U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Iran of seeking to develop missiles capable of striking the United States — a technology possessed by only a limited number of countries.
In his State of the Union address, Trump said: “They have already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they are working on building missiles that will soon be capable of reaching the United States of America.”
In 2025, the Defense Intelligence Agency estimated that Iran could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “if Tehran decides to pursue that capability,” though it did not indicate whether such a decision had been made.
According to the Congressional Research Service, Tehran currently possesses short- and medium-range ballistic missiles with ranges of up to nearly 3,000 kilometers. The United States lies more than 9,000 kilometers from Iran’s westernmost point.
Washington and Tehran have concluded two rounds of talks aimed at reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program to replace the deal Trump withdrew from during his first term. In addition to repeatedly demanding that Iran halt uranium enrichment, the United States has also sought to place Tehran’s ballistic missile program and its support for armed groups in the region on the negotiating table — a move Iran has rejected.
Trump has deployed a substantial military force to the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, more than 12 warships, numerous fighter jets, and other assets. He has continued to warn that he would strike Iran if negotiations fail to produce a new agreement. Talks with Tehran are scheduled to resume Thursday.
Through Diplomatic Means
Trump emphasized that he prefers resolving the confrontation through diplomatic channels but warned that he would never allow Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon.
“We are in negotiations with them, and they want to make a deal, but we have not heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon,’” Trump said.
“I would prefer to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism — which they very much are — to possess a nuclear weapon,” he added.
(AFP)
