'Can't let that happen': Trump stresses red line for Iran but holds out hope for peaceful resolution

During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Donald Trump referred to some of the historic peace deals that he has brokered between warring nations, then turned his attention to Iran and its "sinister ambitions."

The president suggested that Iranians want to make a deal but have yet to say "those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon."

"My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy," said the president, "but one thing is certain: I will never allow the world's number-one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can't let that happen — and no nation should ever doubt America's resolve."

Trump noted further, "I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must."

Recent polling indicates that American voters are not particularly keen on getting embroiled in another Middle Eastern conflict. Their elected representatives, on the other hand, appeared receptive to the president's discussion of possible military actions against the Shiite country.

In recent weeks, Trump has assembled the greatest U.S. military air presence in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion.

'It will be something easily won.'

Negotiators from Tehran and the U.S. are scheduled to convene in Geneva on Thursday for what some suspect might be the last attempt at a deal regarding Iran's nuclear program.

A regional source familiar with the talks told CNN, "This Thursday will decide everything — a war or a deal."

A potential sticking point might be whether the Iranians are willing to commit to putting off uranium enrichment entirely.

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Abbas Araghchi, the country's foreign minister, recently suggested that is a nonstarter, as the county has invested heavily in the technology and its progress to date is supposedly a matter of national pride.

Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, noted last week, "The Americans say, ‘Let's negotiate over your nuclear energy, and the result of the negotiation is supposed to be that you do not have this energy!'"

"If that’s the case, there is no room for negotiation," continued Khamenei.

Trump has reportedly received several briefings on military options, including decapitation strikes on Iran's political and military leaders with the goal of regime change and/or strikes on nuclear and ballistic-missile facilities.

Multiple reports have alleged that Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and other military leaders warned the president and top officials in such briefings that a military campaign against Tehran carries significant risks, including another protracted conflict.

Trump noted in a Truth Social post on Monday, however, that "if a decision is made on going against Iran at a Military level, it is [Caine's] opinion that it will be something easily won."

"Everything that has been written about a potential War with Iran has been written incorrectly, and purposefully so," wrote Trump.

The president added, "I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them."

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