Donald Trump has spoken to the country about the continuing conflict with Iran, and suggested that relief could be on the horizon for Americans facing soaring oil and gas costs.
The President delivered his remarks at 9pm on Wednesday night. He opened by congratulating NASA on the successful Artemis II launch, then moved on to address the latest developments in the war.
Across much of the speech, he returned to familiar themes from previous statements: commending US service members, pointing to his seizure of Venezuela as an example of strength abroad, and repeating his stance that Iran must not be permitted to obtain nuclear capability under any circumstances.
He also argued that Tehran is responsible for the spike in US energy prices, and predicted that costs would drop back toward typical levels once the fighting ends — adding that the end could come sooner than many expect.
In comments that appeared to cut against that claim, he said the US does not rely on oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz. He added that nations that do depend on the route should take the lead in reopening it, while also insisting the US now holds the largest oil and gas reserves in the world.
Trump did not provide a firm end date for Operation Epic Fury. However, he said its “core objectives” were “near completion” after what he described as the “decimating” of Iran’s central infrastructure. He again floated a “two to three weeks” timeframe, saying the US would strike Iran “extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.”
He also defended the decision to enter the conflict, taking aim at past administrations and calling Iran a “murderous regime” that “should have been handled long before I arrived in office.” Rather than focusing on one predecessor, he blamed every sitting President from Ronald Reagan onward, arguing intervention should have happened at some point over the last 47 years.
Wrapping up, Trump claimed the US “holds all the cards” in the confrontation. He said he did not have to launch an attack, but chose to do so because he believes it benefits both national and global security.
He also maintained that regime change was not his objective, and that he did not set out to “liberate” Iran’s people. Still, he said those outcomes followed after the US killed the country’s leaders in a targeted bombing.
Those who have taken power since are widely described as more “moderate” and “progressive.” Trump said he hopes to reach an agreement with the new leadership, but warned: “If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard.”
“We have all the cards,” he adds, and “they have none.”