Philip C. Johnson
June 20, 2025
As the founder of Global Next, where I lead immersive geopolitical conferences in Hiroshima multiple times a year, I’ve walked the grounds where the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb in 1945. I’ve also stood in Nagasaki, the only other site of a nuclear strike in history. The scars of those blasts linger in the soil, the shadows, and in memories – a sobering reminder of nuclear weapons’ devastating power. So, when whispers surfaced that President Donald J. Trump might consider a nuclear strike on Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, I couldn’t ignore the chill it sent through me.
Trump’s been clear since his 2015-2016 campaign: Iran must not have nuclear weapons. “We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said at a 2015 rally (Reuters, September 2015). In 2024, he doubled down, stating, “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple” (@MarioNawfal, X, August 8, 2024), and again in Abu Dhabi, insisting Iran “could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear bomb” (PBS News, May 16, 2025). Now, with Israel’s preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites like Natanz since June 13, 2025, the question looms: Could Trump escalate U.S. involvement to a nuclear level?
Fordow, buried 80-90 meters under a mountain near Qom, is Iran’s fortified nuclear stronghold, housing 3,000 centrifuges and uranium enriched to 83.7% – near weapons-grade, per the IAEA. Israel’s conventional strikes have dented Iran’s program, but Fordow’s depth defies even the U.S.’s GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound bunker-buster. Major General Randy Manner, former DTRA (Defense Threat Reduction Agency) deputy director, said, “It would not be a one and done,” estimating only a six-month delay with multiple strikes. Some Pentagon officials reportedly believe only a tactical nuclear weapon could destroy Fordow (CBS News, June 2025).
Speculation about Trump’s intentions is rife. Fox News quoted a White House official saying, “None of the options are off the table,” hinting at nuclear consideration, though The Guardian reported Trump “is not considering” such a move. On X, the debate rages. @MarioNawfal posted on June 16, 2025, quoting Trump: “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, ‘IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!’” @Candace_Owens, on June 18, 2025, warned, “Donald Trump just completely fractured his base” by entertaining military escalation, arguing it betrays MAGA’s anti-war roots. @TuckerCarlson, on June 13, 2025, wrote, “Washington knew these attacks would happen. They aided Israel… Politicians purporting to be America First can’t now credibly say they had nothing to do with it,” slamming U.S. complicity.
On June 17, 2025, Trump posted on Truth Social, “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.” But he must be using the “Royal We,” because Israel, not the U.S., has established air dominance over Tehran with the IDF destroying Iran’s air defenses and operating freely since June 14, 2025. (The Guardian, June 14, 2025). Trump’s actions and rhetoric fuel the fire. On June 17, 2025, he demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and yet he’s also pushed diplomacy through envoy Steve Witkoff. Iran warns that U.S. strikes would kill nuclear deal hopes, while Trump insists on total dismantlement. Having seen Hiroshima and Nagasaki’s nuclear legacy, I can’t help but be concerned about the consequences of a nuclear misstep. If Fordow survives, Iran’s path to a bomb remains open – a red line for Trump and Israel. His choice: conventional strikes, nuclear escalation, or diplomacy, could reshape the Middle East and his legacy as president. Not to mention the potential wider global impact – you know, the rest of us.
The Global Nexter 
someone should enact some regime change on the USA. They fund fundamentalist terrorists all through the vicinity, are terrible on human rights, hunt lgbt people for sport and treat their women terribly. And now they want to mass murder millions of people for literally no reason. Someone should strike them before they nuke anyone, the USA should not be allowed to have nukes.
Sounds like you’re describing the Islamic Regime in Iran. Not the U.S.
I am thankful some MAGA Republicans are questioning the wisdom and world wide fallout of a nuclear strike on Iran’s facility. We know dropping the bombs in Japan had a huge part in ending WWII in the Pacific theater, but the end result was a nuclear arms race that brings us to where we are today.
Praying diplomacy works, but we have to understand the hard line extreme Muslims do not fear death for their cause like the soldiers in Japan during WWII.