We didn’t learn anything new about the war itself tonight, but what stood out was the president is trying to sell the country on where this is headed. He’s trying to convince Americans that the US is close to its goals, even as he left the door open for future strikes. I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly. President Donald Trump using *** rare primetime address to argue the war with Iran is working. And that the end may now be in sight, but also warning it’s not over yet. We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next 2 to 3 weeks. That warning underscoring the tension in the president’s message tonight, arguing the US is close to finishing the job even as more American troops move into the region for *** possible ground offensive. Because of the actions we have taken, we are on the cusp of ending Iran’s sinister threat to America. And the world. The president speaking to an American public increasingly skeptical about the war effort, according to polling, with gas prices surging as Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. It’ll just open up naturally. They’re going to want to be able to sell oil because that’s all they have to try and rebuild. It will. Resume the flowing and the gas prices will rapidly come back down. The president ending the speech by defending the human cost of the mission, including 13 American soldiers killed so far. And now we must honor them by completing the mission for which they gave their lives, and every single one of the people, their loved ones said, Please, sir, please finish the job, every one of them. And we are going to finish the job and we’re going to finish it very fast. So now the question is, does the president’s optimism match what happens next with US troops moving into the region, Iran still attacking its neighbors, and diplomatic efforts still unclear at the White House, I’m Christopher Sales.
Advertisement
President Donald Trump said U.S. forces will “finish the job” in Iran soon as “core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” offering a defense of the war Wednesday night in his first national address since the conflict began more than a month ago.Trump got a wide audience and a chance to articulate clear objectives for the war after weeks of changing goals and often contradictory messages about whether he’s winding down or ready to escalate military operations — even as Iran kept up its attacks on Israel and Persian Gulf neighbors and airstrikes pounded Tehran.But he spent much of his time repeating some of the same things he said in recent weeks, while also suggesting that the U.S. was close to meeting its major military objectives in Iran and his estimated timeline for concluding operations within two to three weeks. He promised U.S. forces would continue to hit Iran very hard.“For years, everyone has said that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. But in the end, those are just words if you’re not willing to take action when the time comes,” Trump said.The president said, “In these past four weeks our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield” and slammed previous decades of U.S. policy, saying previous presidents “made mistakes and I am correcting them.”“The situation has been going on for 47 years and should’ve been handled long before I arrived in office,” he said.Video below: Listen to the president’s addressTrump also acknowledged rising oil prices and volatile financial markets, but insisted those would be temporary.Polling, meanwhile, show many Americans feel the U.S. military has gone too far in Iran — even as more American troops move into the region for a possible ground offensive. Trump opted not to deliver such an address closer to when the U.S. and Israel first launched attacks, and questions now remain about whether it is now too late for what he says to break through.Iranian missile fire targeted Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Israel just before Trump’s speech.
President Donald Trump said U.S. forces will “finish the job” in Iran soon as “core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” offering a defense of the war Wednesday night in his first national address since the conflict began more than a month ago.
Trump got a wide audience and a chance to articulate clear objectives for the war after weeks of changing goals and often contradictory messages about whether he’s winding down or ready to escalate military operations — even as Iran kept up its attacks on Israel and Persian Gulf neighbors and airstrikes pounded Tehran.
Advertisement
But he spent much of his time repeating some of the same things he said in recent weeks, while also suggesting that the U.S. was close to meeting its major military objectives in Iran and his estimated timeline for concluding operations within two to three weeks. He promised U.S. forces would continue to hit Iran very hard.
“For years, everyone has said that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. But in the end, those are just words if you’re not willing to take action when the time comes,” Trump said.
The president said, “In these past four weeks our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield” and slammed previous decades of U.S. policy, saying previous presidents “made mistakes and I am correcting them.”
“The situation has been going on for 47 years and should’ve been handled long before I arrived in office,” he said.
Video below: Listen to the president’s address
Trump also acknowledged rising oil prices and volatile financial markets, but insisted those would be temporary.
Polling, meanwhile, show many Americans feel the U.S. military has gone too far in Iran — even as more American troops move into the region for a possible ground offensive. Trump opted not to deliver such an address closer to when the U.S. and Israel first launched attacks, and questions now remain about whether it is now too late for what he says to break through.
Iranian missile fire targeted Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Israel just before Trump’s speech.
