President Donald Trump has used his State of the Union address to signal a preference for diplomacy with Iran, even as he maintained a hardline stance against the country’s nuclear ambitions.
Speaking to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Trump has confirmed that the United States is currently engaged in active negotiations with Tehran.
"We are in negotiations with Iran, and they want to reach an agreement," Trump has told lawmakers.
He has stressed that whilst he favours a diplomatic path, his administration remains committed to the longstanding US policy of preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
"I will never allow the world’s largest funder of terrorism to possess a nuclear weapon," the President has vowed.
Despite the talk of diplomacy, Trump has used the address to highlight the domestic turmoil within Iran, claiming that “the regime has killed 32,000 protesters” during recent unrest.
He has framed his administration’s "maximum pressure" strategy as the catalyst for bringing Tehran back to the table, asserting that the US is negotiating from a position of unprecedented strength.
"For decades, American policy has been based on not allowing Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon," Trump has said.
He has noted that whilst the military option remains on the table, a "diplomatic solution" is his preferred outcome to ensure regional stability and national security.
