{"id":4990,"date":"2026-04-02T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/trumps-first-address-to-the-nation-since-us-strikes-on-iran\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T13:10:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T13:10:17","slug":"trumps-first-address-to-the-nation-since-us-strikes-on-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/trumps-first-address-to-the-nation-since-us-strikes-on-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s first address to the nation since US strikes on Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div id=\"ai-voice-player-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ai-voice-player-container\" data-theme=\"light\">\n<p>        <!-- Summary Section (Initially Hidden) --><\/p>\n<p>        <!-- Translate Section --><\/p>\n<div id=\"ai-voice-translate-section\" class=\"feature-section\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"feature-content\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                    <select id=\"ai-voice-translate-select\">&#13;<option value=\"en\">English (Original)<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"es\">Spanish &#8211; Espa\u00f1ol<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"fr\">French &#8211; Fran\u00e7ais<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"de\">German &#8211; Deutsch<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"ar\">Arabic &#8211; \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0629<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"zh-CN\">Chinese &#8211; \u4e2d\u6587<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"ja\">Japanese &#8211; \u65e5\u672c\u8a9e<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"ru\">Russian &#8211; \u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"pt\">Portuguese &#8211; Portugu\u00eas<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"it\">Italian &#8211; Italiano<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"ko\">Korean &#8211; \ud55c\uad6d\uc5b4<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"nl\">Dutch &#8211; Nederlands<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"tr\">Turkish &#8211; T\u00fcrk\u00e7e<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"pl\">Polish &#8211; Polski<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"hi\">Hindi &#8211; \u0939\u093f\u0928\u094d\u0926\u0940<\/option>&#13;<br \/>\n                    <\/select>&#13;\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Read Along Section --><\/p>\n<p>        <!-- Ask AI Section --><\/p>\n<div id=\"ai-voice-askai-section\" class=\"feature-section\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"feature-content\">\n<div id=\"ai-voice-chat-messages\" class=\"chat-messages\">\n<div class=\"chat-message ai-message\">\n<p>\ud83e\udd16<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            Hi! I&#8217;m here to help you understand this article. Ask me anything about the content!&#13;\n                        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                    <input type=\"text\" id=\"ai-voice-chat-input\" class=\"chat-input\" placeholder=\"Ask about the article...\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n                    <button id=\"ai-voice-chat-send\" class=\"send-btn\">Send<\/button>&#13;\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>President Donald Trump told Americans the United States is approaching the final phase of its military campaign against Iran, warning the conflict could intensify over the coming weeks while offering limited detail on how or when the war will end.<\/p>\n<p>In a 20-minute address delivered from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday night, Trump said the administration\u2019s \u201ccore strategic objectives are nearing completion\u201d and projected \u201canother two to three weeks\u201d of operations. He also warned the United States was prepared to escalate further military action, stating: \u201cWe are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We are going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The speech was Trump\u2019s first formal address to the nation since the start of the war with Iran. He said the purpose of the operation, which he described as \u201cOperation Epic Fury\u201d, was to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to reduce its military capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said he wanted to \u201cdiscuss why Operation Epic Fury is necessary for the safety of America and the security of the free world\u201d, adding that allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons would be \u201can intolerable threat\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He also linked Iran to regional instability and attacks against Israel, including the October 7 attacks, describing them as \u201cbloody atrocities\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>During the address, Trump claimed US military operations had already inflicted significant damage on Iran\u2019s armed forces and defence infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat means eliminating Iran\u2019s navy, which is now absolutely destroyed, hurting their air force and their missile program at levels never seen before and annihilating their defence industrial base. We\u2019ve done all of it. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their missiles are just about used up or beaten,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The president did not provide supporting evidence for the extent of the destruction described, nor did he explain how the operation had affected Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. The administration has previously said US strikes carried out during Operation Midnight Hammer \u201cobliterated\u201d Iran\u2019s nuclear capabilities, although no new intelligence assessments were presented during the address.<\/p>\n<p>Before the conflict began, US intelligence agencies assessed Iran had not yet started building a nuclear weapon but had expanded its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and advanced technical capabilities that could support future weapons development.<\/p>\n<p>Trump repeated his claim that Iran would otherwise have developed \u201ca nuclear weapon like nobody\u2019s ever seen before\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He also said the United States could bring the conflict to a close even if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed, despite the strategic importance of the waterway to global energy supplies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe United States imports almost no oil through the Hormuz Strait and won\u2019t be taking any in the future. We don\u2019t need it. We haven\u2019t needed it, and we don\u2019t need it. We\u2019ve beaten and completely decimated Iran,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He added that countries dependent on the route should assume responsibility for reopening it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd 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 could do it easily. We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Despite suggesting the conflict was nearing completion, Trump signalled that additional military pressure was likely. He also said regime change had not been a declared objective of the campaign.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe never said regime change, but regime change has occurred because all of their original leaders are dead,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Trump confirmed that 13 American service members had been killed during the conflict and paid tribute to them during the address.<\/p>\n<p>Separately, in a media interview released after the speech, Trump said he would consider withdrawing the United States from NATO and criticised allied contributions to the war effort, describing them as insufficient.<\/p>\n<p>The address came as hostilities continued across the region. Israeli air defences intercepted Iranian missile attacks on the first night of Passover, while Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 50 people within 24 hours, according to local health officials.<\/p>\n<p>Oil markets reacted sharply following the speech. Global benchmark Brent crude and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate both rose after Trump offered no detailed exit strategy and warned of further escalation.<\/p>\n<p>Trump had earlier suggested the conflict could end \u201cwithin maybe two weeks\u201d. In Wednesday\u2019s address he repeated that timeline but coupled it with a warning of intensified military action.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Public reaction to the war remains mixed. Recent polling shows 35 per cent of Americans approve of Trump\u2019s handling of the presidency, while 58 per cent disapprove.<\/p>\n<p>The administration has not announced a formal timeline for ending the war.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; &#13;English (Original)&#13;Spanish &#8211; Espa\u00f1ol&#13;French &#8211; Fran\u00e7ais&#13;German &#8211; Deutsch&#13;Arabic &#8211; \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0629&#13;Chinese &#8211; \u4e2d\u6587&#13;Japanese &#8211; \u65e5\u672c\u8a9e&#13;Russian &#8211; \u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439&#13;Portuguese &#8211; Portugu\u00eas&#13;Italian &#8211; Italiano&#13;Korean &#8211; \ud55c\uad6d\uc5b4&#13;Dutch &#8211; Nederlands&#13;Turkish &#8211; T\u00fcrk\u00e7e&#13;Polish &#8211; Polski&#13;Hindi &#8211; \u0939\u093f\u0928\u094d\u0926\u0940&#13; &#13; \ud83e\udd16 &#13; Hi! I&#8217;m here to help you understand this article. Ask me anything about the content!&#13; &#13; &#13; Send&#13; President Donald Trump<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4990","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iran"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4990"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4992,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4990\/revisions\/4992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}