Trump's prime-time speech preview: promoting military victories and emphasizing withdrawal from Iran within two to three weeks

According to a White House official, Trump will say during his prime-time address on Wednesday that his military action against Iran has been successful, adding that the operation could end within two to three weeks.

The official said Trump will claim in a speech to the nation that the United States has achieved or exceeded all military objectives, including destroying Iran’s ballistic missiles and their production facilities, destroying its naval forces, ensuring Tehran’s proxies can no longer disrupt regional stability, and ensuring Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons.

The speech comes as the conflict enters its fifth week, with Trump seeking an exit from the war. The fighting has unsettled global markets, and it is also creating political risk at home for Trump himself and the Republican Party. Gasoline prices in the United States are already above $4 per gallon, and polls show that a substantial share of Americans oppose military action against Iran.

According to people familiar with the matter, Trump has told someone close to him that he believes he must complete the mission in Iran and sees himself as the only leader capable of weakening Tehran’s ability to project power in the region. Because the person is asking for anonymity due to the discussion of private conversations, the source requested anonymity. However, the source also questioned whether Trump’s timeline for exiting the war is reliable and pointed out that Trump has criticized his predecessor for setting explicit deadlines for military action. In addition, Trump often makes it harder for opponents to judge his true intentions by releasing confusing signals.

It is still unclear how Trump will resolve the deadlock that has persisted in the Strait of Hormuz. Since the outbreak of the war, the strait has basically remained closed, tightening global energy supplies and pushing up oil and natural gas prices. The closure of the strait is one of the biggest economic pain points caused by the conflict.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said that Iran is seeking a ceasefire, but he would only consider it if the Strait of Hormuz reopens. According to reports by Iran’s state television, Iran’s foreign ministry said Trump’s remarks are “false and baseless.”

In his public statements, Trump’s position on the conflict has repeatedly fluctuated. He has also repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction that other countries have not assisted the United States in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and at times he has even hinted at being prepared to scale back military operations—handing the issue of the strait over to other countries.

On Tuesday, Trump said that whether or not he reached an agreement with Iran, or whether or not arrangements were made regarding the Strait of Hormuz, he wants to end the conflict as soon as possible.

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Editor: Ding Wenwu