‘Won’t Let the World Be Blown Up on My Watch’: Trump Defends Iran Conflict, Warns of Fresh Strike if Deal Fails
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended the ongoing military conflict with Iran, saying he would not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon regardless of whether his actions were politically popular.
“Whether it’s popular or not, I have to do it because I’m not going to let the world be blown up on my watch. It’s not going to happen,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
The remarks came a day after Trump postponed a scheduled air strike on Iran following a new peace proposal from Tehran. He said he had been an hour away from ordering the strike before standing it down. “I was an hour away from making the decision to go today,” he said.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates had urged him not to proceed with the strike in anticipation of a possible deal. He nonetheless warned that US forces should be “prepared to go forward with a full, large-scale assault” if negotiations fail, adding that Iran’s leadership was “desperately seeking a deal.” He indicated a fresh strike could come within days. “Well, I mean, I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time, because we can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon,” he said.
.@POTUS on Iran: "Whether it's popular or not popular, I have to do it — because I'm not going to let the world be blown up on my watch. It's not going to happen." pic.twitter.com/zL4eSIndsY
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 19, 2026
Trump claimed the military action taken so far had been “very popular,” despite criticism from opponents, and said Iran’s “extremely radicalised” leadership would use a nuclear weapon if it acquired one.
Background and Current State of the Conflict
The war began on February 28, 2026, when US-Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While strikes have largely ceased following a ceasefire in early April, normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted due to Iran’s restrictions on the waterway and an ongoing US naval blockade.
Analysts believe Trump is seeking to wind down the conflict through a negotiated settlement that would allow him to claim victory over Iran without resuming large-scale hostilities. However, the core US objective of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains unmet.
According to Iran’s state media, Tehran’s latest peace proposal calls for an end to hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the withdrawal of US forces from areas close to Iran, and reparations for destruction caused by the US-Israeli war. Geopolitical experts have said the terms may be too stringent for Washington to accept, raising the possibility that hostilities could resume.