WASHINGTON - The White House denied on Tuesday that it is considering using nuclear weapons against Iran. The denial came after comments by Vice President JD Vance led to speculation on social media.
Vance, speaking during a visit to Hungary, said the United States has “tools in our toolkit” that it has not yet used against Iran. He said President Donald Trump could decide to use them if Iran does not change its course.
An account linked to former Vice President Kamala Harris posted that Vance had implied Trump “might use nuclear weapons”.
The White House responded with a post on X. “Literally nothing @VP said here ‘implies’ this, you absolute buffoons,” the post read.
The denial came hours before a deadline set by Trump. He has demanded that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil. The deadline is set for 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday.
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran does not meet his demands. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” he wrote.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked by the AFP news agency whether Trump is ready to use a nuclear weapon. She said, “Only the President knows where things stand and what he will do”.
Trump previously said the US military could bomb Iranian bridges, power plants and other civilian infrastructure. He has accused Iran of closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil exports pass.
Iran has rejected US pressure. State media report that Iranian authorities want a full end to the war, not just a ceasefire.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it will respond if the US attacks civilian facilities. “Our response will extend beyond the region if the US military crosses our red lines,” the IRGC said in a statement.
President Masoud Pezeskhian said more than 14 million Iranians, including himself, have volunteered to fight to defend Iran.
Vance confirmed on Tuesday that US strikes have targeted military infrastructure on Iran’s Kharg Island. The island is a key energy export hub for Iran.
The White House denial did not specify what “tools” Vance referred to. Vance said the US has largely accomplished its military objectives but did not elaborate on what tools remain unused.
The exchange on social media highlighted the tense atmosphere in Washington as Trump’s deadline approaches. Legal experts have said that targeting civilian infrastructure could amount to a war crime.