Washington: In his State of the Union speech, US President Donald Trump expressed his preference to resolve the ongoing confrontation with Iran through diplomatic channels, while firmly stating that he would never permit Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. "My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy," Trump declared, emphasizing that negotiations were ongoing and that Iran was interested in reaching a deal.

According to Qatar News Agency, the recent diplomatic efforts followed a second round of negotiations held in Geneva, succeeding an earlier session in Muscat on February 6. During his address, Trump also voiced strong criticism of the US Supreme Court's decision on tariffs he had imposed, labeling it as "very unfortunate." Despite the ruling, he claimed that the tariffs had yielded substantial economic benefits, generating hundreds of billions of dollars.

In response to the court's ruling, Trump announced plans to increase temporary tariffs on imports from all countries to 15 percent, up from the previous maximum rate of 10 percent. This announcement came after the court deemed the initial tariffs illegal. Furthermore, Trump committed to tackling the rising drug prices, cutting funding to major insurance companies, and reallocating resources directly to citizens to improve healthcare affordability and quality.

On the energy front, Trump highlighted a significant increase in American oil production, stating it had risen by more than 600,000 barrels per day. He also unveiled a new partnership with Venezuela, which had resulted in the United States receiving over 80 million barrels, marking a notable development in the country's energy strategy.