 years to replace munitions used against Iran
The Wall Street Journal revealed an unprecedented depletion of U.S. strategic ammunition stockpiles as a result of the war, noting that the military has fired more than 1,000 long-range Tomahawk missiles, in addition to 1,500-2,000 air defense missiles since the outbreak of the confrontation.
The Pentagon estimates that it could take six years of continuous work to fully replenish the stockpile, with the pace of consumption exceeding current production capacities, noting that the Defense Department has already begun redirecting munitions intended for European allies to the U.S. direct stockpile to make up for the shortfall.
Air defenses deal with 'hostile targets' in Tehran
In Tehran, Iran's Mehr news agency said air defenses dealt with hostile targets in various areas of the capital on Thursday evening, noting that air defense systems were heard during the clash.
Later, local sources reported that the activation of the defenses came after the spotting of small drones in several locations inside Iran. The Israel Broadcasting Corporation quoted a security source as saying that "Israel did not launch an attack" on Iranian territory.
Bolton: Trump is lost. The truce isin Iran's interest
In the United States, former National Security Adviser John Bolton criticized the administration's performance, saying that President Trump is "lost and doesn't know what to do" and that the ceasefire is "incoherent and in Iran's interest."
Bolton's comments came during an interview with journalist John Berman, who also reviewed remarks by White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt about the seizure of two international ships near the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian boats. Leavitt said the two ships were neither American nor Israeli, and that the media was "exaggerating" the incident.
Bolton called the proposal "inconsistent," adding that the identity of the ships does not change the fact that "this behavior is unacceptable from an adversary in the pursuit of a ceasefire," adding that Trump has maintained the embargo on Iran and "expanded it to the entire world," making the truce "fragile and undefined."
Regarding the negotiations, Bolton said Iran "clearly believes it has the leverage" and that it is the biggest beneficiary of the ceasefire, which has given it "two or three weeks of respite" after being subjected to constant bombardment , stressing that the real leverage lies in "U.S. and Israeli military power," and that the suspension of its use has given Tehran an opportunity to improve its position.