Trump to announce end of Iran war tonight, Politico reports
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump is expected to announce the end of the war with Iran during an address to the nation, declaring a US victory, according to Politico.
Six unnamed sources told the outlet that the US leader has already signaled his plans to declare the war over in interviews and social media posts, effectively "laying the groundwork" for his speech.
According to Politico, Trump also wants to shift responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz onto NATO allies.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist, said the US leader will outline what he has achieved in Iran and what he plans to do before bringing the conflict to an end.
Journalists note that Trump’s decision may be an attempt to "assuage voters’ concerns and Wall Street’s unease" about energy markets and the consequences of the strait’s closure.
"This is a big challenge for President Trump because it’s not his natural environment. It cannot be confrontational. It needs to be reassuring. It needs to be very direct because he’s not just communicating with the American people but the Iranians, our allies in the region, and our allies in Europe," one of Politico’s sources said.
US-Iran ceasefire
Earlier today, April 1, US President Donald Trump said that Iran had asked the United States for a ceasefire.
Unnamed US officials told Axios that the United States and Iran are merely discussing the possibility of a ceasefire if Tehran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, officials in Tehran, commenting on the reports, said they had not made such a request for a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the US leader also said today that the US operation against Iran could last another two to three weeks.
