Iran, Tariff and ‘War on Fraud’ Push: Key Takeaways from Trump’s State of the Union Speech

US President Donald Trump used his State of the Union 2026 address to issue sharp warnings over Iran’s nuclear and missile ambitions while also outlining a range of domestic and economic priorities.

Trump delivered what was described as the longest-ever State of the Union speech, surpassing Bill Clinton’s 2000 record of one hour and 20 minutes and breaking his own previous one hour and 40 minute congressional address set last March.

Addressing Iran, Trump accused Tehran of resuming efforts to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities, declaring that it is “again pursuing their sinister ambitions.”

He left all options on the table, reiterating that it has long been US policy to never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Is Iran’s Missile Development a Growing Threat Beyond the Middle East?

Trump also pointed to missile development as a growing threat beyond the Middle East.

“They have already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they are working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America,” he said.

His remarks come months after a dramatic escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, including US strikes in June on three Iranian nuclear facilities in a series of coordinated attacks that Trump said resulted in “total obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful energy purposes.

Amid a reported American military build-up in West Asia, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he is likely to meet a US delegation in Geneva on Thursday for the next round of talks over the country’s nuclear programme, with two rounds of negotiations already held this month.

What Is Trump’s “War on Fraud” and How Will JD Vance Lead It?

Beyond foreign policy, Trump announced a crackdown on alleged government benefits abuse, saying he was appointing Vice President JD Vance to lead a “war on fraud.”

“I am officially announcing the war on fraud, to be led by our great Vice President JD Vance,” Trump said, adding that if his administration could “find enough of that fraud, we will have a balanced budget overnight.”

He specifically alleged abuses in Democratic-controlled states, particularly Minnesota.

On trade and the economy, Trump defended tariffs, saying they were necessary for the US economy.

“These countries were ripping us off,” he said, while adding that US trading partners “want to keep the deal that they already made... Knowing that the legal power that I as president have to make a new deal could be far worse for them.”

He also criticised the Supreme Court ruling against tariffs, calling it “very unfortunate.”

Trump claimed the United States had received more than 80 million barrels of oil from Venezuela following Washington’s ouster of leader Nicolas Maduro.

“We just received from our new friend and partner, Venezuela, more than 80 million barrels of oil,” he said, adding that “American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day.”

Highlighting inflation, Trump said, “The Biden administration and its allies in Congress gave us the worst inflation in the history of our country. But in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than 5 years—and in the last 3 months of 2025, it was down to 1.7%.”

(With inputs from ANI)