Trump Warns Iran Against Nuclear Weapons During US Coast Guard Academy Address

Washington, May 2026 : US President Donald Trump used a commencement address at the United States Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday to praise graduating cadets, defend his administration’s economic and immigration policies, and issue a stern warning to Iran over its nuclear ambitions.

Addressing the graduating class of 2026 in New London, Connecticut, Trump described the United States as “the hottest country anywhere in the world” and said the cadets were beginning their careers at a time when America was regaining global strength and confidence.

A major focus of his speech was Iran and the US administration’s determination to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump declared that Iran would never be allowed to acquire such capabilities under his leadership.

“We will not let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all. It’s very simple,” Trump said during the address. “They will not have a nuclear weapon, and they want to make a deal so badly.”

The President suggested that Washington had already taken strong measures against Tehran and warned that the United States was prepared to intensify its actions if necessary.

“We hit them very hard,” he said. “We may have to hit them even harder, but maybe not.”

Trump repeatedly connected the Coast Guard’s maritime operations to broader US national security efforts involving Iran, international sanctions enforcement and anti-narcotics missions. He praised the service for helping intercept sanctioned Iranian oil shipments and said Coast Guard tactical units were playing a vital role in maritime security operations linked to American strategic interests.

According to Trump, the Coast Guard had also become a critical component of what he described as a maritime “Wall of Steel” designed to secure US borders and combat transnational crime.

Highlighting the administration’s anti-drug efforts, Trump claimed that the Coast Guard had seized more than 206 million lethal doses of illegal narcotics since his return to office. He praised officers and personnel for their role in disrupting smuggling networks and protecting American communities from drug trafficking.

The President also used the speech to sharply criticise the previous administration’s border and immigration policies, arguing that his government had dramatically strengthened border security.

“We went from the worst border in history to the strongest border we’ve ever had,” Trump told the cadets, drawing applause from sections of the audience.

Economic issues also featured prominently in his remarks. Trump defended his tariff and manufacturing policies, saying they had encouraged major investments and revived domestic industrial production, particularly in sectors such as semiconductors and automobile manufacturing.

“We have $18 trillion being invested in our country,” he said, adding that tariffs had helped bring manufacturing jobs and strategic industries back to the United States.

Throughout the ceremony, Trump frequently departed from his prepared speech to engage directly with cadets and acknowledge individual accomplishments. He praised Distinguished Graduate Matthew Lanzilotta for securing the highest combined military and academic scores in the graduating class.

He also invited fitness standout Thomas Rhodes to the stage, describing him as the only cadet in academy history to achieve perfect scores in every fitness test over four consecutive years.

Another cadet singled out by the President was Mike Kedish, whom Trump described as the first academy graduate to move directly from the Corps of Cadets into Coast Guard special forces.

Alongside highlighting military achievements, Trump praised the humanitarian role of the Coast Guard, calling it “the only service explicitly dedicated to saving lives.” He commended personnel for their rescue work during hurricanes, storms and natural disasters across the country.

According to Trump, Coast Guard teams had saved more than 5,200 lives over the past year and assisted over 19,000 people in distress situations.

The President also announced plans for major investments aimed at modernising Coast Guard infrastructure and equipment. He said the administration was expanding procurement of new cutters, helicopters and Arctic icebreakers to strengthen maritime readiness.

Trump specifically pointed to growing strategic competition in the Arctic region and noted that the United States was working alongside Finland to build a stronger fleet of icebreakers.

“Russia has 48, and we have one very old one,” Trump said. “We’re making 11 total.”

The United States Coast Guard Academy is one of the five federal military academies in the United States and trains officers for the maritime branch of the armed forces. Graduates are commissioned as ensigns upon completion of their education and training.

Trump, who had also addressed the academy during his first term in office, became the first US president to deliver a second commencement address at the institution. Concluding his speech, he praised the cadets for their discipline, patriotism and determination, telling them: “You will fight, fight, fight, and you will win, win, win.”

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)