President says Iran 'cannot have a nuclear weapon,' rebukes Pope's perceived view

The President said on the record that Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon" and pushed back on comments he described as sympathetic to Iran by the Pope, saying the Pope "has to understand" the threat posed by Iranian nuclearization. He repeated an unverified figure, saying Iran "killed 42,000 people" who were "totally unarmed" and framed that as part of the reason for resisting Iranian nuclear capabilities.

"If they did, every country ... would be in trouble," the President said, arguing that a nuclear-armed Iran would put "the whole world" in jeopardy. He twice stressed that negotiating a deal that prevents nuclearization was a top priority and said talks were progressing: "we're doing very well" and "we're very close to making a deal." He also described the blockade and recent pressure as having weakened Iran's navy, air force and leadership.

Why it matters: the President tied foreign-policy success directly to domestic economic indicators, saying progress toward a non‑nuclear Iran would lower oil prices and ease inflation. He presented these claims as part of the case for continuing pressure and negotiation rather than immediate military escalation.

Context and limits: the figures and some causal links were asserted by the President in response to reporters’ questions; the briefing did not include supporting documents or on-the-record corroboration for the death toll or for some military-cause assertions. The President framed his disagreement with the Pope as a permissible difference of opinion but urged that the Pope "understand" the U.S. position.

What happens next: the President said negotiations could produce an announcement "fairly soon," but gave no firm timeline. Reporters pressed on whether a ceasefire would be extended; the President said he might extend it if necessary but gave no definitive commitment.