Fact Check: Trump Compares Bombing Iran to Hiroshima and Nagasaki
What We Know
On June 25, 2025, President Donald Trump made a controversial comparison between the U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Speaking to reporters ahead of a NATO summit in The Hague, Trump expressed frustration over reports indicating that the airstrikes had caused less damage than he initially claimed. He stated, “I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki. But that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war” (HuffPost). This statement was made in the context of defending the effectiveness of the airstrikes, which he claimed were meant to "obliterate" Iran's nuclear capabilities.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 resulted in the deaths of approximately 200,000 people and led to Japan's surrender, effectively ending World War II. In contrast, the airstrikes on Iran involved precision munitions aimed at specific targets, such as the Fordo research site, and were reported to have set back Iran's nuclear program by only a few months (HuffPost, New York Post).
Analysis
Trump's comparison has drawn significant criticism for its insensitivity and historical inaccuracy. The atomic bombings were unprecedented in their scale and impact, resulting in massive civilian casualties and long-term effects on the affected populations. In contrast, the airstrikes on Iran were described as precision attacks with a much lower expected impact on civilian life (HuffPost, NDTV).
Critics argue that equating the two events minimizes the catastrophic consequences of nuclear warfare and overlooks the context of the bombings, which were used as a means to compel a surrender in a total war scenario. Trump's remarks were seen as an attempt to bolster his narrative about the effectiveness of military action, despite evidence suggesting that the actual damage was far less than he claimed (HuffPost, MSN).
The sources reporting on Trump's comments, including major news outlets like HuffPost and the New York Post, are generally considered credible, though they may have varying editorial slants. HuffPost tends to have a more liberal perspective, while the New York Post is often viewed as more conservative. Both, however, reported the facts of Trump's statements accurately and provided context regarding the historical significance of the bombings.
Conclusion
The claim that Trump compared the bombing of Iran to Hiroshima and Nagasaki is True. He explicitly made this comparison during a press conference, indicating that he believed the airstrikes had a similar impact. However, the historical context and implications of such a comparison are deeply problematic, as they downplay the severity of nuclear warfare and the unique circumstances surrounding World War II.
