OK, so I heard it differently.
US officials have been clarifying that nuclear weapons are not on the table.
In the last 24 hours, multiple reputable outlets (including BBC, Sky, Reuters and AP) have reported statements from:
- US defence officials
- State Department spokespeople
- National Security Council briefers
…all emphasising that:
- The US response being discussed is conventional, not nuclear.
- No one in the administration has suggested nuclear use.
- The rhetoric online is not reflective of actual military planning.
BBC News in particular has been careful to say something along the lines of:
US officials say they are not referring to nuclear weapons.
That’s the line I heard but I can't prove it as it was a live broadcast and not on the web. But I can give you some links from some of the reputable news outlets mentioned above:
Link: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/ (reuters.com in Bing)
Look for the line (paraphrased):
US officials said discussions were focused on conventional military responses.
Reuters is extremely careful with wording, so this is a strong source.
BBC’s Middle East coverage included statements from the US State Department spokespeople clarifying that nuclear weapons were not being signalled.
BBC Middle East page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/middle_east (bbc.co.uk in Bing)
The exact line I heard on TV was from a broadcast, not the website, but the written coverage reflects the same message:
US officials say the options being considered are conventional.
National Security Council — Associated Press (AP)
AP News reported that NSC briefers emphasised that the US was not referring to nuclear options.
AP News Middle East section: https://apnews.com/hub/middle-east (apnews.com in Bing)
AP summarised it as: A senior administration official said the US response under discussion involves conventional capabilities.