US President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Wednesday, in his first time speech amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Though there is no official word from the White House on the details of the address, Trump dropped hints with a post on his Truth Social platform and an interview with a news agency.
Trump is scheduled to speak at 9 pm (local time) on Wednesday, more than a month after the US and Israel launched attack on Iran. The war has sent global ramifications: sending oil prices to all-time highs, changing traditional alliances and sending shockwaves across ‘safe havens’ in West Asia.
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Here is what to expect from Trump’s speech:
- Hours before the scheduled speech, Trump took to his Truth Social to say that Iran’s president “has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!” “We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he added. Iran’s foreign ministry, however, rejected the claim as “false and baseless.”
- In an interview with Reuters, Trump said the US will be “out of Iran pretty quickly” and could return for “spot hits” if needed. He said one element of his speech would be to express his disgust with NATO for what he considers the alliance’s lack of support for US objectives in Iran.
- Trump’s outburst on NATO came even as he said that he is strongly considering pulling the US out of the military bloc after it failed to join the war against Iran. Several NATO countries have rejected his calls to participate in the Iran war and some have even banned its airspace and military supplies citing neutrality in the conflict.
- A White House official said Trump is expected to reiterate the timeline for ending operations in Iran. Trump, on Tuesday, said the US could end its military campaign in Iran within two to three weeks. Trump has insisted that the US has largely achieved its objectives in the West Asia.
- The address also comes when Trump is facing domestic challenges, the biggest being the falling approval, now below 40 percent. According to an AFP report, the disapproval has climbed above the mid-50s as voters sour on both the war and its economic fallout.
- One of the biggest contestation remains the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for roughly a fifth of global supply, which has led to oil prices spiralling due to supply disruption. In Wednesday’s post, Trump reiterated that he would consider a ceasefire with Iran “when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the future of the strait will be decided by Iran and Oman.
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After a five-week war, more than 5,000 people have been killed in the conflict, almost three-quarters of them in Iran. Over 1,300 people have been killed in Lebanon as Israel is fighting a parallel war with Hezbollah group in the country.
