The president of the United States, Donald Trumpaffirmed this Wednesday that his country is close to achieving its main military goals in Iran and placed within a period of “two or three weeks” the possible completion of the offensive. During a prime-time televised speech, the president assured that Washington will intensify attacks against the Islamic Republic and warned of far-reaching consequences.
“We are on track to complete all military objectives shortly,” Trump declared in a speech lasting less than twenty minutes, in which he also insisted that US forces will hit “extremely hard” in the coming weeks. The president even stated that Iran will be “returned to the Stone Age” if the current scenario continues.
The appearance had generated expectations started on February 28 with the joint participation of the United States and Israel. However, the speech did not include concrete details about the future development of the conflict or its possible outcome.
No details about the end of the war
However, throughout his speech, Trump avoided specifying the exact duration of the war, as well as clarifying whether it contemplates sending ground troops to Iranian territory. Nor did it specifically address the measures planned to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most sensitive points of the conflict due to its importance for the global energy supply.
The president reiterated that Iran is being “decimated” on a military level and defended that ongoing operations have achieved significant progress. According to He explained, US forces have won “swift, decisive and overwhelming victories” in recent weeks.
Despite these statements, the president did not detail the calendar of the operations or the steps planned to consolidate the announced results. Nor did he make reference to possible scenarios after the end of the fighting.
The Strait of Hormuz and the energy impact
In relation to the Strait of Hormuz, Trump maintained that its reopening will occur automatically once the conflict ends. “It will open naturally, on its own,” he said, considering that Iran will need to resume oil and gas exports to boost the reconstruction of its economy.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic route through which a relevant part of the world’s oil and a significant proportion of liquefied natural gas transit, which makes it a central element in the evolution of the crisis.
The president also referred to the impact that the situation has had on fuel prices in the United States. He acknowledged that there has been a recent increase and attributed it to attacks against oil tankers. which, he indicated, have been carried out by Iran.
Justification for the offensive: Iranian nuclear reactivation
Trump defended military intervention, arguing that Tehran was trying to revive its nuclear program in new locations. As he explained, the Iranian authorities had not abandoned their intention to develop nuclear weapons.
“The regime sought to rebuild its nuclear program in a completely different location,” he said. In the same line, He noted that Iran was accelerating the production of ballistic missiles conventional with the potential capacity to reach different parts of the world, including the United States and Europe.
These statements are part of the White House’s main argument to justify the military operation that began at the end of February.
Leadership change in Iran
The president reiterated that the objective of the offensive was not to provoke a regime change in Iran. However, he assured that The country’s power structure has undergone a significant transformation as a consequence of the conflict.
According to him, many of the main Iranian leaders have died during military operations, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In this context, He noted that the United States maintains contacts with new Iranian political figuresamong them the president of Parliament, Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf.
Trump did not offer details about the content of these conversations or their possible evolution, although he assured that diplomatic contacts remain open.
Messages to the Eastern Allies; not a word to NATO
During his speech, the president He thanked Israel and several allied countries in the Gulf region for their support. At the same time, he criticized those States that have not participated in the operation or contributed to the protection of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Although just this Wednesday he publicly assured that on this occasion he avoided explicitly mentioning the Atlantic Alliance. However, he reiterated his message addressed to other countries, which he urged to get involved in managing the crisis.
In this context, Trump suggested to countries with energy supply difficulties that they choose to acquire American oil. and reinforce its participation in the security of maritime routes.
Ongoing operations and diplomatic contacts
The president insisted that military operations will continue in the coming weeks and reiterated its forecast of completing the objectives set in the near future. Despite this, he did not specify whether an intensification of the attacks is expected or how the end of the offensive will be articulated.
At the same time, he stressed that there are talks underway with Iran, although without detailing the level of dialogue or possible progress in these negotiations. “In the meantime, talks continue,” he said. without offering more information about the diplomatic process parallel to the military operation.
