📰 9 sources 9 articles · 16 Oct 2026, 05:32 → yesterday

Trump rules out nuclear weapons and ground troops against Iran as Tehran insists on control of Hormuz

In an interview with Newsmax, US President Donald Trump ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran or sending ground troops into its territory, commenting on a CNN report about military plans that include the option of using the "mother of all bombs". Meanwhile, Iran's leadership insisted on absolute control of the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to target infrastructure in Israel and countries cooperating with it, while Trump renewed his threat to strike the Mount Pickaxe nuclear site.

📍 Where things stand: Trump maintains the exclusion of the nuclear option and ground troops while keeping open the option of striking the Mount Pickaxe site, as Iran continues to stress its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

⏱️ Timeline

16 Oct 2026, 05:32 In an interview with Newsmax, US President Donald Trump said the United States would not use nuclear weapons against Iran and would not send ground troops into its territory, commenting on a CNN report about US military plans that include the option of using the "mother of all bombs" (GBU-43/B). He indicated that Israel wants him to intervene in the elections, and said he does not trust anyone in politics.
16 Oct 2026, 09:36 Iran's leadership stressed its adherence to absolute control over the Strait of Hormuz; the representative of Iran's Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guard, Abdullah Haji Sadeghi, described the strait as the first line of defense, and Army Commander Major General Amir Hatami said the vital passage is under full surveillance and the armed forces are at their highest levels of readiness.
16 Oct 2026, 12:30 Trump said he does not trust anyone in politics but that his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is good, and that Israel wants him to take part in the elections scheduled for October 27, claiming that if he ran for prime minister he would win 99% of the votes, without declaring his support for Netanyahu.
16 Oct 2026, 14:11 Trump did not rule out using the "mother of all bombs" against Iran, but stressed he would not use nuclear weapons and would not send ground troops; he also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over strikes on Russian oil refineries.
16 Oct 2026, 14:37 Tawasul News Network reported that Iran is sticking to its position on closing the Strait of Hormuz, with threats to target infrastructure in Israel and countries cooperating with it.
16 Oct 2026, 15:47 Trump reaffirmed that the United States will not use nuclear weapons against Iran and ruled out deploying US ground troops inside Iranian territory, as reported by Reuters.
16 Oct 2026, 17:32 Trump renewed his threat to strike Iran's Mount Pickaxe (Mount of the Axe) nuclear site, saying Washington "may have to resort to that" and would try to finish the matter quickly, but ruled out the participation of US ground troops in attacking the complex, and did not deny reports that the US military is studying the use of the "mother of all bombs". His remarks come as a war that has entered its seventh month continues.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

How the sources covered it

Coverage varied between focusing on Trump's statements about Iran and military options, highlighting Iran's insistence on controlling the Strait of Hormuz and threats to target infrastructure, while one outlet focused on the Israeli elections and Trump's relationship with Netanyahu.

وكـالـة مـعـا الاخـبـارية Led with Trump saying Israel wants him to intervene in the elections, along with his assertion that there are no ground forces and no nuclear weapon in Iran.
جريدة القدس Started with the Iranian position and quoted Abdullah Haji Sadeghi and Major General Amir Hatami on the Strait of Hormuz, then cited Trump's exclusion of the nuclear option and ground intervention.
برلمانى Focused on the Israeli elections scheduled for October 27, Trump's relationship with Netanyahu, and his claim that he would win 99% of the votes if he ran.
Lebanon Debate Took "I don't trust anyone" as its headline, highlighted that Trump did not pledge to support Netanyahu, and added his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over strikes on Russian oil refineries.
شبكة تواصل الإخبارية Limited itself to the Iranian side, highlighting Iran's insistence on closing the Strait of Hormuz and threats to target infrastructure in Israel and countries cooperating with it.
Al-Monitor Framed the story around Trump renewing his threat to strike the Mount Pickaxe site and the war entering its seventh month, noting that he did not deny reports about studying the use of the "mother of all bombs".