On April 1, 2026, US President Donald Trump, in his first address to the nation since the start of the war with Iran, said the “main strategic objectives” of the US-Israeli campaign were close to being achieved. At the same time, he stressed that Washington planned to deliver “extremely strong strikes” against Iran over the next two to three weeks and warned of an attack on the country’s energy system unless Tehran accepted US terms.
“We are going to bring them back to the Stone Age,” Trump said, referring to further action against Iran.
Iran’s military command rejected claims that the country’s armed forces had been seriously weakened and promised even larger retaliatory actions. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also said the country would “resist decisively” and would not take part in an imposed cycle of war, negotiations and ceasefires. It separately denied Trump’s statement about talks with Tehran, saying that only a request for contact had been passed through intermediaries, including Pakistan.
Trump’s speech triggered a negative market reaction. Within an hour of the address, oil prices rose by more than $5 per barrel, while stock indexes in China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea fell. Analysts had expected signals of imminent de-escalation, but said uncertainty about the conflict’s next phase remained high.
According to CENTCOM, since the start of the operation US forces have struck more than 12,300 targets in Iran, destroyed or damaged over 155 military vessels, and flown more than 13,000 combat sorties. Israel, according to IDF spokesperson Anna Ukolova, has carried out more than 8,000 strikes and killed over 250 IRGC commanders and regime leaders.
Against this backdrop, the United States is increasing its military presence in the region. The New York Times reported that, after additional forces arrived, the number of US troops in the Middle East exceeded 50,000. The Washington Post also reported on a plan for a possible seizure of Iranian uranium enriched to 60%.