In a deeply personal passage of his State of the Union Address, President Trump accused Iran of being responsible for the deaths and injuries of thousands of American service members, calling the regime’s support for terrorist proxies a direct assault on American lives. He called Iran “terrible people” — and yet, in the same breath, said he is still willing to negotiate.
Trump accused Iranian-backed groups of spreading violence across the Middle East and beyond, and claimed Iran’s government had killed approximately 32,000 of its own citizens during domestic protests. He said US intervention had stopped further executions, framing American pressure as both necessary and effective.
The nuclear and missile threat was also central to Trump’s remarks. He said Iran is advancing both programs, with missiles already capable of threatening Europe and US bases abroad, and longer-range weapons aimed at reaching America in development. He described these developments as part of a deliberate strategy by a regime that has not changed its fundamental nature.
Trump referenced Operation Midnight Hammer, the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last June, as a demonstration of American resolve. He said the strikes were successful but that Iran has since begun rebuilding — a move he characterized as defiance of both a military warning and basic common sense.
Yet diplomacy remains on the table. Trump confirmed active negotiations are underway and that Iran wants a deal. He said the key missing element is a clear Iranian declaration that it will never build a nuclear weapon. Until that commitment is made, he said, no agreement is possible — but the possibility of one remains open.