Fmr IDF Spokesman to Newsmax: If Iran Had a Nuke, It ‘Would Use It’

| Published June 27, 2025

📰 Major Takeaways from Doron Spielman’s Interview

1. “Paper tiger” rhetoric—no real threat
Former IDF spokesman Maj. Doron Spielman described Iran as “full of bluster and little capability,” dismissing recent Iranian claims of delivering a “slap in the face” to the U.S. as empty posturing.

2. If Iran had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it
Spielman warned bluntly: “If [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei had a nuclear weapon, he would use it.” He emphasized Iran’s leadership lacks the capability and restraint to make such threats credible.

3. Iranian public is becoming skeptical
He noted that Iranians are increasingly seeing through their government’s scare tactics. As Israel demonstrates military precision—including controlling airspace and the U.S. deploying bunker busting bombs—the Iranian people are realizing their regime is deceptive .

4. Potential for domestic uprising in Iran
Spielman believes this growing public disillusionment could spark a popular uprising capable of challenging the current regime

5. Context: military actions and ceasefire developments

• Israel struck Iranian facilities beginning June 12 after nuclear negotiations fell apart.

• The U.S., under President Trump, launched strikes on Iranian sites shortly thereafter to escalate pressure.

• A ceasefire was announced two days later, though details and effectiveness remain contested amid conflicting reports from media and officials.

🔍 Implications of Spielman’s Claims

1. Heightened Global Security Risk
Spielman’s assertion that Iran would use a nuclear weapon if it had one increases international pressure on intelligence and defense communities to monitor Iran’s nuclear ambitions more closely.

2. Legitimizes Preemptive Military Actions
By framing Iran as unstable and aggressive, it gives political and moral cover to Israeli and U.S. preemptive strikes, especially after the collapse of nuclear negotiations.

3. Undermines Iran’s Deterrent Strategy
Calling Iran a “paper tiger” may embolden internal dissent and foreign adversaries by portraying the regime as all talk and no real power.

4. Encourages Civil Unrest Inside Iran
Highlighting the Iranian public’s disillusionment could inspire foreign governments and advocacy groups to support movements against the regime, increasing internal pressure.

5. Weakens Ceasefire Credibility
If Iran is portrayed as irrational or deceptive, then any ceasefire—even the one just declared—might be viewed as a tactical pause rather than a genuine path to peace.

💬 Overall Takeaway:

Doron Spielman’s comments reinforce the narrative that Iran poses a real and imminent threat if left unchecked—particularly in the nuclear arena. His framing of Iran as a deceptive, unstable regime with bluster but limited capability serves to justify ongoing Israeli and U.S. military actions while encouraging internal dissent within Iran. The ceasefire, while welcomed, appears fragile under such volatile dynamics. Long-term peace remains uncertain as geopolitical and internal pressures continue to escalate.

SOURCES: NEWSMAX – Fmr IDF Spokesman to Newsmax: If Iran Had a Nuke, It ‘Would Use It’

THE JERUSALEM POST – Post-war Iran nuke threat: Why Iran is a couple years from a bomb despite critiques