Ahead of his address to the nation, the US President said that he would be going to tell how efficient he is as a leader.
Washington: President Donald Trump, while addressing the nation this week, said that the country has achieved its core strategic objectives from the Iran war, adding that the US Army will finish the little that is left. Here are the highlights of the President's speech from the Cross Hall at the White House that lasted 20 minutes...
• Trump said Iran no longer poses a significant threat, asserting that the US holds the upper hand as its military campaign nears completion. He reiterated that US forces are close to wrapping up their objectives in the conflict.
• He said Iran’s navy had been “wiped out,” its air force left “in ruins,” and the leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “decimated.”
• He said countries that depend on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz must ensure the route’s security themselves, adding that the US would offer support, but stressed that responsibility lies with those nations to "take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on".
• The US will intensify its military campaign against Iran over the coming weeks, even as talks continue behind the scenes. "We’re going to hit them extremely hard. Over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong," Trump said.
• At the same time, the President said diplomatic channels remain open, noting that discussions are ongoing as Washington weighs its next steps.
• Asserting that the US does not rely on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump suggested countries he described as “betrayers” should instead purchase oil from the US. He added that the waterway would reopen on its own once hostilities end.
• As gas in the US hit $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022, Trump blamed soaring oil prices on Iran, assuring that the rising costs are "short-term".
• “We’re going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast,” Trump said, adding that Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. He also pledged that the US would protect its Gulf allies “in any shape or form” as the conflict continues.
