Iran’s Foreign Ministry has hit back at President Trump following his State of the Union address, accusing him of repeating what it called big lies about Iran’s nuclear program and the death toll from its recent crackdown on anti-government protests. The sharp response comes as both countries prepare for another round of nuclear talks in Geneva, with the threat of US military action still looming over the negotiations.
During his Tuesday address, Trump repeated his claim that the US obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons program with strikes last June and warned that Iran is now attempting to rebuild it. The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has recently cast doubt on that claim. Satellite images from late January showed roofs being constructed over two damaged nuclear facilities in Natanz and Isfahan, though the nature of any work at those sites has not been confirmed. Trump also claimed Iranian security forces killed 32,000 people during recent protests, a figure far higher than any previously reported and well above what Tehran has acknowledged.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded by accusing Trump of employing propaganda tactics to manufacture the illusion of truth. The speaker of Iran’s Parliament also warned that while Iran remains open to diplomacy, it is equally prepared to defend itself, saying any aggressor would regret their actions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered a more measured tone just hours before Trump spoke, saying a nuclear deal was within reach if diplomacy is prioritised. He vowed Iran would never develop a nuclear weapon but insisted on the country’s right to peaceful nuclear technology, including enrichment, which remains the central sticking point in talks. Araghchi told CBS News that if the US attacks Iran, Iran would respond by targeting US bases in the region, framing any retaliation as legitimate self-defense.
Analysts are not optimistic. Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House, told CBS News on Wednesday that a military clash now appears imminent, saying Trump has been assembling a significant arsenal while signaling he is seeking terms Iran’s leadership does not appear willing to accept. She noted that Iran has not been enriching uranium since last summer’s US strikes and could theoretically offer that as a concession, but that Iran simultaneously wants its nuclear rights as a Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory formally recognised, creating a difficult gap to bridge.
