President Donald Trump held an address to discuss the future of Operation Epic Fury — U.S. and Israel’s ongoing conflict with Iran. In his speech, Trump did not offer a definite date for the war’s end but threatened escalation. He went on to signal a departure from the U.S.’ role in securing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade passage under threat due to the war.
Trump began his address by stating that Iran posed a threat to U.S. national security.
“Operation Epic Fury is necessary for the safety of America and the security of the free world,” Trump stated. “For these terrorists to have nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat.”
Iran has previously maintained that its nuclear program is a civilian nuclear energy program, using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, such as electricity generation. The U.S. has remained skeptical of Iran’s nuclear capabilities because of the country’s uranium volume. Iran has not acquired the technology to create nuclear weapons, but it has the resources needed to create a nuclear arsenal. The volume at which Iran has procured uranium has exceeded its civilian capacity and has inched it closer to nuclear levels.
Trump celebrated the U.S.’ role in bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities but did not signal an end to Iran’s nuclear ambition.
“They were also rapidly building a vast stockpile of conventional ballistic missiles, and would soon have had missiles that could reach the American homeland, Europe and virtually any other place on Earth,” Trump said. “We took them out. We took them all out so that no one would really dare stop them and their race for a nuclear bomb.”
Trump did not offer any plans for what is to come after the war; instead, he threatened escalation if no deal is reached with the new regime.
After the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, took power. Analysts view this move as defiant and a potential escalation of the war, as Trump disapproved of the succession and Iran’s pick of Mojtaba Khamenei as a symbolic gesture of defiance to Western influence.
Since Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment, Trump has expressed optimism that the new regime could reach a deal; however, he continued to warn in his address that if no deal is reached, then the war will only escalate.
“The new group is less radical, and they’re much more reasonable. And if no deal is made, then we have our eyes on key targets,” Trump stated. “If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants.”
The price of oil has been a contentious issue throughout this war. Iran has targeted cargo coming through the Strait of Hormuz, restricting the flow of 3,000 vessels through the sea passage. The Strait produced 20 million barrels of oil per day in 2025. With Iran’s restriction on the Strait and no end in sight of the war, oil prices have risen. During Trump’s address, oil prices rose to $109 per barrel. Trump’s handling of the war and wartime declarations is impacting the oil market, leaving the oil industry and investors uncertain.
When it came to protecting trade through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump urged countries to take the lead, signaling that the U.S. is downscaling its involvement in the region.
“And the countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Straight must take care of that passage,” Trump said. “[The U.S.] will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil.”
Since the address, Trump has stated that he plans on destroying more of Iran’s bridges and power plants on April 8 after being dissatisfied with Iran’s proposal. The war has spilled over to neighboring countries, with Israel invading Lebanon, displacing over one million people and killing over 1,400 people.
