The US president has repeatedly hinted at using nuclear weapons against Iran, a serious escalation that raises the risk of the war going nuclear.

• Posts and public statements have threatened the total destruction of Iran as a civilization.
• No conventional weapon can do that, which points directly at nuclear arms.
• The White House press office denies any nuclear threat was ever made.
• The gap between the denials and the actual statements is being largely ignored.

Outlook: The threat should be treated as real, and any further escalation with Iran now carries nuclear risk.