Washington: US President Donald Trump revealed that the United States completely destroyed Iran’s nuclear program last June through a military operation dubbed “Midnight Hammer.” During his State of the Union address to Congress, Trump affirmed the commitment to a historic US policy of preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He warned of Iran’s ballistic missiles, which he said are capable of reaching America and Europe. He stated that the Iranians have developed missiles capable of threatening Europe and US bases abroad. He described the Iranian regime as the “number one sponsor of terrorism,” which has killed millions through its proxies over the past 47 years.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Trump emphasized Washington’s support for the Iranian protesters, of whom “32,000” have been killed. He added, “During the recent demonstrations in Iran, we prevented many executions.” He warned Tehran against rebuilding its nuclear program, stating that Iran wants a deal but refuses to declare its abandonment of nuclear weapons. He affirmed his preference for a diplomatic solution while maintaining full military readiness. Trump had said before his State of the Union address that Iran ‘wants to make a deal to avoid a US military strike more than I do,’ but had not explicitly stated its willingness to give up developing nuclear weapons.