Trump Rules Out Nuclear Weapons Against Iran, While Vance Threatens Consequences for Targeting Ships in the Strait of Hormuz

Al-Taj News – U.S. President Donald Trump said he had ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran because he sees no reason to use them after defeating it militarily, while his Vice President J.D. Vance hinted that Tehran’s continued targeting of ships in the Strait of Hormuz would have consequences.

Trump’s and his vice president’s statements came after Washington and Tehran exchanged strikes the previous night for the first time in about a month.

Iran launched missiles last night at two U.S. air bases in Jordan in response to the U.S. attack on Iran’s Lark Island, while Washington said it had bombed Iranian platforms that were launching mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

As the Trump administration escalates its economic campaign against Iran, the U.S. president noted in his remarks that Iran has neither naval nor air forces, has no currency, does not pay the salaries of its soldiers or police officers, and that inflation there has reached 300%, according to him.

Vance told the U.S. channel Fox News that Washington is currently working to ensure freedom of movement for trade through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the previous night’s strikes were in response to the Iranians who were preparing to plant mines in the strait.

Vance told Fox News that “the Iranian leadership is willing to do anything to disrupt the flow of oil and gas without clear strategic calculations, and we expected them to take such steps.”

The U.S. president said the Strait of Hormuz is “in great shape,” noting that the rate of ships passing through it is 30 ships every night, while Iran says it is preventing any ship from passing through the strait without coordinating with it.

Trump earlier posted two AI-generated videos on social media showing explosions sweeping through Iran’s main oil export terminal, accompanying them with a message that read, “Kharg Island reduced to rubble!!!” However, no such attack took place.

Vance later explained that Trump was sending a message to the Iranians through the post that continuing to target commercial ships and behaving as a terrorist state would have consequences.

On the other hand, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said that the U.S. attack on Lark Island was an act of aggression that violated Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It “held Washington, and those who support or assist its aggressive actions, fully responsible for the consequences.”

The Iranian mission explained that the aggressive conduct of the United States and Israel is the sole reason for the lack of security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the illegal U.S. measures fall under acts of state terrorism and war crimes.

Over the past month, Washington had hoped that its blockade of Iranian ports would inflict sufficient economic damage to force Tehran to comply with U.S. demands. In contrast, Tehran affirmed that the Strait of Hormuz was closed and would not be reopened except under its supervision.

However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that Tehran still preferred a negotiated settlement to the conflict.