The White House’s statement that US President Donald Trump will address the nation on Wednesday evening on the war in Iran has triggered speculations that the war could soon be over. Especially, in the wake of reports that the President told his aides that he is willing to end the US military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.
The address is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET, which is 6:30 am IST.
Trump also said on Tuesday that the US had almost accomplished its military goals and would leave it to other nations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three,” Trump told reporters in the White House on Tuesday. “We’ll leave because there’s no reason for us to do this.”
The US President said Tehran didn't have to make a deal with the US for his troops to leave the region. He added that the US had “knocked out tremendous amounts of missile-making facilities”.
Meanwhile, reports hint that the Trump administration is increasingly convinced that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is necessary to bring down soaring oil and gas prices in the wake of the upcoming midterm elections. But then, Trump has a self-imposed four-to-six-week deadline to end the war, which makes reopening the strait difficult within the same timeline. Officials and analysts believe it could take weeks, if not months, to reopen the strait, through which 20% of the world’s oil supply typically flows.
Interestingly, it is not just Trump who is set to address the nation. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will also address the nation at 7 pm on Wednesday night on the Middle East war, the fuel crisis and the government’s response to it.
However, all these haven’t stopped Trump from amassing troops. In the latest development, the US has deployed the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier USS George H.W. Bush to the Middle East.
There are reports in US media that say that the US Department of Defence was preparing options for limited ground operations in Iran, short of a full-scale invasion, but potentially involving thousands of troops over the course of weeks or months. However, Trump has yet to greenlight any of the plans.
However, there is also an uncertainty within the administration about Trump’s strategy, with some officials saying he is keeping options open and shifting between escalation and a possible exit. Some US officials believe that if an April 6 deadline passes without a deal, Trump could order a “final blow” of heavy bombing on Iranian infrastructure and nuclear facilities before withdrawing.
