President Donald Trump addressed the nation around 9 p.m. ET Wednesday, reiterating previous themes he’s discussed this week about a potential timeline for leaving the region and fuel issues surrounding the Strait of Hormuz amid the war in Iran.
Trump’s remarks come as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran entered a stage marked by Tehran’s denial of a ceasefire request, European anxiety over NATO and rising fuel costs at home.
Iran’s foreign ministry rejected Trump’s claim that Iranian leadership sought a ceasefire, calling it “false and baseless,” as regional strikes and shipping disruptions intensified pressures on allies and markets.
Why It Matters
The speech comes as a widening conflict rattled energy markets and strained trans‑Atlantic ties after Trump suggested the U.S. could withdraw from NATO and said allies should “go get your own oil,” moves that likely unsettled European governments and highlighted diverging approaches to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
At home, Americans faced the sharpest jump in gasoline prices since 2022—passing a $4 national average—deepening political stakes for the Trump administration and shaping expectations for the address.
What To Know
Trump’s “important update on Iran” follows his comments that U.S. forces could leave the region in two or three weeks. The president repeated that timeline during Wednesday night’s speech. “Thanks to the progress we’ve made, I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly. We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong,” Trump said.
The president also highlighted that, “tonight, I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion.”
Trump touched on the rising gasoline prices at home, which are impacting Americans every day, saying, “many Americans have been concerned to see the recent rise in gasoline prices here at home. This short-term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers and neighboring countries that have nothing to do with the conflict.”
The president said it is “more proof” that Iran cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons.
Trump also highlighted fuel concerns surrounding the Strait of Hormuz during the speech Wednesday night while calling out countries who depend on the vital waterway.
“The countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, they must cherish it, they must grab it and cherish it. They can do it easily, we will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on,” Trump said.
The president then went on to nearly repeat a Truth Social post verbatim, suggesting countries should buy U.S. oil or “build up some delayed courage … go to the Strait, and just take it.”
Trump said that when the war in Iran is over, the Strait of Hormuz “will open up naturally, it’ll just open up naturally.”
“They’re going to want to be able to sell oil, because that’s all they have to try and rebuild. It will resume the flowing and the gas prices will rapidly come back down, stock prices will rapidly go back up,” Trump said.
The president also repeated an unsupported point while saying Iran is “decimated,” per the Associated Press (AP).
Citing independent data from Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, or ACLED, the AP reports that Iran went from 100 strikes on March 1 to no more than 50 strikes from March 6 and beyond. The news outlet add that experts say a decline in strikes could be the country rationing rather than running out of power.
Ron Filipkowski—vocal Trump critic and editor-in-chief at Meidas Touch—said on X Wednesday, “Trump called for a primetime address to the nation on the Iran War and then just repeated all the same tired s*** he says every day. But the networks all carried it live so he accomplished that I guess.”
Speaking to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Democratic Representative Jason Crow said in part, “No American is going to bed tonight with a more clear picture of what the endgame is, and when this is going to wrap up. I heard Donald Trump double down on his strategy, in fact, indicate that he’s going to escalate this over the coming weeks.”
Some Republican lawmakers praised the president’s speech, like Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, on X. “President Trump was exactly right tonight. Operation Epic Fury is an investment in the future of our children and our grandchildren. We are on the cusp of ending Iran’s nuclear blackmail — that makes America much, much safer.”
Meanwhile, gas prices averaged $4.06 on Wednesday after crossing $4 nationally, with analysts warning the fallout could last months or years depending on Hormuz, underscoring the economic context for the speech.
Trump’s approval ratings this week have also taken a dive as new polls show the president hitting second-term lows, lows across both his terms in the Oval Office and lows on the economy.
D. Stephen Voss, political science professor at the University of Kentucky, told Newsweek on Wednesday, “Most elections depend on how voters judge the economy. When they’re happy, incumbents do well. When they’re unhappy, voters punish the party in power.”
Voss added: “Between tariffs and now a foreign conflict driving up gas prices, all signs are that voters want to give the GOP a beating this year. Improved economic performance could turn that around because, at this stage in the electoral process, voters are fairly responsive to economic fluctuations. But the longer current hardships drag on, the less likely it becomes that Republicans will be able to overcome the discontent they’re staring down.”
What People Are Saying
Trump, on Truth Social Tuesday: “All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT. You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil! President DJT”
What Happens Next
Energy prices will likely hinge on any movement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with analysts warning that even a ceasefire would not quickly repair damaged infrastructure and supply chains.
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