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Iran has pushed back on statements made by President Trump during his State of the Union.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: Last night, President Trump used his State of the Union address to criticize Iran, claiming the US had “obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons program” in last summer’s strikes but warned that “they’re starting it all over” and are “at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions.” He said Iran had been “warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, and in particular nuclear weapons, yet they continue.” Trump also accused Tehran of developing missiles that could “soon reach the United States of America,” supporting militant proxies that spread “terrorism and death and hate,” and being responsible for the killing of 32,000 people during its crackdown on protesters. Trump told lawmakers that he preferred a diplomatic solution with Iran but noted that he would “never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror… to have a nuclear weapon,” and that the US has not heard the “secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon.’” during recent negotiations with Iran. His remarks come amid a growing US military buildup near Iran and renewed threats of potential strikes if negotiations fail.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, Iran’s foreign ministry rejected Trump’s statements at the State of the Union, accusing him of spreading “big lies” about the country’s nuclear program, missile capabilities, and the scale of deaths during recent anti-government protests. A spokesman said Trump was engaged in a “disinformation and misinformation campaign,” arguing that repeating false claims does not make them true. Iranian officials specifically dismissed Trump’s claim that Tehran is rebuilding a nuclear weapons program, maintaining that Iran does not seek a bomb and has never pursued one.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s position is “crystal clear” that it will “under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,” while also defending what he described as Iran’s legitimate right to peaceful nuclear technology. He stressed that enrichment for civilian purposes is a right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and signaled that while Iran is open to compromise, it will not abandon domestic enrichment altogether which remains a key sticking point in the talks.
This all comes as Iranian leaders say they remain ready for diplomacy and believe a deal is “within reach” if negotiations are conducted with mutual respect. However, multiple Iranian officials have warned that their military is prepared to respond “forcefully” if the United States launches strikes on Iran.
