US President Donald Trump briefly laid out his case for a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union speech to Congress on Tuesday, saying he would not allow the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism to have a nuclear weapon.

Even while assembling a massive military force in the Middle East, Trump has done little to explain to the American public why he might be leading the US into its most aggressive action against Iran since its 1979 revolution.

In his speech, Trump pointed to Tehran’s support for militant groups, its killing of protesters and the country’s missile and nuclear programmes as threats to the region and the United States.

“The (Iranian) regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate,” the Republican president said about 90 minutes into his annual address to a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.

He accused Iran of restarting its nuclear programme, working to build missiles that “soon” would be capable of reaching the United States and of being responsible for roadside bombings that have killed US service members and civilians.

Iranian state media have claimed that Tehran is developing a missile capable of reaching North America.

The run-up to Trump’s address was overshadowed by the buildup of US military forces in the Middle East and preparations for a possible conflict with Iran that could last for weeks if Tehran does not reach a deal to solve a longstanding dispute over its nuclear program.

Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with negotiators’ failure to reach an agreement.

“They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words, ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon,’” Trump said in his speech.

Iran says its nuclear research is for civilian energy production.

Trump also faulted the government in Tehran for the deaths of thousands of protesters during recent anti-government demonstrations, although the specific figure he cited — that 32,000 people had been killed — is much higher than most public estimates.

“What is claimed about Iran’s nuclear programme, Iran’s intercontinental ballistic missile, and the number of people killed in the January unrest is nothing but the repetition of a series of big lies,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Trump boasted in his State of the Union address that he had ushered in “the golden age of America,” seeking to project an aura of success despite sagging approval ratings and deepening voter frustration ahead of November’s midterm election.

Heeding calls from Republican lawmakers worried they could lose their congressional majority later this year, Trump spent the first hour of his televised speech focused on the economy, saying he had slowed inflation, driven the stock market to record heights, signed sweeping tax cuts and lowered drug prices.

But it was unclear whether his rosy assessment would assuage Americans’ anger about the cost of living.

Trump sought to blame his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, for high prices, but opinion polls show voters hold Trump responsible for not doing more to ease an affordability crisis after he campaigned relentlessly on the issue.

“Our nation is back — bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before,” Trump said after taking the stage to cheers of “USA, USA” from fellow Republicans in Congress, with dozens of empty seats on the Democratic side a reminder that many lawmakers skipped the speech for anti-Trump rallies outside.

Advisers had urged Trump to focus on the economy, immigration and other domestic policy issues, and he devoted the lion’s share of his nearly two-hour-long speech to such topics.

Trump and his fellow Republicans rose to the top of US politics with the passionate support of a political base that embraces his “America First” policies and vows to end an era of “forever wars” like the long conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But opinion polls show the party will struggle to keep control of Congress in November’s midterm election.

Polls also show Americans wary of foreign conflicts.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll from January showed 69% of Americans agreed with a statement that the US should only use its military when facing a direct and imminent threat, while 18% disagreed and the rest weren’t sure or didn’t answer the question.

Trump ordered strikes on Iran last year, claiming in July that they had “obliterated” the country’s nuclear facilities.

His aides have claimed more recently that Iran is very close to having the ability to make nuclear bombs.

Trump addressed the issue in Tuesday’s speech, saying, “They (Iran’s leaders) want to start all over again, and are, at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions.”

Trump said he preferred to make peace, listing a range of worldwide conflicts he takes credit for ending or easing.

“As president, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must,” Trump said.

The annual speech to Congress came at a fraught moment for Trump’s presidency, with polls showing a majority of Americans have soured on his performance, anxieties rising over Iran, and his signature tariff policy foundering after the US Supreme Court struck down most of his import taxes.

For much of the speech, Trump was uncharacteristically disciplined, mostly appearing to stick to his prepared remarks and eschewing his usual stream-of-consciousness digressions.

But he flashed his combative side while discussing his immigration crackdown, exchanging shouted insults with several Democratic lawmakers.

The former reality television star injected plenty of spectacle into the event.

At one point, he bragged about all the “winning” that the US has experienced during his term, before introducing some other winners: members of the US men’s ice hockey team, who entered the chamber wearing the gold medals they won at the Winter Olympics on Sunday.

He declared that the team’s goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of half a dozen medals handed out to various guests with typical Trumpian fanfare.

The 79-year-old Trump’s speech lasted approximately an hour and 47 minutes, breaking the record he set last year for the longest presidential address to Congress.

‘Inflation plummeting’

While Trump said inflation is “plummeting,” prices for groceries, housing, insurance and utilities remain significantly higher than they were a few years ago.

New data released on Friday showed the economy slowed more than expected last quarter while inflation accelerated.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found only 36% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy.

Democrats hope to seize control of both houses of Congress from Republicans in November when all 435 seats are on the ballot for the House of Representatives and about a third of the 100 seats in the Senate.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat whose decisive victory in November was an early midterm warning sign for Republicans, delivered her party’s official response, criticising Trump for abandoning struggling Americans.

“Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family?” she said.

“We all know the answer is no.”

Trump, who attacked the Supreme Court in personal terms after the tariff decision on Friday, held his fire on Tuesday, shaking hands with the four justices present as he entered the chamber.

He called the ruling “unfortunate” but argued that it would ultimately have little impact on his trade policy.

Trump did not discuss artificial intelligence at a time when the technology is fuelling both the stock market and growing worries among workers about the threat it poses to job security.

He also spent little time on foreign policy, even though he has focused much of his energies in office on issues abroad.

Trump again claimed he “ended” eight wars, and barely mentioned Ukraine, despite Tuesday marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

He did not discuss China, America’s chief economic rival, or Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory he has threatened to take over.

Trump also did not offer clarity regarding his plans for Iran amid signs he is inching closer to a military conflict with Tehran.

“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,” he said.

“But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump, Democrats clash

When Trump turned to his favourite topic, immigration, he repeated the same rhetoric that animated his 2024 campaign, claiming undocumented migrants were responsible for a wave of violent crime despite studies showing that is not the case.

“You should be ashamed,” he told Democrats, chastising them for refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security unless measures are taken to curb the aggressive tactics of immigration agents under Trump.

Opinion polls show a majority of Americans believe Trump’s immigration crackdown has gone too far, after two US citizens were shot dead by masked federal agents in Minneapolis.

As Trump praised his immigration enforcement, Democrat Ilhan Omar, who represents a Minneapolis US House district, shouted in his direction, “You have killed Americans!”

Trump, who has falsely claimed for years that election fraud in the US is rampant, also attacked Democrats for not supporting a voter identification requirement.

“They want to cheat,” he said. Democrats argue that the Republican-backed legislation would impose unnecessary burdens on voters and suppress turnout.

Democratic US Representative Al Green was removed from the House chamber for the second consecutive year after waving a sign at Trump that read, “Black people aren’t apes.”

The message referred to a social media video Trump posted with a clip depicting former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.

The White House eventually took down the video, which Trump said was posted by a staffer.

Green, who is Black, was also ejected during last year’s address after shouting at Trump.

Other Democrats offered quieter messages of protest. US Representative Jill Tokuda, a Hawaii Democrat, wore a white jacket emblazoned with words like “affordability” and “healthcare.”

A number of Democratic women wore tags saying “release the files,” a reference to the scandal surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

About a dozen Epstein accusers attended as guests of Democrats.