Live updates: Follow the latest news on the Iran war
The White House had billed President Donald Trump’s prime-time address as an “important update” on the continuing war with Iran.
US television networks set aside 20 minutes to carry the speech from the White House, as commentators speculated about potential announcements and audiences across the Middle East waited to hear what he would say.
But in a 19-minute address late on Wednesday, Mr Trump largely reiterated familiar talking points he has repeated since the war began more than a month ago: that Iran’s navy and missile programme have been destroyed, that Tehran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, and that their leadership have all been killed. He again said the war would end soon, while also threatening more escalation.
The President offered few new details on diplomatic progress, said nothing about the prospects of a US ground invasion, or how and when the conflict might end.
“It was a summary, somewhat in chronological order, of things he’s already said on social media for the last month – and that, in and of itself, reveals that he doesn’t have a plan,” said Trita Parsi, a political analyst in Washington. “I think he wants to get out of this war. I just don’t think he knows how to.”
During the speech, Mr Trump said the “core strategic objectives” of the war were nearing completion and that he expected operations to end within two to three weeks – a timeline he had already suggested earlier in the week.
He only briefly addressed the global economic fallout from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, referring in passing to rising petrol prices in the United States.
Mr Trump also offered little detail on ceasefire efforts or diplomacy, referring only broadly to a potential “deal”. Iranian officials have denied that any negotiations are taking place.
Now in its fifth week, the conflict has seen Mr Trump alternate between expressing optimism about diplomacy and threatening further escalation.
More than 1,900 people in Iran have been killed in US and Israeli strikes. More than 1,300 have been killed in Lebanon, and dozens of casualties have also been reported in the Gulf and Israel. Thirteen US service members have been killed.
A central issue for the administration remains the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
Iran has maintained a blockade of the waterway, pushing up energy prices and drawing sharp criticism from Mr Trump, who has tied his domestic political standing to economic performance. Rising oil and gas prices could pose a challenge ahead of midterm elections later this year.
Robert Pape, a political-science professor at the University of Chicago, said Mr Trump appears caught in an “escalation trap,” attempting to declare success while preserving the option to intensify the conflict.
“Every time he makes a tactical move, it is a strategic failure that leads him to double down in search of success,” Mr Pape said. “As he escalates, it fails again, pushing him further up the escalation ladder. But it’s not just a ladder – it’s a trap.”
The lack of clarity has fuelled speculation that Mr Trump may be planning a surprise ground invasion as early as this weekend. So far, he has deployed at least 50,000 US troops to the region.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump said Iran had asked for a ceasefire but that Washington would only consider it once the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened, a claim Tehran denied.
