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• Get the latest updates on the war with Iran here.
What we know so far
• Trump’s address: President Donald Trump used familiar talking points in his first address to the nation on the Iran war, telling Americans the war is “nearing completion” and projected another two or three weeks of involvement. However, Trump signaled that the US is prepared to intensify its military response in the remaining time period and threatened to bring Iran “back to the stone ages.”
• NATO criticism: Trump said in a new interview he would consider having the US leave NATO and again criticized the alliance for what he said was lackluster military support for the war.
• Oil price up: Trump’s speech – offering few details of an exit strategy – did little to calm oil markets. Both the global and US oil benchmarks surged following his address.
• Latest strikes: Israeli defenses intercepted Iranian missiles on the first night of Passover, and in Lebanon, Israeli attacks killed at least 50 people within 24 hours, health officials said.
Trump says US doesn’t need Strait of Hormuz. But the world does.
President Donald Trump used his Wednesday address to play down the United States’ reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and gas shipping route, as the rest of the world bears the brunt of energy supply disruptions and surging prices.
“The United States imports almost no oil through the Hormuz Strait and won’t be taking any in the future. We don’t need it,” Trump said in his televised speech.
Noting that the US is the world’s leader in oil and gas production, the president claimed the country is insulated from the supply shocks stemming from the war – a statement many Americans may find hard to accept as they feel the pinch of gas prices soaring past $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022.
Trump’s claims also disregarded how the war – started by the US and Israel – has roiled the global markets and economy, leaving many of Washington’s allies in Asia and Europe to pay the price.
The Strait of Hormuz carries around 20% of the world’s oil consumption, according to the International Energy Agency, and the vast majority of the crude it carries ends up in Asia, which is heavily reliant on oil and gas imports from the Gulf states.
“The countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage… We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on,” Trump said, while suggesting countries facing shortages purchase from the US.
Trump also claimed that the strait would reopen as soon as the war ends and that “the gas prices will rapidly come back down” – an assertion that economists and analysts have disputed.
With energy infrastructure in the region damaged and lengthy supply disruptions, analysts have warned that global oil prices are likely to remain elevated for an extended period, even if the war ends soon.
Asian stocks slide as oil price surge on Trump's vow to hit Iran "extremely hard"
Asian stocks traded downward on Thursday, as US President Donald Trump repeated vows to hit Iran hard for another few weeks, sending oil prices surging.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 2.1% by 12:35 p.m. local time, while South Korea’s Kospi slid 3.9%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was down 1%.
“We are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly. We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Trump said during his address, while reiterating that the war is “nearing completion.”
But Trump’s speech – offering few details of his exit strategy – did little to calm oil markets, as both the global and US oil benchmarks surged following his address.
Australian leader says "not clear what more needs to be achieved" in Iran
Australia is among the close US allies feeling the economic fallout of the Iran war, as it relies heavily on oil shipped via the Strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not hear US President Donald Trump’s speech on Thursday, as he was preparing to give his own nationally televised address.
But Albanese told the National Press Club that he believed that Iran’s air force, navy and military-industrial base had been degraded – as had its capacity to launch missiles.
“Now those objectives have been realized, it is not clear what more needs to be achieved – or what the endpoint looks like,” he said in his speech.
Albanese has repeatedly said that he wants to see a de-escalation, and for Trump to take into account the war’s economic impact on the rest of the world.
While all 81 oil tankers expected in Australia during March have arrived, future shipments may be disrupted, and fears of shortages have sparked panic buying.
The Australian leader gave a rare address to the nation on Wednesday, to urge people not to stock up on fuel and to work from home or take public transport, if they can.
Oil prices spike after Trump vows to continue the war, threatens to bomb Iranian power plants
President Donald Trump’s primetime address did little to calm energy markets roiled by the war in Iran, as the price of oil climbed higher in the minutes following his speech.
The price of brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was spiking by more than 4% to over $105 per barrel after Trump vowed to continue the conflict for another few weeks — and his renewed threat to bomb Iran’s power plants if it fails to agree to his demands.
WTI, the US oil benchmark, climbed more than 3% in the wake of the speech to more than $103 per barrel.
Since the war began more than a month ago, Iran has effectively shuttered the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply. That has triggered a global energy crisis, sending oil prices soaring and pushing US gas prices above $4 per gallon.
But Trump during his speech on Wednesday downplayed the impact, insisting that the US did not “need” the strait and signaling that he was willing to end the war without restoring access to the waterway. That job, he said, should fall to US allies to take on.
The markets’ immediate reaction prompted a sarcastic review from conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who posted a screenshot of the rising oil futures on X and wrote: “Trump’s magnificent speech got results! Way to go, Mr. President!”
The US stock market also signaled discontent with the speech in off-hours trading, with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 futures both sinking.
Republicans largely praise Trump speech, while former ally criticizes focus on war
President Donald Trump’s speech tonight generated praise from members of his administration and allies on Capitol Hill. But not everyone was sold, particularly former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had a bitter falling out with the president last year.
“All I heard from his speech tonight was WAR WAR WAR. Nothing to lower the cost of living for Americans. Nothing to reduce our near $40 trillion in debt. Nothing to save Social Security, which goes bankrupt in just a few years,” Greene wrote on X.
Trump received a more positive reaction from other Republicans, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Sen. Tom Cotton.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has advocated for military action in Iran, backed the president, writing on X, “His leadership, backed by the courage of our men and women in uniform, is why we sleep safer at night.”
Democrats on Capitol Hill criticized Trump after his speech, including Sen. Chris Coons, who wrote on X, “No clear plan. Rambling, unmoored, unserious.”
Trump's speech achieved goal of selling successes of the war, White House officials say
White House officials told CNN they’re pleased with how President Donald Trump handled his address to the nation tonight.
Those officials said Trump did what they aimed to achieve with the speech: lay out the administration’s justification for the war and sell the successes of the military operations thus far, while also reassuring Americans that the war is nearing completion.
And he largely stuck to the script, keeping his speech tight to the planned 20 minutes, though it contained no new updates for those who have been closely following Trump’s comments on Iran for the past 32 days.
Still, officials had hoped that the style of the president’s remarks — with the formality of a national address — would convince many Americans to trust him at a time when polls have consistently shown the public’s patience is wearing thin.
Our experts analyzed Trump's address. Here's what they said
Trump's address to the nation on Iran war repeats familiar talking points
President Donald Trump’s “important update” on the war in Iran ended up being more of a belated sales pitch as he sought Wednesday night to rally support from American voters for a conflict he started more than a month ago.
In a roughly 20-minute address, Trump cast the US’ attack as payback for nearly a half-century of violence by Iran and its proxies, arguing that the nation could not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
He touted the military progress that the US has made over the last several weeks, describing the weeks of bombing as “victories like few people have ever seen before.” And he pleaded for patience, calling the war an “investment” in Americans’ future.
Yet he did not offer any new answer for the main question on many voters’ minds: When exactly the war will be over.
“I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” Trump said, declining to offer any new details on his exit strategy beyond repeating his vow to bomb Iran “back to the stone age” over the next two to three weeks.
The president also did not articulate a specific endgame for the war, including whether he planned to send in ground troops to seize Iran’s enriched uranium or degrade its ability to control the critical Strait of Hormuz.
As for the diplomatic discussions that Trump had previously claimed were making progress, he offered no new signs of optimism. Instead, he only reiterated his threats to escalate by striking Iran’s power plants — an action that risks further widening a war Trump has only just begun to sell to the American public.
“The new group is less radical and much more reasonable,” he said. “Yet if during this period of time, no deal is made, we have our eyes on key targets.”
Trump says US will hit Iran "extremely hard" over “next two to three weeks”
President Donald Trump signaled Wednesday that the US is prepared to intensify its military response against Iran over the “next two to three weeks.”
“In the meantime, discussions are ongoing,” the president continued. “Regime change was not our goal. We never said regime change, but regime change has occurred because of all of their original leaders’ death. They’re all dead.”
It is not the first time Trump has used the phrase “back to the stone ages” in regard to Iran.
Earlier today, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Iran has asked the United States for a ceasefire and that he would only consider the request after Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Until then, he wrote, “we are blasting Iran into oblivion” and “back to the Stone Ages!!!”
The president’s remark comes a day after he suggested the US could be done with its war with Iran within two to three weeks.
Vance, Rubio, Bondi and others watch Trump's remarks in person
President Donald Trump’s now-concluded primetime address had an in-person crowd at the White House — including several Cabinet members.
The group included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, embattled Attorney General Pam Bondi — who Trump has discussed ousting — and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, among others.
It seemed to be a decently sized group, according to a brief video posted to X by deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.
Trump asks skeptical Americans to "keep this conflict in perspective"
President Donald Trump compared US involvement in the war with Iran to other conflicts in modern history as he tried to convince skeptical Americans to think of the war as an “investment” in the future.
“It’s very important that we keep this conflict in perspective,” Trump said in his address to the nation this evening.
He ticked off the length of American involvement in recent wars:
- World War I: 1 year, 7 months, 5 days
- World War II: 3 years, 8 months, 25 days
- Korean War: 3 years, 1 month, 2 days
- Vietnam War: 19 years, 5 months, 29 days
- Iraq War: 8 years, 8 months, 28 days
The current situation, he sought to remind Americans who are anxious about endless wars abroad and rising gas prices at home, has been ongoing for 32 days.
“We are in this military operation so powerful, so brilliant against one of the most powerful countries for 32 days, and the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat. … This is a true investment in your children and your grandchildren’s future,” he said.
Those comments come as 67% of Americans believe that Trump does not have a clear plan for handling the situation in Iran, according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS.
Iran's new leaders are "less radical" and "more reasonable," Trump says
President Donald Trump said Iran’s new leaders are “less radical and much more reasonable” as US officials work with intermediaries to negotiate an end to the war.
During an address from the White House tonight, he repeated his claims that the US has accomplished regime change because “all of their original leaders’ death.” He added that the US is watching key targets as negotiations to end the war are underway.
“If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard and probably simultaneously,” Trump said.
He added that the US has not hit Iran’s oil despite it being “the easiest target of all because it would not give them even a small chance of survival or rebuilding.”
Trump says Iran war is "nearing completion" in address to the nation
President Donald Trump told Americans tonight that the Iran war is “nearing completion,” as he projected another two to three weeks of involvement.
“Tonight, I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” Trump said in a primetime address to the nation.
“We’ve done all of it. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their missiles are just about used up or beaten. Taken together, these actions will cripple Iran’s military, crush their ability to support terrorist proxies and deny them the ability to build a nuclear bomb,” Trump said.
The White House put out a press release earlier claiming that the objectives in Iran “have been clear and unwavering: obliterate Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capability, annihilate its navy, sever its support for terrorist proxies, and ensure the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism never acquires a nuclear weapon.”
While celebrating the achievements of the US military, Trump acknowledged the service members who have been killed, promising to finish the war quickly.
“As we celebrate this progress, we think especially of the 13 American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran,” Trump said. “We salute them, and now we must honor them by completing the mission for which they gave their lives.”
Trump claimed that the families of the troops killed told him to “finish the job.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeated a similar phrase last month, which was disputed by the father of one of the fallen service members in an interview with NBC.
“We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close,” Trump said tonight.
Trump urges allies to take responsibility for reopening the Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that US allies will be responsible for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, urging them to “build up some delayed courage” and lead an operation to retake control of the critical waterway.
Trump’s remarks are the latest sign that he plans to end the war in Iran without regaining control of the strait, which the Iranian regime has effectively shuttered for weeks, sparking a global energy crisis that has pushed oil and gas prices sharply higher.
Despite the rising energy costs, Trump on Wednesday downplayed the impact of the strait’s closure on the US, claiming that the county doesn’t “need” to utilize the strait.
At the same time, he insisted that the shipping lane would “just open up naturally” after the war — despite Iran’s repeated vows to maintain total closure over the waterway responsible for trafficking roughly 20% of the world’s oil.
Though Trump has said that retaking the strait will be “easy,” even the US military has so far been unwilling to attempt to escort oil tankers through the waterway due to the Iranian threat.
“The countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage,” Trump said. “They must cherish it.”
Trump says Strait of Hormuz will "open up naturally" after war ends
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial shipping route off the coast of Iran that has remained closed since US strikes in February – will just “open up naturally” when the conflict concludes, painting an optimistic vision of the future as oil prices continue to rise.
As gas prices hit $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022 earlier this week, the president sought to downplay rising costs Wednesday, saying the strait reopening “will resume the flowing, and the gas prices will rapidly come back down.”
Energy market experts tell CNN that ending the war without reopening the Strait of Hormuz is unlikely to fix the energy crisis.
Sirens sounding in UAE over missile and drone threats
The United Arab Emirates’ air defense systems are currently working to intercept incoming missile and drone threats, the country’s ministry of defense said early Thursday, shortly before US President Donald Trump began his address.
Sirens are sounding across the country and the public has been advised to stay calm and follow safety and security instructions from authorities, the defense ministry said.
Trump frames Iran war as response to nearly half-century of violence by the Iranian regime
President Donald Trump on Wednesday framed his war with Iran as just the latest step in his yearslong effort to prevent the nation from obtaining a nuclear weapon, calling the conflict “necessary for the safety of America and the security of the free world.”
In a primetime address, Trump called the war a response to 47 years of violence by Iran and its proxies, invoking the bombing of a Marine barracks nearly 40 years ago and the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000.
Trump also used the opening moments of the speech to criticize his predecessors, claiming that US presidents who came before him should have “handled” the Iranian regime before he took office.
“We don’t have to be there. We don’t need their oil. We don’t need anything they have, but we’re there to help our allies,” Trump said.
Trump repeats warning that Iranian missiles would soon be able to reach "American homeland"
President Donald Trump offered another warning about Iran’s stockpile of ballistic missiles as he sought to explain the war with Iran to the American people.
Those missiles, he warned in an address to the nation, would have soon been able to “reach the American homeland, Europe – virtually any other place on earth.”
Last month, Iran attempted to strike a US-UK base over 2,000 miles off its coast, prompting questions about Tehran’s military capabilities and whether it could hit targets further than previously thought. Trump hinted at that Wednesday evening.
Trump has previously offered similar assessments. However, sources have told CNN that argument has not been backed up by US intelligence. There is no intelligence to suggest that Iran is pursuing an ICBM program to hit the US at this time, the sources said. Iran does, however, possess short range ballistic missiles that could threaten US bases and personnel in the region, as the administration has warned.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood, and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.
NOW: Trump is addressing the nation on Iran from the White House
US President Donald Trump is now delivering remarks on the war in Iran. It’s his first major national address on the conflict since it began in late February.
According to a White House official, the president is expected to affirm his intention to end the war within the next three weeks. He also plans to relay an “operational update” on the progress of the war, which he and top administration officials have said is ahead of schedule.
And he’ll spell out, again, the four objectives the White House says it is hoping to achieve: destroying Iran’s missiles and production facilities, annihilating its navy, ensuring it is unable to support regional terrorist groups and guaranteeing it not obtain a nuclear weapon.
Follow along here for live updates.
