President Donald Trump has used his State of the Union address to set out his case for a possible military attack on Iran, vowing he will never allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon. He accused Iran of spreading terrorism, restarting its nuclear programme and developing missiles that he said could soon reach the United States.
Trump told Congress that the Iranian leadership and its “murderous proxies” have brought terrorism, death and hate to the Middle East and beyond. He also blamed Tehran for deadly roadside bombings against US troops and civilians and for the deaths of thousands of protesters in recent anti government demonstrations, citing a figure of 32,000 people killed.
Iran rejected his claims as false. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on X that statements about Iran’s nuclear work, long range missile capability and protest death toll were “a series of big lies”. Tehran insists its nuclear activities are for civilian energy only.
The speech came as a major US naval buildup in the Middle East overshadowed the run up to the address. Washington has sent additional warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, amid preparation for a possible conflict that US officials say could last weeks if Iran does not agree to resolve the nuclear dispute.
Hours before the speech, Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” congressional leaders on Iran. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned that any military move should be openly debated with the public, saying secret operations risk creating longer wars, more tragedy and higher costs.
Trump’s advisers had urged him to focus on domestic issues such as the economy and immigration, and he devoted most of his nearly two hour address to those topics. However, he used part of the speech to criticise Iran and to argue that he prefers peace but will confront threats when necessary.
He reminded lawmakers that he has claimed US strikes last year “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities and said Iranian leaders now “want to start all over again” in pursuit of their ambitions. The president also pointed to opinion polls showing Americans wary of foreign wars, even as he asked them to back a tougher line on Tehran.
Trump told Congress that as president he would seek peace wherever possible but would not hesitate to act against any direct threat to the United States. His comments set the stage for a domestic debate over whether voters will support a new Middle East conflict in an election year.
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