Trump says to deliver 'speech to the nation' Thursday as Iran tensions escalate
US President Donald Trump announced he will deliver a primetime address to the nation on Thursday, amid a major flare-up of hostilities with Iran. He did not disclose the speech's topic, but the announcement follows his declaration of a naval blockade on Iran and a 20% fee on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he will deliver a primetime address to the nation on Thursday evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (0100 GMT Friday). The announcement was made via his Truth Social network, without specifying the subject of the speech. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for details.
The statement comes just hours after Trump declared he would reimpose a US naval blockade on Iran and institute a 20% fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This move has further escalated tensions between the two countries.
Trump's last major televised address to the nation was on April 1, when he gave his first full public justification for the Iran war, more than a month after the US-Israeli military campaign began. In that speech from the White House, he laid out his case for a conflict that had sent oil prices soaring and his approval ratings tumbling.
