US President Donald Trump briefly laid out his case for a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, saying he would not allow the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism to have a nuclear weapon.
Even as he marshals a massive military force in the Middle East, Trump has done little to explain to the American public why he might be leading the United States into its most aggressive action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution.
In his speech, Trump singled out Tehran’s support for militant groups, its killing of protesters, and the country’s nuclear and missile programs as threats to the region and the
USA.
“The (Iranian) regime and its murderous representatives have spread nothing but terrorism, death and hatred,” the Republican president said about 90 minutes into his annual address to a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.
He accused Iran of restarting its nuclear program, of working to build missiles that would “soon” be able to reach the United States and of being responsible for roadside bombings that have killed American service members and civilians.
Iranian state media has claimed that Tehran is developing a missile capable of reaching North America.
The lead-up to Trump’s speech was overshadowed by the buildup of U.S. military forces in the Middle East and preparations for a possible conflict with Iran that could last weeks if Tehran fails to reach a deal to resolve a long-running dispute over its nuclear program.
Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration over negotiators’ failure to reach an agreement. “They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon,'” Trump said in his speech.
Iran says its nuclear research is intended for civilian energy production.
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Trump also blamed the government in Tehran for the deaths of thousands of protesters during recent anti-government demonstrations, although the specific figure he cited – that 32,000 people had been killed – is much higher than most public estimates.
“What is claimed about Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s ICBM and the number of people killed in the January riots is nothing more than the repetition of a series of big lies,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a post on X on Wednesday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a briefing on Iran hours before the congressional “Group of Eight” speech, made up of the leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives and the intelligence committees of both chambers.
“First of all, 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 secret. When these military operations are done in secret, they always cause longer wars, tragedies, more expenses and mistakes,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said at a news conference shortly before the classified session.
Advisers had urged Trump to focus on the economy, immigration and other domestic policy issues, and he devoted most of his nearly two-hour speech to those issues.
Trump and his fellow Republicans rose to the top of American politics with the passionate support of a political base that embraces his “America First” policies and promises to end an era of “forever wars” like the long conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But opinion polls show the party will struggle to maintain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. Polls also show that Americans distrust foreign conflicts. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in January showed that 69 percent of Americans agreed with the statement that the United States should only use its military when faced with a direct and imminent threat, while 18 percent disagreed and the rest were unsure or did not answer the question.
Trump ordered strikes against Iran last year, claiming in July that they had “destroyed” the country’s nuclear facilities. His advisers have more recently claimed that Iran is very close to having the ability to make nuclear bombs.
Trump addressed the issue in Tuesday’s speech, saying, “They (Iran’s leaders) want to start all over again, and right now, they are pursuing their sinister ambitions again.”
Trump said he preferred to make peace and listed a series of global conflicts that he took credit for ending or mitigating.
“As president, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to the United States wherever necessary,” Trump said.
Trump also defended his controversial immigration tactics and global tariffs during an unprecedented State of the Union address Tuesday night.
During the 108-minute speech, the president boasted of his sweeping policy changes on deportation, the economy and foreign policy at a critical time for the Republican Party. Polls have shown that issues that should be Trump’s strong points, such as immigration and jobs, are losing popularity among independent voters who could play a key role in the upcoming midterm elections.
Republican members of Congress appeared united during the speech, standing to applaud the president and repeatedly chanting “United States” throughout the speech.
Trump’s speech offered few insights into upcoming policies, relying on his claims that the economy is improving and prices are falling, despite what ordinary Americans may feel.
Trump’s comments are also unlikely to provide reassurance to countries and companies that were hoping for trade stability after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week against Trump’s favorite tariff tool.
– With archives from the Canadian press
