TRUMP TO ADDRESS NATION ON IRAN WAR AMID DECLINING APPROVAL RATINGS AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS

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By: Muftau Fatimo

President Donald Trump is set to deliver a prime-time address to the nation on Wednesday, addressing the ongoing war in Iran amid falling approval ratings, economic uncertainty, and mounting diplomatic tensions.

Scheduled for 9:00 pm (0100 GMT), the speech marks Trump’s first formal national address on Iran from the White House since the conflict began a month ago.

Trump is expected to reassure Americans that U.S. objectives are being achieved and outline his plan to conclude the war, which has unsettled the U.S. economy and contributed to a sharp decline in the 79-year-old Republican’s approval ratings.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump claimed a major development, stating that Iran’s president was seeking a ceasefire. The Iranian foreign ministry quickly refuted the claim, accusing Washington of making “maximalist and irrational” demands.

Trump has said he can see the war winding down within three weeks, repeatedly insisting that main objectives have been all but met.

Yet he has also threatened escalation, and there has been especially mixed messaging from Trump on whether he will insist on Iran fully reopening the Hormuz Strait to oil and other commodity shipping.

As recently as Tuesday, Trump suggested this was not a key goal. However, on Wednesday he said he would consider a ceasefire only when Hormuz is “free and clear.”

“Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

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TRUMP TO ADDRESS NATION ON IRAN WAR AMID DECLINING APPROVAL RATINGS AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS

Recent polling shows Trump’s overall approval rating slipping below 40 percent, with disapproval climbing above the mid-50s as voters sour on both the war and its economic fallout, while support for the Iran campaign itself is underwater.

The economic picture has compounded the problem. Gasoline prices have surged above $4 a gallon (over $1 a liter) for the first time in years, while consumer confidence has weakened, dragging down Trump’s already fragile standing on the economy.

– NATO rift –

Trump has rattled top US allies, calling for “reconsideration” of US membership in NATO after European countries declined to back the Iran campaign — a stance that risks widening diplomatic damage already inflicted by Trump’s trade wars and threats to take over Greenland.

Markets, however, seized on his more optimistic signals.

Global equities rallied and oil prices fell Wednesday on hopes of a near-term end to the conflict. Brent crude was down around 2.7 percent at $101.16 a barrel, while stock markets posted strong gains.

Analysts, however, caution that significant economic risks persist, with oil prices remaining high and the Strait of Hormuz—a key route for about a fifth of the world’s oil supply—effectively closed.

Critics note that, beyond financial markets, the strategic situation is increasingly at odds with the administration’s rhetoric.

US and Israeli forces have reportedly struck thousands of targets, causing substantial damage to Iran’s military infrastructure.

Despite this, the conflict continues, Tehran’s leadership remains intact, and the economic repercussions have spread globally, raising doubts over whether Trump can define a clear endgame.

This uncertainty has reached Washington, where even some of Trump’s allies acknowledge that the war is becoming a growing political liability ahead of November’s midterm elections.

A White House official stated that the president’s address would emphasize the military campaign’s success in achieving the objectives outlined “prior to the operation.”

While Trump’s messaging has been inconsistent, the administration maintains that these goals are to:

– destroy Iran’s navy.

– destroy its missiles and production facilities.

– neutralize its militia proxies across the region.

– guarantee that Tehran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.

“He is expected to reiterate the two-to-three-week timetable for concluding the operation that he stated yesterday,” the White House official said.

AFP