In a speech on April Fools’ Day, Trump gets lost in confusing statements to outline the end of the war

In the prime-time speech scheduled for April Fools’ Day, it was more difficult to take President Donald Trump seriously. Attempts to convince the Americans that their objectives in Iran will soon be achieved have fallen flat, in a repetition of confusing statements that he has been making for 32 days. The biggest indication of the president’s lack of clarity is that oil immediately rose 7% and Asian stock markets fell. In other words, the attempt to calm tempers and recover the weak approval for the war seemed to have failed in the final minute of the 19-minute speech. Trump seemed tired, as he put together messianic phrases with little meaning: “the worst is over”, “never in the history of wars has an enemy suffered such clear and devastating losses on a large scale in a matter of weeks”; the conflict will end in two or three weeks, during which time “Iran will be attacked with full force”; the country will return to the Stone Age, without posing any threat; and the Strait of Hormuz “will open naturally”. The president referred vaguely to regime change in Iran, assuring that, although this was not a US objective, it was achieved with the death of its leaders. Supported by the powerful Revolutionary Guard, the Islamic Republic’s power structure, however, has proven operational during the conflict. Trump’s bravado, in claiming victory and extolling the annihilation of Iran’s Navy, Air Force and missile and drone production capabilities, contrasted with the renewal of threats, such as bombing the country’s energy infrastructure, if the Iranian leadership does not reach an agreement. What agreement? The regime vehemently rejected the list of 15 demands presented by the US to end the war and does not appear willing to make concessions and denied the ceasefire announcements announced by Trump. In a provocative gesture, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian released a letter to Americans, shortly before Trump’s speech, questioning whether the war against his country is putting US interests first. The American president was more concerned with justifying the reasons that led him to attack Iran than with announcing a clear plan to get out of it. He made only a brief mention of nuclear material, did not speak about NATO’s withdrawal, widely trumpeted during the day, nor did he announce plans to send ground troops. He was more concerned about addressing the American public than Iran. Nothing he said was a surprise, but the American president’s ambiguous words left doubt as to whether the conflict will escalate or cool down.

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