Washington, Apr 2 (AP) US President Donald Trump was set to address the nation Wednesday night and offer an update on the war in Iran, his first prime-time speech since launching strikes alongside Israel more than a month ago.
The speech will offer Trump a wide audience to articulate clear objectives for the war that could attempt to reconcile weeks of changing goals and often contradictory messages about whether he’s winding down or ready to escalate military operations — even as Iran kept up its attacks on Israel and Persian Gulf neighbours and airstrikes pounded Tehran.
It comes amid rising oil prices, volatile financial markets and polling showing many Americans feel the US military has gone too far in Iran — even as more American troops move into the region for a possible ground offensive.
Trump opted not to deliver such an address closer to when the US and Israel first launched attacks four-and-a-half weeks ago, and questions now remain about whether it is now too late for what he says to break through.
A White House official, who was not authorised to speak publicly ahead of the address and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the president will talk about the US progress on achieving his goals in Iran and will reiterate his estimated timeline for concluding operations within two to three weeks.
In a social media post Wednesday morning, Trump maintained a belligerent tone, demanding that Iran stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway vital to global oil supplies — or the US would bomb the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Ages.” The president has also said the US “will not have anything to do with” ensuring the security of ships passing through Hormuz — an apparent backtrack from a previous threat to attack Iran’s power grid if it didn’t open the strait by April 6.
In another post, he claimed that “Iran’s New Regime President” wanted a ceasefire. It wasn’t clear to whom the US president was referring since Iran still has the same president. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, called Trump’s claim “false and baseless,” according to a report on Iranian state television.
Speaking earlier to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signalled Tehran’s willingness to keep fighting. “You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We do not set any deadline for defending ourselves.” Hours before Trump’s address, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted a lengthy letter in English on his X account appealing to US citizens and stressing that his country had pursued negotiations before the US withdrew from that path. “Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war?” he wrote.
No signs of Iran relinquishing grip on Strait of Hormuz – Since the war began on February 28, Trump has offered shifting objectives and repeatedly has said it could be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of additional US troops are currently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds about the purpose of their deployment.
Just days ago, Trump threatened to attack Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub. And there has also been speculation about whether the US could decide to send in military forces to secure Iran’s uranium stockpile – a complex and risky operation, fraught with radiation and chemical dangers, according to experts and former government officials.
Adding to the confusion is what role Israel – which has been bombing Iran alongside the US – might play in any of these scenarios.
Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war as oil prices have skyrocketed, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, is up more than 40 per cent since the start of the war, though it declined slightly on Wednesday and traded at around USD 101 a barrel.
It’s unclear where diplomatic efforts stand — The US has presented Iran with a 15-point plan aimed at bringing about a ceasefire, including a demand for the strait to be reopened and for its nuclear program to be rolled back.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. And in a report last week by Iranian state TV’s English-language broadcaster, an anonymous official was quoted as saying Iran had its own demands to end the fighting, including retaining sovereignty over the strait.
In the interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi acknowledged receiving direct messages from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. He insisted, however, that there were no direct negotiations and said Iran has no faith that talks with the US could yield any results, saying “the trust level is at zero.” He warned against any US attempt to launch a ground offensive, saying “we are waiting for them.” In a deal ostensibly to give diplomacy a chance, US officials have given “clear assurances” that Araghchi and Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf won’t be targeted, according to three officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they’re not authorised to speak publicly about the matter.
President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on social media Wednesday a letter addressing US citizens, saying that before the war, his country had pursued negotiations, but that the US chose to withdraw from that path. “Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war? Was there any objective threat from Iran to justify such behaviour?” Pezeshkian asked in the letter posted in English on his X account.
Iran hits tanker off Qatar’s coast and attacks other Gulf states – A cruise missile slammed into an oil tanker off Qatar’s coast Wednesday, the Defence Ministry said. The crew was evacuated and no casualties were reported. A Kuwaiti oil tanker came under attack off Dubai the day before, one of more than 20 ships attacked by Iran during the war.
In the United Arab Emirates, a person was killed when he was hit by debris from an intercepted drone in Fujairah, one of the country’s seven emirates.
In Kuwait, the state-run KUNA news agency said a drone hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a large fire.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted a ballistic missile and two drones fired from Iran in the last 24 hours. No casualties were reported. Two drones were also intercepted in Saudi Arabia.
In Israel, sirens sounded to warn of incoming missiles and AP reporters heard loud booms in Tel Aviv as the windows of buildings shook from the reverberations. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
An airstrike on Tehran appeared to have hit the former US Embassy compound, which has been controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since American diplomats were held hostage there in 1979. Witnesses said buildings outside the massive compound had their windows blown out.
Israel strikes Lebanon – In Lebanon, at least five people were killed in an Israeli strike on a Beirut neighbourhood.
Israel invaded southern Lebanon after the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group began launching missiles into northern Israel days after the outbreak of the war. Many Lebanese fear another prolonged military occupation.
More than 1,200 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 1 million displaced, according to authorities. Ten Israeli soldiers have also died there.
In Iran, authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel. More than two dozen people have died in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, while 13 US service members have been killed. (AP) ARB ARB
Category: Breaking News
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