President Trump Declares Iran Military Mission Will Be Completed Within Three Weeks

President Donald Trump declared in a nationally televised address on April 2, 2026, that the United States military operation against Iran, Operation Epic Fury, is nearing its conclusion and will require an additional two to three weeks of intensive strikes to complete. Trump stated that Iranian naval and air forces have been destroyed and that the country's nuclear sites have been obliterated. „Tonight the Navy of Iran is no more. The navy and the air force of Tehran are gone. Iran is decimated, we are dismantling it.” — Donald Trump via ANSA Trump framed the campaign as a correction of errors made by previous administrations and declared the United States to be on the verge of ending Iran's threat to America. The address, delivered at 3 a.m. Italian time, was described by a White House official cited by The Hill as an occasion to highlight military successes in achieving, and in some cases exceeding, all set objectives. Trump opened the speech by congratulating NASA on the launch of the Artemis II mission before turning to the war.

Hormuz standstill reshapes global energy politics The Strait of Hormuz has been virtually at a standstill for shipping since the war began on February 28, 2026, causing widespread oil supply disruptions across import-dependent nations. Trump dismissed American responsibility for securing the waterway, arguing that the United States does not import oil through the strait and therefore bears no primary obligation to reopen it. „Buy oil from the United States. We have plenty. We have so much.” — Donald Trump via ZEIT ONLINE He urged countries currently suffering from oil shortages to take over the task of securing the strait themselves, while indicating that Washington would provide assistance if asked. Trump also stated that once the war ends, the strait will reopen naturally, framing the closure as a temporary consequence of ongoing hostilities rather than a structural problem requiring immediate intervention. His remarks drew sharp criticism in European capitals, where governments are among the most exposed to the disruption of Gulf oil flows.

NATO allies branded 'cowards' as Tehran holds the line Trump expressed open disappointment with NATO allies, describing them as cowards for failing to contribute to securing the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards, for their part, rejected any suggestion that control of the waterway had shifted, broadcasting a statement through state television reiterating their position. „The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is firmly and fully under the control of our naval forces.” — Iranian Revolutionary Guards via ANSA The Guards declared the strait closed to the enemies of Iran, directly contradicting Trump's assertion that the Iranian military has been rendered inoperable. Trump separately stated he would consider a ceasefire only on the condition that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, creating a diplomatic deadlock in which each side conditions movement on the other's capitulation. The standoff leaves the waterway in a state of contested control, with real-world consequences for global energy markets accumulating by the day.

The US-Israel military campaign against Iran, Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026. Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader for over three decades, was killed in the initial strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. The Strait of Hormuz has historically served as the transit point for a significant share of the world's seaborne oil trade, making its closure one of the most consequential disruptions to global energy supply in recent decades.

British-led coalition waits for ceasefire before acting Great Britain has positioned itself at the head of a coalition of 35 countries seeking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but the coalition has attached a firm condition to any such effort: a defined ceasefire must first be in place. Without that guarantee, according to reporting by La Stampa, no member of the coalition is prepared to expose its forces to the risks of operating in the contested waterway. The condition creates a strategic paradox in which the countries most dependent on Hormuz oil — European nations in particular — are unable to act without American diplomatic engagement, while Washington has explicitly declined to take the lead. Analysts cited by La Stampa warned that even if the war ends for the United States in the coming weeks, the conflict may continue in the broader region, with Israel likely to accelerate operations on the Lebanese front and Iran remaining weakened but with its regime intact. Early estimates cited in the same report suggested that damage to Gulf energy infrastructure could take at least ten years to repair to pre-war levels. Trump's repeated use of the two-to-three-week timeline, which has been stated on multiple occasions during the conflict, was characterized by La Stampa as resembling a hope more than a firm military prediction.

35 (countries) — coalition led by UK to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Operation Epic Fury — Key Events: — ; — ; — ; —