Trump reiterates policy of ‘peace through strength’, says ‘hopefully we won’t have to use it’
Trump speaks while giving the 2026 State of the Nation. Screengrab via Youtube
U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to outline a justification for potential military action against Iran during his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, presenting Tehran’s actions as a mounting threat to American interests and regional stability.
While the president’s speech largely focused on domestic issues in the United States, he also addressed the tensions with Iran and explained why the United States views the Islamic Republic as a threat.
“As President, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must,” Trump said. “That’s why in a breakthrough operation last June, the United States military obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons program with an attack on Iranian soil known as Operation Midnight Hammer.”
With negotiations around Iran’s nuclear program expected to take place on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland, Trump reminded Congress, “For decades, it had been the policy of the United States never to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Many decades,” he noted. “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 just used the State of the Union address to make the case for war with Iran.
The odds of a US strike on Iran have increased significantly. #IranianRevolution2026 pic.twitter.com/PtS86gZpPE
— David Jacobs (@DrJacobsRad) February 25, 2026
The president also asserted that the Iranian regime bears responsibility for the deaths of U.S. service members and civilians and described Tehran as a leading state sponsor of terrorism.
“They’ve killed and maimed thousands of American service members and hundreds of thousands and even millions of people – with what’s called roadside bombs.”
President Trump noted the recent protests against the regime, citing a much higher figure of fatalities than that shared by the Islamic Republic.
“And just over the last couple of months with the protests, they’ve killed at least, it looks like, 32,000 protesters. 32,000 protesters in their own country,” Trump claimed. “They shot them and hung them. We stopped them from hanging a lot of them with the threat of serious violence. But this is some terrible people.”
Trump also warned that Iran’s ballistic missile program poses a growing threat, saying, “They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America… After Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program in a particular area – nuclear weapons, yet they continue starting it all over. We wiped it out and they want to start all over again and are at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions.”
Addressing ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations, Trump reiterated his willingness “to make a deal,” but said Tehran has yet to provide the unequivocal assurances Washington is seeking regarding its nuclear program.
“We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon.’ My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,” Trump reiterated. “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. And no nation should ever doubt America’s result.”
Trump also appeared to underscore a stern warning to Iran by emphasizing American military strength, declaring that the United States possesses “the most powerful military on earth.”
He noted his policy of “peace through strength,” while saying, “Hopefully we will seldom have to use this great power that we built together.”
While some analysts expected President Trump to announce the start of military operations against Iran in his State of the Union speech, no such announcement was made. At the time of publication, the U.S seems determined to await the outcome of Thursday’s negotiations.
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