Trump Vows Swift Action Against Iran to Turn Back the Clock

President Trump recently sought to reassure the nation by declaring the U.S. military’s significant progress in its confrontation with Iran, promising to strike the Islamic Republic with overwhelming force should it continue its pursuit of nuclear weapons. He vowed to “bomb them back to the Stone Ages,” a bold statement that underscores his administration’s hardline stance.

During a 20-minute speech from the White House, Trump emphasized that the military efforts in Iran would not mirror the prolonged conflicts seen in Iraq and Vietnam, which have been criticized as “forever wars.” He assured the public that the operation’s goal is clear-cut and decisive, aimed at preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear threat.

“We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Trump stated confidently, underscoring the rapid and forceful nature of the planned military actions.

He further asserted that the power of the U.S. military diminishes any potential nuclear intimidation from Tehran, implying that Americans can feel secure against the prospect of “nuclear blackmail.” Trump’s remarks convey a vision of a safer future, free from the threats that have historically plagued the Middle East.

“They were the bully of the Middle East, but they’re the bully no longer,” Trump declared, framing the military strategy as a forward-looking investment in the safety and security of future generations.

He also noted that in ‘these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield.’ 

Trump recalled how the US had spent years fighting in Iraq, Korea, Vietnam and two World Wars before pointing out the conflict with Iran had, so far, only lasted 32 days. 

‘We are in this military operation – so powerful, so brilliant – against one of the most powerful countries, for 32 days, and that country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat,’ he claimed. 

Donald Trump promised an end to the conflict in Iran ‘very shortly’ but not before he bombed the US’ enemies ‘back to the Stone Ages, where they belong’

A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran during the now 32-day war

Trump said US military action had been ‘so powerful, so brilliant’ that ‘one of the most powerful countries’ is ‘really no longer a threat’ — even as Iran kept up its attacks on Israel and Persian Gulf neighbors early Thursday.

‘Our enemies are losing. And America, as it has been for five years under my presidency, is winning – and now winning bigger than ever before.’

Iran and Hezbollah launched rockets from Lebanon into Central Israel on Wednesday as Passover began and continued the attack into Thursday morning, The Times of Israel reported. 

The bombings forced millions to flee their Seders to hide in bomb shelters and safe rooms.  

Trump also seemed to suggest he had ruled out going into Iran to get its enriched uranium.

‘The nuclear sites that we obliterated with the B-2 bombers have been hit so hard that it would take months to get near the nuclear dust,’ he said. 

‘And we have it under intense satellite surveillance and control. If we see them make a move, even a move for it, we’ll hit them with missiles very hard again.’

The president encouraged countries reliant on oil through the Strait of Hormuz to ‘build some delayed courage’ and go ‘take it.’

The speech left many, including former Trump staffer Brett McGurk, unconvinced that the president had a clear plan to bring the war to a conclusion.

Reaction to the speech saw many unconvinced, including former Trump staffer Brett McGurk, who said he was worried the speech inferred a much longer engagement

‘I thought when he laid out the objectives and the plan, I don’t think we heard too much and my takeaway was that we might be in for an escalation of this war,’ said McGurk, the former Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. 

‘He basically threatened Iran that we’re going to prepare to send you back to the Stone Age. So I think this war is going to continue for some time. I mean, that’s what I heard.’

Conservative pundit Saagar Enjeti compared it to George W Bush’s famous ‘mission accomplished’ speech, calling it: ‘Mission Kinda Sorta Maybe Accomplished!’ 

‘Rambling, unmoored and unserious,’ added Ian Bremmer. ‘In way over his head. US allies deeply concerned.’

Former ABC News anchor Terry Moran said Trump was ‘stuck’ and did not have much information to provide.

‘He said nothing new and very little that was true,’ Moran said. ‘This was an effort to rally the country to his war with promises that it will soon be over and declarations that we’ve already won.’ 

A New York-based think tank said Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech suggests he ‘is willing to leave the Strait of Hormuz off the table, leaving other nations to deal with the consequences.’

‘Trump’s message was that the United States can sustain its own economic and energy ecosystem, while countries dependent on regional exports will either have to buy from the United States or manage the Strait themselves,’ the Soufan Center wrote.

Pundits on all sides appeared to hit Trump for the speech

‘While Trump explicitly thanked US allies in the Persian Gulf for their cooperation and allyship, an expedited US withdrawal without securing the Strait will leave many of these countries, whose economies are dependent on energy exports, in the lurch.’

Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war that has been pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, is up more than 40% since the start of the war. 

Oil rose more than four percent and Asian stocks fell after Trump’s speech.

Brent crude, the international standard, jumped another 4.9 percent to $106.16 per barrel. Benchmark US crude rose four percent to $104.15 a barrel. 

Trump did not mention a looming deadline he set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway for global oil and gas transport, after he threatened Iran earlier with US attacks on its energy infrastructure if the strait was not reopened. 

He did not offer a clear path to end the supply disruptions that have sent energy prices soaring.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was down 1.9 percent to 52,731.94 in early Asia trading on Thursday. South Korea´s Kospi lost 3.6 percent to 5,281.22.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.9 percent to 25,056.42, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.5 percent to 3,928.30.

Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war that has been pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, is up more than 40% since the start of the war 

Australia´s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.6 percent, while Taiwan´s Taiex was trading 1.1 percent lower.

U.S. futures were down more than 0.9 percent.

‘The market has shown disappointment because the speech President Trump made was far less than what the market expected,’ said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex in Tokyo. ‘There were no concrete details about the end of the hostilities with Iran.’

‘What the market wants is a clear outline for the ceasefire,’ he said.

Trump continued to echo that the rise in oil and gas prices was a worthy sacrifice for taking out Iran. 

‘Many Americans have been concerned to see the recent rise in gasoline prices here at home. The short-term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers in neighboring countries that have nothing to do with the conflict,’ he said.

He then promised that if they allowed the Iranians to rebuild their nuclear program, things would get much worse.  

‘This is yet more proof that Iran can never be trusted with nuclear weapons. They will use them, and they will use them quickly. It would lead to decades of extortion, economic pain, and instability worse than we can ever imagine.’ 

Since the war began on February 28, Trump has offered shifting objectives and repeatedly has said it could be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. 

Thousands of additional US troops are currently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds about why. Trump has also threatened to attack Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub.

Adding to the confusion is what role Israel — which has been bombing Iran alongside the US — might play in any of these scenarios.