As expected, Trump declares the US is “nearing completion” of its various military objectives, and vows to “finish the job” in the near term.
Trump has also sought to lay the blame for rising petrol prices – a key domestic issue – on the Iranian side.
The president’s promise that the US is “better prepared” than ever to deal with the economic ramifications of the war, however, will ring hollow for his detractors and those who have opposed the military operation and argued that those threats only began when US and Israeli strikes began.
As he has in recent days, Trump also told US allies to “build up the courage” to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that the US doesn’t “need it”.
Some observers will immediately wonder whether any US withdrawal from the conflict in the coming weeks would mean that it essentially washes its hands of the task of ensuring freedom of navigation in the region.
