Trump Vows to 'Finish the Job' in Iran Within Weeks During Nationwide Address

US President Donald Trump delivered a roughly 20-minute televised address to the nation on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, declaring that American military forces would "finish the job" in Iran as "core strategic objectives are near completion," while warning of an intensified bombing campaign over the next two to three weeks. The speech, broadcast in prime time, was Trump's first direct address to the American public since the joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran — Operation Epic Fury — began on February 28, 2026, more than a month before the address. Rather than announcing an end to the conflict or declaring victory, Trump offered a defense of the war effort and signaled further strikes ahead.

„We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two or three weeks. We are going to send them back to the Stone Age, where they belong.” — Donald Trump via AP News

The address failed to calm financial markets. Oil prices rose more than 4% and Asian stocks fell following Trump's remarks, with the Brent crude barrel soaring to 104 dollars according to reporting by LaSexta. Trump acknowledged the rise in oil prices and market volatility but insisted the effects would be temporary, attributing the energy crisis to Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. He stated that the United States does not need the strait, importing almost no oil through it, and called on allied nations to take responsibility for securing the waterway themselves.

„The countries of the world that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz must take care of that passage. Just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves.” — Donald Trump via Deutsche Welle

The US-Israeli offensive against Iran began on February 28, 2026. Among the prominent Iranian figures killed during the conflict were Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali Larijani — secretary of the Supreme National Security Council — and the Ministers of Defense and Intelligence, Aziz Nasirzadeh and Esmaeil Khatib, according to reporting by El Periódico. Despite those deaths, Iran's institutional structure has continued to function, with the Revolutionary Guard and other officials publicly denying any negotiations with Washington.

Trump acknowledges 13 US soldiers killed in campaign Trump acknowledged the deaths of 13 (soldiers) — US military personnel killed in the Iran campaign during the address, framing their sacrifice as a reason to press forward rather than withdraw. He stated that the families of fallen soldiers had urged him to "finish the job," and pledged to do so "very fast." The president listed a timeline of past American military engagements — including World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq — noting that the Iran campaign had lasted just 32 days, in what appeared to be an appeal for public patience. Trump claimed the US had destroyed Iran's navy, air force, missile program, and nuclear infrastructure, and stated that the country was "dismantling the regime's ability to threaten America or to project its power outside its borders." He did not address the possibility of deploying US ground troops in Iran, nor did he mention the April 6 deadline he had previously imposed on Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also made no reference to ongoing negotiations with Iran during the speech, despite having claimed earlier that same Wednesday that Iran had requested a ceasefire — an assertion Tehran quickly denied.

Iran denies ceasefire talks as Pezeshkian publishes open letter Iran's government, operating under an Interim Leadership Council that includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, rejected Trump's characterization of a "new regime" in Tehran seeking a deal. Hours before Trump's address, Pezeshkian published an open letter in both English and Persian directed at the American public, questioning the rationale for the war.

„Is America First part of the priorities of the U.S. government today? I invite you to look beyond the disinformation machinery.” — Masoud Pezeshkian via eldiario.es

An unnamed Iranian official also appeared to signal openness to negotiation, stating that "continuing on the path of confrontation is more futile and costly than ever," according to reporting by eldiario.es. Trump did not acknowledge Pezeshkian's letter during the speech, nor did he address Iranian officials' repeated public denials of any ceasefire talks. According to Publico, Trump dropped explicit mention of regime change as a war objective during the address, claiming "it was never an objective," despite having stated it publicly multiple times over the preceding month. Iran reportedly holds more than 400 (kilograms) — highly enriched uranium held by Iran, per US intelligence assessment of highly enriched uranium, though American intelligence agencies assessed that Tehran was not necessarily on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon, according to Publico.

NATO allies criticized as Trump praises Gulf partners by name Trump directed pointed criticism at NATO allies for failing to participate in securing the Strait of Hormuz, telling them to "build up the courage" to act, while asserting that the United States did not need their assistance. He thanked Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain by name for their support during the conflict. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State and Acting National Security Advisor Marco Rubio have been the principal figures managing the administration's war effort alongside Trump. The speech drew criticism from analysts cited by El Confidencial, who noted that the Iranian navy and air force were never considered the core of Iran's military power, and that the original stated objectives of regime change and full neutralization of the nuclear program had not been achieved. Specialist Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of a book on Iran's grand strategy, was cited by El Confidencial as describing the Iranian theocracy's view of the conflict as "the final battle" — one it had been anticipating for decades. Iranian missiles struck Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Israel in the hours just before Trump delivered his address, according to France 24.

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