'Trump mulled N-weapons in Iran conflict, was stopped'

Former CIA Analyst, Larry Johnson, said on Friday that US President Donald Trump asked US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Dan Caine, if they could use the nuclear weapons, but the latter denied.

Johnson, while speaking to ANI on the Iran war, said that Trump was mulling nuclear action.

"There have been denials. So, well, the issue. I was reporting what my source had said. And then when I did further checking, it wasn't so much a battle over the codes because the reality is the president holds the codes. Trump was seriously entertaining and asking about the use of a nuclear weapon. And General Caine, to his credit, said, absolutely not. Very firm. So there was the issue of nuclear use discussed," he said.

Johnson said that after Caine's disapproval, Trump told the media that there would be no use of nuclear weapons.

"It was shot down by General Caine, and that's the reason that Donald Trump later came out and admitted in the meeting, no, no, no, we're never going to use a nuke. Good. Got that off the table. So, no, I stand by it. It was, again, it wasn't my source, but it was someone I have confidence in. Later, we got confirmation that the issue of using a nuke had come up. That was discussed, and it was shot down by General Caine," he said.

Johnson explained that Trump, as the commander in chief, could order nuclear use, but the order would then fall on the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. -- ANI