US President Barack Obama declared that Iranian intransigence over its nuclear program would result in consequences, in his first State of Union address Wednesday night.
“They will face growing consequences. That is a promise,” he stressed, saying that the “Islamic Republic is more isolated” because of its continued enrichment of uranium in defiance of international demands.
Obama did not elaborate on what those consequences would consist of or how they would be deliver.
He also rebuked North Korea for its nuclear program and pressed the world to reduce nuclear weapons, calling them the greatest threat to the American people.
Iran and North Korea were two of the only foreign countries singled out by Obama in a speech that ran over an hour and focused almost entirely on domestic issues.
He spoke of the need to prevail against terrorism and in Afghanistan, and vowed to continue bringing home American troops from Iraq.
“This war is ending - all our troops are coming home,” he said.
Obama, however, made no reference to the Arab-Israeli conflict or the quest for Middle East peace. Instead, he primarily focused on the economy, job creation and health care, often defending his policies and taking both parties to task for not making tough choices and playing politics.