Donald Trump claimed Iran is building missiles that will soon be able to reach the U.S. during a rambling State of the Union address on Tuesday.
In a long-winded speech — the longest of its kind in history — the US president continued his war of words with Iran after weeks of suggesting he might order a strike against the regime.
“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,” Trump said. He did not provide any evidence for the claim.
The remarks came as U.S. naval and air forces continue to gather near Iran ahead of possible military action, as Trump looks to pressure the Tehran regime into agreeing to a nuclear deal with Washington.
There had been speculation over whether Trump would use the speech to make a case for war against Iran, or whether he would elaborate on the military buildup in the Middle East. However, he did not mention Iran until more than an hour into his speech.
In his brief segment on Iran, the US president accused Tehran of ignoring his warnings not to return to nuclear enrichment and weapons development after a U.S. bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan last June.
“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy 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,” he told the joint session of Congress during the hour and 47 minute speech.
The US president also reiterated his previous talking points on the issue, saying Washington would work to keep a nuclear bomb out of Iran’s hands. Trump also accused Iran of sowing terror via regional proxy groups and said Tehran had killed tens of thousands of people during recent protests.
“They’ve killed at least 32,000 protesters in their own country—they shot a lot of them and hung them,” he said, describing the regime as “some terrible people”.
But Trump did not give clarity on whether he would take immediate military action, or what the White House’s goals would be.
Trump threatened to attack Iran in January in response to a deadly crackdown on widespread anti-regime protests, before adding the condition that Tehran must agree to the new nuclear deal.
On Monday, the U.S. ordered nonessential diplomats and their family members at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to leave Lebanon amid the looming threat of a military strike on Iran.
Lebanon has been the site of several Iran-related retaliatory attacks on U.S. targets for decades, given Tehran's support for and influence with the Hezbollah militant group. Changes in the staffing status of the embassy in Beirut are sometimes seen as a bellwether for potential U.S. or Israeli military action in the region, particularly against Iran.
The U.S. military has also withdrawn from key bases in northeastern Syria and Qatar.
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