President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will strike Iran with unprecedented force over the next two to three weeks, marking a significant escalation in rhetoric as the administration's military campaign enters what he described as its final phase.
We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We are going to bring them back to the stone ages, where they belong.
Donald Trump, President — Yonhap News
The televised address from the White House represented Trump's first national statement since launching Operation Epic Fury on February 28. The military campaign has targeted Iran's missile program, navy, air force, and nuclear capabilities across multiple weeks of sustained operations.
Trump claimed the conflict's core strategic objectives were approaching completion, though he provided no timeline for when hostilities might end. The president's remarks came amid growing domestic pressure over rising oil prices and global economic disruption caused by Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait, which handles approximately 20 percent of global oil shipments, has remained largely impassable since Iran began retaliatory strikes following the US military action. This disruption has triggered fuel price spikes worldwide and forced multiple countries, including Australia, to implement emergency consumption reduction measures.
Yonhap presents Trump's statements as part of broader concerns about economic impacts ahead of midterm elections. The outlet emphasizes the administration's desire to exit the Middle East conflict amid rising oil prices and inflation concerns.