United States President Donald Trump will provide an update on Iran in an address to the nation at 9 p.m. on Wednesday (10 p.m. Brasília time), White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on X.
The night before, Trump and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said that the end of the war against Iran could be near, signaling the possibility of direct talks with Tehran’s leadership and an end to the conflict even without an agreement.
The remarks highlighted Washington’s shifting and sometimes contradictory statements about when and how a war that has killed thousands of people, spread across the region and caused unprecedented power outages might end.
“We will be leaving very soon,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday, saying it could happen “within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three.”
“Iran doesn’t need to make a deal, no,” he said, when asked if successful diplomacy was a prerequisite for the US to end what it calls “Operation Epic Fury.”
The United States had previously threatened to intensify operations if Tehran did not accept a 15-point U.S. ceasefire framework demanding that Iran not pursue nuclear weapons or uranium enrichment and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
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The White House said Trump would address the nation “to provide an important update on Iran” on Wednesday.
Rubio told Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” that there was potential for a “direct meeting at some point” and that the U.S. could “see the finish line.”
“It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, but it’s coming,” Rubio added.
OIL TANKER HARMED
Attacks occurred on multiple fronts early Wednesday, with drones hitting fuel tanks at Kuwait’s international airport, causing a large fire, and Bahraini authorities reporting a fire at an undisclosed company’s facility due to an Iranian attack.
Qatar said an oil tanker leased to state-owned QatarEnergy was hit by an Iranian cruise missile in Qatari waters, with damage above the waterline but no injuries or environmental damage.
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Explosions were heard in several areas of Tehran following Israeli and US airstrikes, according to Iranian state media.
State TV showed convoys of cars waving Iranian flags and pro-government rallies in several cities on a national day marking the establishment of the Islamic republic in 1979.
Shahid Haghani Port, Iran’s largest passenger terminal, was hit by an airstrike overnight but there were no casualties, deputy regional governor Ahmad Nafisi told state media, calling it a “criminal” attack on civilian infrastructure.
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Iran has repeatedly fired at Gulf countries, some of which host U.S. bases, during the conflict, and its effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has raised concerns about its ability to use the waterway, a canal through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas passes, as a bargaining chip.
Oil fell more than 3% on Wednesday, reversing earlier gains as Trump talked about a war exit, and MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose more than 4.7%, its biggest one-day increase since November 2022.
THE US WILL REEXAMINE RELATIONSHIP WITH NATO, SAYS RUBIO
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Higher oil and fuel prices are weighing on US household finances and are a political headache for Trump and his Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm elections, with two-thirds of Americans believing the US should work to exit the Iran war quickly, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that other countries need to “be prepared to stand up” and help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, echoing criticism from Trump, who singled out NATO members Britain and France.
Rubio told Fox News that Washington would not ignore the lack of assistance from other NATO members. “After this conflict is concluded, we will have to re-examine this relationship,” he said.
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The United Arab Emirates is preparing to help the US and its allies forcibly open the Strait, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The UAE is seeking a UN Security Council resolution for action and has suggested that the US occupy strategic islands, according to the report.
On Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded with a new threat against American companies in the region starting at 8 pm (Tehran time) on Wednesday, listing 18 companies including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla and Boeing.
Asked if he was worried about threats, Trump said no.
HOUTHIS LAUNCH COORDINATED ATTACK
Missile debris hit several areas in central Israel after a rocket salvo from Iran in the early hours of the morning. There were no immediate reports of deaths by Israeli authorities.
Many of the 19 deaths in Israel so far have been caused by falling rocket debris following interceptions.
Yemen’s Houthis, who have joined the regional war in recent days, said they carried out a missile attack on Israel, describing it as a joint operation with Iran and Tehran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, the first such collaboration between them during the war.
Israel’s military said air defense systems were operating to intercept the threats.
The war also revived the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. At least seven people were killed and 24 injured in two Israeli attacks in the Beirut area, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Israel said it targeted two senior Hezbollah figures.
Indonesia has requested an inquiry into the deaths of three of its peacekeepers following Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, which also killed journalists and doctors.
“We demand a direct UN investigation, not just an apology from Israel,” Indonesia’s UN representative Umar Hadi told an emergency Security Council meeting.
