Iran War day 56: Trump rejects use of nuclear weapons ‘by anybody’

President Donald Trump said April 24 that he believes no nation should be allowed to use nuclear weapons, a point in line with a markedly more diplomatic tone being set by the White House as the administration seeks an end to the conflict with Iran.

“No,” Trump said in response to a reporter who had asked whether the U.S. would use a nuclear weapon against Iran. “You don’t need it. Why would I need it? Why would such a stupid question be asked?”

“Why would l use a nuclear weapon when we’ve totally decimated Iran without it?” Trump argued, adding: “A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody.”

The comment was one of several that suggest the administration is backing down from the aggressive tone that has stirred worldwide controversy since the U.S. and Israel first launched a joint war against Iran at the end of February.

The President is also sending peace envoy Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to Pakistan April 25 for another round of talks with Iran. Trump is “always willing to give diplomacy a chance,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters April 24. 

Leavitt said Iranian officials requested the in-person meeting after Trump publicly urged them to engage. She said Trump’s “red lines” have been clearly communicated and that the envoys would hear Iran’s position. “We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and move the ball forward toward a deal,” Leavitt added.

While the administration initially assured the public that the conflict would be a brief one, however, Trump pushed back April 24 on questions about how long he would wait for a response from Iran on negotiations, comparing the current war to past ones that stretched out for years.

“Don’t rush me,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for six weeks.”

Hegseth dismisses Pope Leo’s criticisms of war

War Secretary Pete Hegseth meanwhile dismissed Pope Leo XIV’s criticisms of the war, saying the Pontiff is “going to do his thing” while stressing that the Pentagon has full legal authority to carry out its mission.

Hegseth made the remarks during a Pentagon news briefing as reporters asked about the Pope’s repeated calls for peace and statements from U.S. Catholic bishops questioning whether the conflict meets the criteria of just war theory.

“The Pope’s gonna do his thing, that’s fine,” Hegseth said. “We know what our mission is. We know what authority we have. We’re very clear about that. We follow the orders of the President. We’ve got lawyers all over the place, looking at what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, and giving us every authority necessary under the Constitution and under our laws to execute it.”