Trump Speech Highlights: Build up some delayed courage, take control of Hormuz, Trump tells allies

US President Trump's address to the nation from the Cross Hall at the White House lasted 20 minutes.

President Donald Trump said Iran no longer poses a significant threat, asserting that the US holds the upper hand as its military campaign nears completion.

“Iran is really no longer a threat,” Trump said, adding, “We have all the cards, they have none.”

He reiterated that US forces are close to wrapping up their objectives in the conflict. "We are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives, shortly, very shortly," he said.

US President Donald Trump said countries that depend on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz must ensure the route’s security themselves.

He said the US would offer support, but stressed that responsibility lies with those nations to "take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on".

"I have a suggestion. Number one, buy oil from the United States of America, we have plenty. We have so much," Trump said. "And number two, build up some delayed courage. Should have done it before. Should have done it with us as we ask -- go to the Strait and just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves."

The US will intensify its military campaign against Iran over the coming weeks, even as talks continue behind the scenes, said Trump.

"We’re going to hit them extremely hard. Over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong," Trump said.

He added that Iranian oil infrastructure remains a possible target, saying the US “could hit their oil” if needed.

At the same time, the US President said diplomatic channels remain open, noting that discussions are ongoing as Washington weighs its next steps.

Donald Trump said the United States does not rely on the Strait of Hormuz and suggested countries he described as “betrayers” should instead purchase oil from th US.

“We haven’t needed the Hormuz Strait, and we don’t need it,” Trump said, downplaying the strategic importance of the key shipping route amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

He added that the waterway would reopen on its own once hostilities end. “When the conflict is over, the strait will open up naturally,” he said.

As gas in the US hit $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022, Trump blamed soaring oil prices on Iran, assuring that the rising costs are "short term"

"This short-term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers and neighbouring countries that have nothing to do with the conflict," he said.

The US is close to achieving all of its military objectives in Iran, said Trump, vowing in a national address to bring the campaign to a swift conclusion.

“We’re going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast,” Trump said, adding that Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.

He also pledged that Washington would protect its Gulf allies “in any shape or form” as the conflict continues.

Trump has previously outlined US goals in the war, including destroying Iran’s offensive missile capabilities, dismantling its missile production, targeting its navy and broader security infrastructure, and ensuring it can never develop nuclear weapons.

President Donald Trump also referenced Venezuela in his address, praising US troops for a rapid operation that brought the country under control within minutes.

He characterised the mission as “quick, lethal and violent,” adding that it had drawn global respect.

Trump said the US is now working closely on developing and selling Venezuela’s vast oil and gas reserves, which he described as among the largest in the world. He added that the US has achieved energy independence from the Middle East, while maintaining a presence there to assist allies.

In a televised speech, Trump said Iran’s navy had been “wiped out,” its air force left “in ruins,” and the leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “decimated.”

Trump is expected to outline what he described as the near-completion of Washington’s military objectives in Iran.

US President Donald Trump is delivering his first major national address on the war in Iran since the conflict began in late February, declaring that US forces had achieved a swift and decisive victory.

Ahead of his address to the nation, the US President said that he would be going to tell how efficient he is as a leader. 

"Tonight I'm making a little speech at 9 o'clock, and basically I'm gonna tell everybody how great I am," said Trump.

 

The United States will end its war on Iran fairly soon and could return for "spot hits" if needed, President Donald Trump told news agency Reuters on Wednesday, hours before he was scheduled to make a prime-time address to the nation.

The president’s prime-time address will offer an update on US progress toward achieving his goals in Iran, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity with news agency Associated Press, because they were not authorised to speak publicly ahead of the address.

The official said those goals are to destroy Iran’s missile production, destroy its Navy, ensure its proxies can no longer destabilise the region, and guarantee Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

Trump is all set to address the nation today, outlining the US's next course of action in the Iran conflict. Amid a deepening global oil crisis, world leaders and markets alike are watching closely. With the Strait of Hormuz remaining disrupted, Trump's next move could have far-reaching consequences for energy markets and global stability. As uncertainty lingers, the stakes extend far beyond the battlefield.