Trump Accuses Iran of Restarting Nuclear Program After US Strikes

President Trump leveled a direct accusation at Iran during his State of the Union Address: that the country has resumed its nuclear weapons program after last year’s US military strikes, in deliberate defiance of warnings delivered in the aftermath. He described this restart as both dangerous and unacceptable, and said it has injected new urgency into ongoing nuclear negotiations.
Trump referred to the strikes as Operation Midnight Hammer and claimed they had been highly effective, destroying Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. But he said that success has proven temporary, with Iran beginning to rebuild despite explicit warnings not to do so. He called this defiance a troubling sign about Tehran’s intentions.
The President described a parallel missile threat, warning that Iranian weapons already pose a danger to Europe and US military bases in the region, and that longer-range missiles aimed at the American homeland are in development. He said both programs — nuclear and missile — are advancing simultaneously, creating a compound threat.
Trump confirmed that two rounds of US-Iran nuclear talks have taken place this month, but said the talks have not yet produced the one element Washington requires: a categorical Iranian commitment to never build a nuclear weapon. He called this the “secret words” that have yet to be spoken.
Despite the accusation of a program restart, Trump maintained that diplomacy is his preferred resolution. He said he will never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon — by military means if necessary — but that a negotiated solution remains available if Tehran is willing to make the commitments the US is asking for.