President Donald Trump warned in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night that Tehran is working on the development of advanced missiles that could eventually reach the United States.
“They've already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they're working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America," the President said during his address.
The remarks come ahead of upcoming negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Geneva over Iran’s disputed nuclear program and concerns over the country’s expanding missile arsenal.
“They were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, in particular nuclear weapons,” he said, adding, “Yet they continue starting it all over, and are this moment again, pursuing their sinister ambitions.”
Reaffirming Washington’s longstanding position, Trump pledged that the Islamic Republic would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon — a moment that drew visible bipartisan reaction in the chamber, with lawmakers from both parties rising as he reiterated the policy.
The president stressed that negotiations with Tehran were ongoing but warned the United States remained prepared to act if necessary.
For weeks, Trump has pointed to a large US naval buildup near Iran, including two aircraft carriers and multiple warships positioned in the region. Analysts say the scale of the deployment is comparable to past major US military operations, with advanced warplanes and strike capabilities in place.
“We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven't heard those secret words ‘we will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
‘32,000 killed’
During the address, Trump also acknowledged the massacre that followed recent nationwide protests calling for an end to the Islamic Republic.
“And just over the last couple of months, with the protests, they've killed at least it looks like 32,000 protesters in their own country,” he said, adding that authorities had “shot them and hung them.”
“For decades since they seized control of that proud nation, 47 years ago, the regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism, death and hate,” Trump said.
Trump also referenced the US killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020 during his first term.
“We took out Soleimani. I did that during my first term. Had a huge impact. He was the father of the roadside bomb.”
