'Iran with nuclear is much more dangerous': Trump carries out what Hillary Clinton pledged in 2015
Trump has said the United States will never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. He also clarified that Lebanon was not part of the two-week ceasefire with Iran announced earlier on Tuesday
- Apr 9, 2026,
- Updated Apr 9, 2026 6:29 PM IST
As US President Donald Trump continues to press Iran over its nuclear programme, a decade-old speech by Hillary Clinton has resurfaced, drawing attention for its striking alignment with current US policy.
Trump has said the United States will never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. He also clarified that Lebanon was not part of the two-week ceasefire with Iran announced earlier on Tuesday. Israel, which continues strikes on Hezbollah, too, said it won't stop military operations in Lebanon.
Must Read: 'Dangerous precedent for the world': UAE oil chief warns on Iran's control over Strait of Hormuz
Clinton, speaking on September 9, 2015, at the Brookings Institution, had shared a similar position on Iran's nuclear ambitions and its regional role. "Taking nuclear weapons out of the equation is crucial because an Iran with nuclear weapons is so much more dangerous than an Iran without them," she said.
She also warned that Iran's influence extended across multiple conflicts in the region. "But even without nuclear weapons, we still see Iran's fingerprints on nearly every conflict across the Middle East. They support bad actors from Syria to Lebanon to Yemen. They vow to destroy Israel. We cannot ever take that lightly, particularly when Iran ships advanced missiles to Hezbollah," Clinton said.
On Hezbollah, her position was direct. "It's time to eliminate the false distinction that some still make between the supposed political and military wings. If you're part of Hezbollah, you're part of a terrorist organisation, plain and simple," she said.
Clinton, who served as Secretary of State in the first Obama administration and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, said the Persian Gulf was a region of vital interest to the United States. "We don't want any of Iran's neighbors to develop or acquire a nuclear weapons program either. So, we want them to feel and be secure. I will sustain a robust military presence in the region, especially our air and naval forces," she said, adding that the US will "keep the Strait of Hormuz open".
Clinton said if she were elected, she would increase security cooperation with our Gulf allies, including intelligence sharing, military support, and missile defense "to ensure they can defend against Iranian aggression, even if that takes the form of cyber attacks or other non-traditional threats."
"Iran should understand that the United States and I, as president, will not stand by as our Gulf allies and partners are threatened. We will act," she made it clear.
Not just that, she also promised to build a coalition to counter Iran's proxies, particularly Hezbollah. "That means enforcing and strengthening the rules prohibiting the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah. Looking at new ways to choke off their funding, and pressing our partners to treat Hezbollah as the terrorist organization it is."
Beyond Hezbollah, Clinton also promised to crack down on the shipment of weapons to Hamas. She said she would press the US partners in the region to prevent aircraft and ships owned by companies linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard from entering their territories and block Iranian planes from entering their airspace on their way to Yemen and Syria.
"I will vigorously enforce and strengthen, if necessary, the American sanctions on Iran and its Revolutionary Guard for its sponsorship of terrorism, its ballistic missile program," she said.
Interestingly, when the US and Israel began joint operations on February 28, Trump said Iran attempted to rebuild its nuclear program and to continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten US troops stationed overseas, allies in Europe, and could soon reach the American homeland.
"We are going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground," he said in an 8-minute speech.
As US President Donald Trump continues to press Iran over its nuclear programme, a decade-old speech by Hillary Clinton has resurfaced, drawing attention for its striking alignment with current US policy.
Trump has said the United States will never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. He also clarified that Lebanon was not part of the two-week ceasefire with Iran announced earlier on Tuesday. Israel, which continues strikes on Hezbollah, too, said it won't stop military operations in Lebanon.
Must Read: 'Dangerous precedent for the world': UAE oil chief warns on Iran's control over Strait of Hormuz
Clinton, speaking on September 9, 2015, at the Brookings Institution, had shared a similar position on Iran's nuclear ambitions and its regional role. "Taking nuclear weapons out of the equation is crucial because an Iran with nuclear weapons is so much more dangerous than an Iran without them," she said.
She also warned that Iran's influence extended across multiple conflicts in the region. "But even without nuclear weapons, we still see Iran's fingerprints on nearly every conflict across the Middle East. They support bad actors from Syria to Lebanon to Yemen. They vow to destroy Israel. We cannot ever take that lightly, particularly when Iran ships advanced missiles to Hezbollah," Clinton said.
On Hezbollah, her position was direct. "It's time to eliminate the false distinction that some still make between the supposed political and military wings. If you're part of Hezbollah, you're part of a terrorist organisation, plain and simple," she said.
Clinton, who served as Secretary of State in the first Obama administration and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, said the Persian Gulf was a region of vital interest to the United States. "We don't want any of Iran's neighbors to develop or acquire a nuclear weapons program either. So, we want them to feel and be secure. I will sustain a robust military presence in the region, especially our air and naval forces," she said, adding that the US will "keep the Strait of Hormuz open".
Clinton said if she were elected, she would increase security cooperation with our Gulf allies, including intelligence sharing, military support, and missile defense "to ensure they can defend against Iranian aggression, even if that takes the form of cyber attacks or other non-traditional threats."
"Iran should understand that the United States and I, as president, will not stand by as our Gulf allies and partners are threatened. We will act," she made it clear.
Not just that, she also promised to build a coalition to counter Iran's proxies, particularly Hezbollah. "That means enforcing and strengthening the rules prohibiting the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah. Looking at new ways to choke off their funding, and pressing our partners to treat Hezbollah as the terrorist organization it is."
Beyond Hezbollah, Clinton also promised to crack down on the shipment of weapons to Hamas. She said she would press the US partners in the region to prevent aircraft and ships owned by companies linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard from entering their territories and block Iranian planes from entering their airspace on their way to Yemen and Syria.
"I will vigorously enforce and strengthen, if necessary, the American sanctions on Iran and its Revolutionary Guard for its sponsorship of terrorism, its ballistic missile program," she said.
Interestingly, when the US and Israel began joint operations on February 28, Trump said Iran attempted to rebuild its nuclear program and to continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten US troops stationed overseas, allies in Europe, and could soon reach the American homeland.
"We are going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground," he said in an 8-minute speech.