For decades, successive American presidents have maintained that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable. President Trump reaffirmed that position forcefully during his State of the Union Address, placing himself squarely in that tradition while adding his own unmistakable personal stamp on the warning.
Trump told lawmakers that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is a cornerstone of American foreign policy with deep bipartisan roots. He said that regardless of what negotiations produce, the United States will not sign any agreement that leaves open even the possibility of Iranian nuclear weapons development.
The president accused Iran of returning to what he called sinister ambitions, advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities despite last year’s US military strike on its nuclear infrastructure. He claimed Iran’s missiles already threaten Europe and American forces overseas, and warned that Tehran is working on systems that could eventually reach the United States.
Two rounds of nuclear talks have taken place this month, Trump revealed, indicating that dialogue is ongoing. But he emphasised that Iran must take a decisive step — publicly and irrevocably committing to never build a nuclear weapon — before any agreement can be considered genuine.
Trump closed with a reference to Operation Midnight Hammer, the US strike he said destroyed Iran’s nuclear programme last June. Despite that operation and subsequent warnings, Iran appears to be rebuilding, he said, calling this behaviour a direct challenge to American authority and a threat that will not go unanswered.