WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump used the longest State of the Union address in US history to repeat the threat of military action against Iran if diplomacy fails -- and pledged to keep negotiating to end the war in Ukraine.
Speaking for nearly one hour and 50 minutes, Trump used the joint session of Congress to frame his administration’s achievements as the dawn of a "golden age."
The speech was an opportunity to focus on domestic policy ahead of November’s midterm elections, but Trump also restated key priorities on foreign affairs and global security.
Iran
Trump spent several minutes discussing Iran, which he presented as a direct and ongoing threat while also recalling US military strikes on the country in June last year.
“After [operation] Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, in particular nuclear weapons. Yet they continue starting it all over again,” he said.
“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,” Trump said. “But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”
His words came amid a massive US military buildup in the Middle East, and ahead of further US-Iran talks slated for February 26. The talks are focused primarily on Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran insists is intended for peaceful, civilian purposes such as electricity generation.
“For decades, it had been the policy of the United States never to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Many decades,” Trump said.
Referring to Iran’s clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution, he said: “Since they seized control of that proud nation 47 years ago, the regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate.”
Trump further stated that in recent domestic unrest Iranian authorities had “killed at least, it looks like, 32,000 protesters in their own country.”
Human rights groups have counted some 7,000 deaths, but it is widely believed the real number is significantly higher.
Trump closed his comments on Iran with the warning: “No nation should ever doubt America’s resolve. We have the most powerful military on Earth.”
In an apparent response to Trump's address, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei posted on social media that the US administration was spreading lies.
"Whatever they're alleging in regards to Iran's nuclear program, Iran's ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January's unrest is simply the repetition of 'big lies,'" he wrote.
Ukraine
This section of his speech was preceded by brief remarks on Ukraine, where Russia's full-scale invasion has now entered its fifth year.
Trump said his administration is “working very hard" to end the war, referring to several months of talks that continued last week with trilateral meetings in Geneva, Switzerland.
His chief envoy, Steve Witkoff, looked on. He said following the latest round of talks that "meaningful progress" was made, without giving details, and added that "both parties agreed to…continue working toward a deal."
On February 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that a new round of US-brokered talks with Russia would be held in March.
Trump's remarks on Ukraine did not go into much detail, but he again returned to the terrible human cost of the conflict.
“Twenty-five thousand soldiers are dying each and every month. Think of that, 25,000 soldiers are dying a month,” he said.
Casualty figures are not publicly available and cannot be independently verified. But one recent report put the number of killed, wounded, and missing at 1.2 million Russians and 500,000-600,000 Ukrainians.
Repeating a familiar campaign claim, Trump added that the war “would have never happened if I were president.”
The remarks come as European leaders used the fourth anniversary of the conflict to reaffirm support for Kyiv and as questions linger over Washington’s long-term strategy.
Energy, Tariffs
Foreign policy was closely tied to Trump’s domestic economic agenda.
He touted expanded oil and gas production under his “drill, baby, drill” policy, arguing that increased US output -- alongside what he described as a “bright new beginning” in Venezuela -- would help drive down global energy prices.
Calling Venezuela “our new friend and partner,” Trump said the US had secured 80 million barrels of oil following the ouster of longtime leader Nicolas Maduro.
On trade, Trump said tariffs paid by foreign countries would eventually “replace the modern day system of income tax” and ease the financial burden on Americans.
Throughout the speech, Trump returned repeatedly to a central theme: American resurgence.
While Trump's speech was greeted with cheers and standing ovations from Republicans, the Democrats sat in stony silence broken by occasional heckles.
Delivering the party's official response, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said Trump "continues to cede economic power and technological strength to Russia, bow down to China, bow down to a Russian dictator, and make plans for war with Iran."
Dozens of Democrats boycotted the event altogether, holding a separate event elsewhere in Washington where they criticized Trump on a range of issues.
“I'm not at the State of the Union speech tonight because these are not normal times and Democrats have to stop behaving normally,” said Democrat Senator Chris Murphy.
