US President Donald Trump had little new to announce in his speech.Image: keystone
Anyone who expected something big from Donald Trump’s “important speech” that the White House had announced for Thursday night was disappointed. The US President almost exclusively repeated statements that he had already made before.
Apr 02, 2026, 05:38Apr 02, 2026, 06:01
The White House had announced an “important speech” by Donald Trump on the Iran war for Thursday night (Swiss time). But the US President didn’t say much new. He largely repeated representations and arguments that he had disseminated in the weeks since the start of the war on February 28th. The speech only lasted 19 minutes. Here is an overview of the most important statements.
Trump about…
… the course of the war
According to Trump’s account, the USA has almost achieved its main goals in the Iran war. The US President once again threw around superlatives about the “operation” in Iran. The Iranian navy and air force have been destroyed and the country’s missiles have been virtually used up or are unusable. Trump thanked the US Army and described the weeks of bombing as “victories like few people have ever experienced before.” Once again he did not present a clear plan for an exit from the war (see next point).
… the war aims
This time, Trump again cited the threat to the Western world from Iran and the possible construction of nuclear weapons by the Islamists as the main reason. He will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Trump also said that Iran began large-scale production of regular missiles after the US-Israeli air strikes last year. These could soon reach both Europe and the American mainland. It was obvious what the Iranian regime was planning, said Trump.
Since the war began more than a month ago, the US President has declared several times that it is almost over – but he has recently continued to expand the US military presence in the region. Trump renewed his recent statements that he expects his country’s attacks on Iran to end “in two to three weeks.” During this period, the Iranians will be hit “extremely hard” again and “put back in the Stone Age, where they belong.”
According to his account, everything is going great in the Iran war: US President Donald Trump.Image: keystone
Trump also mentioned a possible government overthrow during the speech. This was not an initial goal of the war, but because so many heads of the mullahs’ regime were eliminated, the topic came to the table. In connection with the negotiations with Iran, Trump regularly speaks of a “new regime” with which the USA would negotiate. However, the US government has not yet made it clear who exactly this is supposed to be.
… the economic impact
The US President downplayed the economic impact of the Hormuz blockade. Although the price of oil has skyrocketed after the war and the Hormuz blockade and the US population is also feeling the higher prices, especially at the gas station, Trump considers the development to be negligible. It is a “short-term” phenomenon, Trump said in his speech. As soon as the war ended, energy prices would fall dramatically again. A development that experts do not see as guaranteed.
The US President also tried to dispel concerns about inflation. He once again claimed that the US economy had never been as strong and resilient as it was with him as president. In addition, the US population should see the war as an investment, said Trump.
“This is a true investment in the future of your children and your grandchildren.”
Trump’s speech caused little confidence in the markets. Although the price of oil initially fell slightly when Trump spoke, it rose again when it became clear that an end to the war was not imminent New York Times reported. Trump also renewed his threat to attack Iran’s energy infrastructure – as a result, oil prices skyrocketed.
… the Western allies and the Strait of Hormuz
According to Trump’s understanding, the Strait of Hormuz, the important oil bottleneck that is blocked by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards through attacks on ships, will “open on its own” after the end of the war. Iran will want to sell oil because that is the only thing the country has.
In connection with the Strait of Hormuz, Trump again called on US allies in Europe and Asia to help secure it – for their own benefit. Trump:
“Go to the strait and take it, protect it, use it for yourselves.”
The US has done the most difficult thing, now the task should be easy, Trump claimed. He hoped that the allies would find courage “after a little delay.” This time, the 79-year-old refrained from hostility or renewed threats to leave NATO. However, he completely shrugged off responsibility for security in Hormuz. The USA is not dependent on oil.
“The countries of the world that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz must protect this passage.”
He also called on countries affected by current oil shortages to purchase energy from the USA. «Buy oil from the United States. We have plenty. We have so much.”
The US government did not discuss the war with Iran with its European or other allies apart from Israel, but then urged them to support it after difficulties arose as a result of Iran’s Hormuz blockade. However, EU states such as France and Germany reacted with rejection, as did Great Britain and allies from the Asia-Pacific region such as Japan or Australia.
… the comparison with previous US wars
The part of the speech in which Trump began listing previous US wars and their duration was somewhat irritating. The US President went back to the First World War and then also named the duration of the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Iraq War.
At the end, he drew a comparison to his war against Iran – in contrast to previous US interventions lasting several years, this has only lasted 32 days. The little history lesson seemed to be both a relativization and a possible justification for an even longer war.
With material from the news agencies SDA and DPA.