President Donald Trump will address the nation on Wednesday night and provide an update on the Iran war, his first long-term speech since launching strikes alongside Israel more than a month ago.
The speech will give Trump more of an audience to spell out clear military objectives that could try to reconcile weeks of policy changes and often conflicting messages about whether he is slowing down or ready to ramp up military operations — as Iran continues its attacks on Israel and its Persian Gulf neighbors and airstrikes on Tehran.
It comes amid rising oil prices, volatile financial markets and polls showing many Americans feel the US military has gone too far in Iran – with more US troops entering the region to attack the world. Trump chose not to deliver such an address so close to when the US and Israel launched the attack 4 1/2 weeks ago, and questions now remain about whether his remarks are too late.
A White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly before the address and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the president would talk about the progress of the US in achieving its goals in Iran and would reiterate his limited time to complete the tasks within two to three weeks.
Trump uses aggressive tone before speech as Iran appeals to American public
In a statement posted on social media Wednesday morning, Trump went on a tirade, demanding that Iran stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz – a vital waterway for the world’s oil supply – or the US will blast the Islamic Republic “into the Stone Ages.” The president also said that the US “will do nothing” to ensure the safety of ships passing through Hormuz – an apparent consequence of an earlier threat to attack Iran’s electricity grid if it does not turn on the power by April 6.
In another post, he said the “New President of the State of Iran” is calling for a ceasefire. It was not clear who the American president was referring to 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, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated Tehran’s determination to continue fighting. “You cannot talk to the Iranian people with the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We do not set ourselves a deadline for defense.”
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A few hours before Trump’s speech, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted a long letter in English on his X account appealing to American citizens and stressing that his country has continued negotiations before the US withdraws from that path. “Really what are the interests of the American people really at stake in this war?” he wrote.
There are no signs that Iran is giving up its grip on the Strait of Hormuz
Since the war began on Feb. 28, Trump has offered changing intentions and repeatedly said it could end soon while also threatening to escalate the conflict. Thousands of additional US troops are currently headed to the Middle East, and speculation is rife as to why.
Trump also threatened to attack Iran’s Kharg Island oil complex. And the US could decide to send military forces to protect Iran’s uranium stockpile – a complex and dangerous task, fraught with radiological and chemical hazards, experts and former government officials say.
Adding to the confusion is what role Israel – which has been bombing Iran alongside the US – could play in any of these situations.
Trump has been under increasing pressure to end a war that has driven up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, has risen more than 40% since the war began.
It is not clear what political efforts.
The US presented Iran with a 15-point plan aimed at ending hostilities, including a demand that the strait be reopened and that its nuclear program be rolled back.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful. And in a report last week by Iranian state TV in English, an anonymous official was quoted as saying that Iran has its own demands for an end to the fighting, including maintaining sovereignty over the crisis.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi admitted that he received direct messages from US Mideast ambassador Steve Witkoff. He emphasized, however, that there are no direct talks and said that Iran has no faith that talks with the US can bring any results, saying that “the level of trust is at zero.”
He warned against any American attempt to attack on the ground, saying “we are waiting for them.”
In an apparent agreement to provide an opportunity for dialogue, US officials gave “clear assurances” that Araghchi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf would not be targeted, according to three officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Iran rammed a ship off the coast of Qatar and attacked other Gulf states
A cruise missile hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. Workers were evacuated and no one was reported dead. A Kuwaiti oil tanker was attacked in Dubai yesterday, one of more than 20 ships attacked by Iran during the war.
In the United Arab Emirates, one person died when he was hit by the debris of a strange plane in Fujairah, which is one of the seven emirates in the country.
In Kuwait, the state-run news agency, KUNA, said a drone crashed into a fuel tank at the Kuwait International Airport, causing a huge fire.
Early Thursday morning, Israel’s military said Iran fired missiles into the country.
In Iran, authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel. More than 22 people died in the Gulf states and the West Bank, and 13 members of the US were killed.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
