Trump Vows to Stop Iran Going Nuclear: ‘Cannot Let That Happen’

President Trump delivered one of his clearest public statements on Iran during his State of the Union Address, declaring in emphatic terms that he will never allow the country to obtain a nuclear weapon. “Cannot let that happen,” he said, using the blunt, personal phrasing that has become a hallmark of his foreign policy communication.
Trump accused Iran of being the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism and said the country is advancing both its nuclear and missile programs despite last year’s US military strikes. He said Tehran was warned after Operation Midnight Hammer not to rebuild, and that its decision to do so represents a direct challenge to American red lines.
The President described an escalating missile threat, with Iranian weapons already capable of targeting Europe and US military bases abroad, and longer-range missiles in development that he said could eventually reach the continental United States. He connected these developments to the growing US military presence in the Persian Gulf.
Trump acknowledged that US-Iran nuclear negotiations are currently underway, with two rounds of talks already completed this month. He said Iran is interested in a deal but has not made the one commitment Washington requires: a public, unambiguous declaration that it will never develop nuclear weapons.
His closing message was firm and personal. He said he will always prefer peace and that diplomacy remains his preferred tool. But on the question of a nuclear-armed Iran, he was absolute: it will not happen, regardless of what it takes to prevent it.