Trump to deliver prime-time address Wednesday evening on Iran war
U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, March 31. AP-Yonhap
WASHINGTON — White House says U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver a prime-time address Wednesday evening to update the public on the Iran war.
Trump also predicted the U.S. will be done with the conflict “within maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer to do the job. But we want to knock out every single thing they have.”
Despite repeatedly listing four or five objectives for the war, Trump said he “had one goal: They will have no nuclear weapon and that goal has been attained.” He did not explain how he felt that goal had been reached.
He said the U.S. may strike a deal with Iran before the next few weeks are up but said, if not, “We’ll hit some bridges, got a couple of nice bridges in mind. But if they come to the table, that’ll be good.”
Trump also told reporters Tuesday that the responsibility for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open should belong with countries that rely on it, rather than the U.S. He said there’s “no reason for us to do this.”
Trump expressed frustration earlier Tuesday with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the U.S. war effort, telling them to “go get your own oil.” Trump recently has vacillated between insisting there is progress in diplomatic talks with Iran and threatening to widen the war.
U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 on Tuesday, as the Iran war continues to push fuel prices higher worldwide. Analysts say those high fuel costs will trickle into groceries as businesses’ transportation and packaging costs pile up.
Israel and the U.S. launched a new wave of strikes on Iran, hitting Tehran early Tuesday. Iran has been launching fewer missiles than at the start of the war, but it continues to deploy more low-flying drones that are harder to intercept. The conflict has killed more than 3,000 people in the region, and millions have been displaced in Lebanon and Iran.
In Iraq, a U.S. journalist has been kidnapped, two officials in the country said Tuesday. It’s not clear if her kidnapping was related to the war.