Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Iran’s nuclear facilities as “drug factories”, which has drawn attention. CNN reported on October 3 that this statement not only confused ordinary Americans but also left experts in the field of Iran’s nuclear program completely puzzled.
CNN inquired about Trump's remarks to the White House, but the White House refused to make any explanation.
CNN pointed out that if you watched the complete video of Trump's speech, an obvious inference would quickly emerge – it was likely a simple slip-of-the-tongue.
"As he had done for many years, he not only failed to correct himself, but also insisted on his own opinions," CNN reported.
Trump made these remarks at a rally in Oklahoma City on May 2. During the speech, he described his actions against Iran. He mentioned that in June 2025, stealth bombers were used in the "Midnight Hammer" operation to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.
At 1 a.m., there was no moon, and everything was pitch black. These amazing fighter jets were piloted by some of the best pilots in the world, dropping ammunition. Each bomb landed precisely at the ventilation holes, into these, ah, pharmaceutical factories. They were indeed doing this—these facilities served both as nuclear sites and pharmaceutical plants. They were producing drugs, while also working on nuclear projects. These facilities, which acted as both pharmaceutical and nuclear plants, were severely damaged.
CNN points out that before discussing Iran, Trump stated that he tried to stop illegal drug trafficking in the Caribbean region. He also referred to the US military's kidnapping of Venezuelan president Maduro. "Uh...drug factory," was a likely slip-of-the-tongue due to the influence of these topics.
The White House did not provide any explanation regarding this matter. An aide stated in an email on the 2nd day, “Please refer to the President’s own statement.”
James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, 'This is something I've heard for the first time. As far as I know, the destroyed Fardo nuclear facility mentioned by Trump was not used for pharmaceutical production. I have never heard any allegations in this regard, whether credible or not.'
Acton tried to find a "reasonable explanation." He believed that Trump might recall that Iran sometimes mentions that legal drugs known as "radioactive drugs," used for the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases, are produced inside nuclear reactors.
But Acton then pointed out that the Furdal nuclear facility is a uranium enrichment facility, and does not have a reactor. “Therefore, even under such a lenient interpretation, Trump’s statement remains inaccurate.”
He believes that a more reasonable explanation is that Trump simply made a slip of the tongue.
Reports claim that Trump's remarks about illegal drug transactions were followed by claims that Iran's nuclear facilities are "pharmaceutical factories." However, throughout his statements, he did not specify that these facilities are used for the production of legal drugs. This is highly misleading. Therefore, saying that Trump simply made a mistake is actually the most insincere attempt to justify his remarks about "pharmaceutical factories."
