Donald Trump delivered his first major address yesterday since the start of the war in Iran, presenting the U.S. “military operation” as “very successful” and “nearing completion.” However, his speech was not accompanied by a clear exit strategy or specific announcements regarding the next steps.
The address, which lasted approximately 19 minutes, also included a reference to the issue of the Strait of Hormuz. He portrayed keeping the strait open as a matter primarily concerning other countries, despite having previously stated publicly that he would not agree to any ceasefire unless passage through this key maritime route was restored.
According to available data, the United States has struck more than 12,300 targets in Iran, with at least 1,900 people killed and up to 3.2 million displaced.
In contrast, the U.S. president made vague and contradictory statements, combining messages about diplomatic solutions with strong threats of further escalation. On the one hand, he called on Iran to enter negotiations to end the conflict, while on the other, he warned that the U.S. would strike the country “extremely hard” within the next two to three weeks.
At the same time, he claimed that Iran’s ability to launch missile and drone attacks has been “dramatically curtailed” as a result of U.S. and Israeli strikes. However, the situation on the ground appears to contradict this. Just hours after the address, Israel and countries in the Persian Gulf (UAE, Saudi Arabia) reported a new wave of attacks involving missiles and drones.
Following the address, the price of crude oil (Brent), the global benchmark for oil, rose by more than 7% in early Thursday trading, marking the largest daily increase of the past three weeks.
Πηγή: Al Jazeera, The New York Times, UNHCR
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