Trump Signals Possible Iran Strike In State Of The Union

U.S. President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to outline his justification for a potential military strike on Iran, declaring that he would not permit what he described as the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Speaking about 90 minutes into his address to a joint session of Congress, Trump cited Tehran’s backing of militant groups, its missile and nuclear activities, and its response to domestic protests as major concerns. “The (Iranian) regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate,” he said. He further accused Iran of reviving its nuclear program, developing missiles that could “soon” reach the United States, and being linked to roadside bomb attacks that killed American service members and civilians. While Iran maintains that its nuclear efforts are for civilian energy, Trump insisted, “They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words, ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon.’”

The address came amid an intensified U.S. military buildup in the Middle East, raising speculation about a possible confrontation if negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program fail. Trump criticized Tehran over the deaths of protesters during recent unrest, though Iranian officials rejected his claims.

“What is claimed about Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s intercontinental ballistic missile, and the number of people killed in the January unrest is nothing but the repetition of a series of big lies,” said Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei. The speech also sparked debate in Washington, with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer urging transparency: “First and foremost, if they want to do something in Iran – and who the hell knows what it is – they should make it public and discuss it with the public and not keep it in secret.

When you do these military operations in secret, it always causes longer wars, tragedy, more expenses and mistake(s).” Although Trump reiterated his preference for diplomacy, stating, “As president, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must,” opinion polls suggest many Americans remain cautious about entering another foreign conflict.