During his first televised address to the nation since military operations against Iran commenced, President Donald Trump announced that American forces will continue launching intensive strikes against the country over the coming weeks, promising to send Iran “back to the Stone Ages.”
In his primetime speech, Trump declared that Washington has achieved or surpassed all its military goals while warning of sustained attacks ahead.
“We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Trump said. “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”
The president made no mention of potential diplomatic talks with Iran or his previously established April 6 deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for global energy shipments. Trump had earlier threatened strikes on Iran’s energy facilities if the waterway remained closed.
Trump’s address provided no concrete strategy for ending supply chain disruptions that have caused energy costs to skyrocket. He also avoided discussing the potential deployment of American ground forces or involvement from NATO allies, despite his past criticism of the alliance for not assisting with securing the strategic waterway.
Financial markets reacted swiftly to the president’s comments, with oil prices climbing more than 4% and Asian stock markets declining. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged 4.9% to reach $106.16 per barrel, while U.S. crude increased 4% to $104.15 per barrel.
American gasoline prices exceeded an average of $4 per gallon on Tuesday for the first time since 2022, as the ongoing conflict continues driving fuel costs upward globally. Economic experts warn these elevated fuel expenses will impact grocery prices as companies face higher transportation and packaging expenses.
Congressional Democrats have sharply criticized Trump’s national address, with multiple lawmakers issuing statements Wednesday calling the speech “incoherent” and inadequate in addressing fundamental concerns from the American public.
Virginia Senator Mark Warner stated that Trump failed to provide sufficient explanations for a conflict that has inflated gasoline costs “alongside rising prices for diesel, fertilizer, aluminum, and other essentials, with consequences that will continue to ripple through the economy for a long time to come.”
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy released his own statement describing the address as being “grounded in a reality that only exists in Donald Trump’s mind.”
Murphy added that “no one in America, after listening to that speech, knows whether we are escalating or deescalating.”
Asian financial markets opened Thursday with significant losses following Trump’s remarks. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.4% to 53,004.81, while South Korea’s Kospi fell 3.4% to 5,292.36. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.8% to 25,082.59.
U.S. stock futures also showed declines of more than 0.7%. Oil prices continued their upward trajectory, with Brent crude jumping 5% to $106.22 per barrel and U.S. crude rising 4.2% to $104.36 per barrel.
Trump indicated during his address that the United States would “finish the job” in Iran and suggested military operations could conclude in the near future.
