WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President said U.S. forces will 鈥渇inish the job鈥� in Iran soon as 鈥渃ore strategic objectives are nearing completion,鈥� offering a full-throated defense of Wednesday night in his since the conflict began more than a month ago.
He used his platform before a wide audience to tout the success of the U.S. operations and argue that all of Washington鈥檚 objectives have so far been met or exceeded, but said Iran would continue to face a barrage of attacks in the short term.
鈥淲e are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.鈥�
But Trump also spent much of an address that lasted just under 20 minutes repeating many things he had already said in recent weeks and providing few new details. The speech appeared unlikely to move the needle of public sentiment at a time when many Americans feel the U.S. military has gone too far in Iran and as .
The effect on global financial markets was more immediate, with oil rising more than 4% and Asian stocks falling after Trump’s comments about the U.S. continuing to hit Iran hard.
鈥淭onight, I鈥檓 pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,鈥� Trump said. He also acknowledged American service members who had been killed and added: 鈥淲e are going to finish the job, and we鈥檙e going to finish it very fast. We鈥檙e getting very close.鈥�
The president didn鈥檛 mention the possibility of sending U.S. ground troops into Iran. Nor did he reference NATO, the trans-Atlantic alliance he has railed against for not helping the U.S. secure the critical , where a chokehold by Iran has sent energy prices soaring.
He also didn’t say anything about negotiations with Iran or bring up his April 6 deadline for Iran to reopen the waterway or face severe retaliation from the U.S.
Trump encourages other countries to take the Strait
Trump ticked through a timeline of past American involvement in conflicts and noted that the ongoing war in Iran had lasted just 32 days, seeming to appeal to the public for more time to achieve the mission.
鈥淲orld War I lasted one year, seven months and five days,鈥� he said. 鈥淲orld War II lasted for three years, eight months and 25 days.鈥� Trump, who was referring to the time the U.S. was involved in those wars, also added references to Korea, Vietnam and Iraq.
He also noted that in 鈥渢hese past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield.鈥� He said U.S. military action had been 鈥渟o powerful, so brilliant鈥� that 鈥渙ne of the most powerful countries鈥� is 鈥渞eally no longer a threat鈥� 鈥� even as Iran kept up its attacks on Israel and Persian Gulf neighbors early Thursday.
Trump also seemed to suggest he had ruled out going into Iran to get its enriched uranium.
鈥淭he nuclear sites that we obliterated with the B-2 bombers have been hit so hard that it would take months to get near the nuclear dust,鈥� he said. “And we have it under intense satellite surveillance and control. If we see them make a move, even a move for it, we鈥檒l hit them with missiles very hard again.鈥�
The president encouraged countries reliant on oil through the Strait of Hormuz to 鈥渂uild some delayed courage鈥� and go 鈥渢ake it.鈥�
Hours before the speech, Trump said, 鈥榃e could just take their oil鈥�
Trump’s comments in his address were more measured than some of his previous remarks, including earlier Wednesday at a White House Easter lunch.
Of Iran, he told his assembled guests: 鈥淲e could just take their oil. But you know, I鈥檓 not sure that the people in our country have the patience to do that, which is unfortunate.鈥�
鈥淵eah, they want to see it end. If we stayed there, I prefer just to take the oil,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲e could do it so easily. I would prefer that. But people in the country sort of say: 鈥楯ust win. You鈥檙e winning so big. Just win. Come home.鈥� And I鈥檓 OK with that, too, because we have a lot of oil between Venezuela and our oil.鈥�
The media was not permitted to watch the president鈥檚 remarks at the lunch, but the White House uploaded video of the speech online before taking it down. The White House did not return requests for comment from The Associated Press on the video and why it was taken down.
In the lunch 鈥� unlike in the subsequent speech 鈥� the president also reiterated some of his complaints about NATO allies for their reluctance to get involved in securing the Strait of Hormuz while suggesting that Asian countries could also step up to reopen the waterway.
鈥淟et South Korea, you know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm鈥檚 way over there, right next to a nuclear force — let South Korea do it,鈥� Trump said of efforts to reopen the strait. 鈥淟et Japan do it. They get 90% of their oil from the strait. Let China do it.鈥�
In a social media post Wednesday morning, meanwhile, Trump also wrote that 鈥淚ran鈥檚 New Regime President鈥� wanted a ceasefire. It wasn鈥檛 clear to whom the U.S. president was referring since Iran still has the same president. Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, called Trump鈥檚 claim 鈥渇alse and baseless,鈥� according to a report on Iranian state television.
Hours before Trump鈥檚 address, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted a lengthy letter in English on his X account appealing to U.S. citizens and stressing that his country had pursued negotiations before the U.S. withdrew from that path. 鈥淓xactly which of the American people鈥檚 interests are truly being served by this war?鈥� he wrote.
Trump’s objectives have shifted since the war started
Since the war began on Feb. 28, Trump has and repeatedly has said it could be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of additional U.S. troops , and speculation abounds about why. Trump has also threatened to attack Iran鈥檚 oil export hub.
Adding to the confusion is what role Israel 鈥� which has been bombing Iran alongside the U.S. 鈥� might play in any of these scenarios.
Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war that has been pushing up , food and other goods. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, is up more than 40% since the start of the war.
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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim in Washington, Giovanna Dell鈥橭rto in Miami, Farnoush Amiri in New York and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
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