Sri Lanka, March 3 -- Before taking a call on military strikes against Iran, US President Donald Trump had already delivered the same message at least 74 times: Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

The White House said Monday that Trump has been "unequivocal and consistent for decades" that Iran will never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon. It released a compilation of his statements spanning 15 years, beginning in November 2011.

The language rarely changed. The emphasis never did.

On February 24, 2026, Trump said: "After Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons programme, and in particular nuclear weapons, yet they continue. They're starting it all over. One thing is certain: I will n...