Trump says Iran's navy destroyed, vows power plant hits
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- Trump delivered a 15‑minute evening address on Iran on April 1, 2024, after expectations of a ceasefire or war ending.
- Trump claimed the United States had already destroyed Iran’s navy and air force, crippled its missile program and defense industrial base, and that Iran’s military is “crushed.”
- Trump warned that within the next two to three weeks the U.S. would “bring them back to the stone ages” and, if no deal is reached, would strike Iran’s electric generating plants “very hard and probably simultaneously.”
- Trump said the United States had not targeted Iran’s oil fields because it would give Iran a chance to survive, but that the U.S. could do so if desired.
- Trump urged other nations to purchase oil from the United States, asserting that the U.S. has “plenty” of oil and that the Strait of Hormuz would open naturally after the conflict.
- Al Jazeera reported that Iran continued to hit targets across the Persian Gulf and Israel during the speech, while oil prices rose and regional partners curtailed energy use.
- Trump did not mention Israel in his address, despite ongoing Iranian attacks on Israeli targets.
Why it matters: The claim that Iran’s military is already crippled and that the U.S. will soon target its power grid raises expectations of further escalation, which could keep oil prices high and strain regional energy supplies, hurting consumers and economies that rely on Gulf oil.
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