President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver a prime-time address on Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET “to provide an important update on Iran.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the announcement on X but gave no further details.
In his latest remarks, Trump said he expects the conflict to conclude within weeks even as he has privately weighed whether to deploy ground forces.
He has also said the Strait of Hormuz will automatically reopen once the war ends.
On the diplomatic effort toward a deal, Trump said a deal may not be needed but it could also happen because Tehran wants to make a deal.
TUNE IN: Tomorrow night at 9PM ET, President Trump will give an Address to the Nation to provide an important update on Iran.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 31, 2026
Speaking to reporters at the White House Tuesday, Trump said he anticipates the war could end in “two weeks, maybe three,” arguing that the U.S.’s primary objective—degrading Iran’s military capabilities—has largely been accomplished.
“We leave because there’s no reason for us to do this. We’ll be leaving very soon,” he added.
Trump also hinted that the U.S. may not take the lead in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked, telling CBS News, “Other countries have to come in and take care of it.”
The president suggested that a negotiated settlement may not be strictly necessary but also left the possibility of a deal open.
“Iran doesn’t have to make a deal. It’s a new regime. They are much more accessible. No, they don’t have to make a deal with me … we’ll leave whether we have a deal or not. It’s irrelevant now. It’s possible we’ll have a deal because they want to make a deal.”
According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth the “upcoming days will be decisive” in the conflict that started on February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran.
Iran War Could End Before Strait of Hormuz Reopens, Trump Suggests
Meanwhile hundreds of U.S. Special Operations Forces—including Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Marines, and paratroopers—remain in the Middle East.
Trump has expressed cautious optimism about peace talks, even as Iran denies formal negotiations, though the two sides have exchanged messages through Pakistan.
The president’s remarks come amid rising domestic pressures, with U.S. gasoline prices climbing past $4 per gallon and global oil markets volatile due to the ongoing conflict.
Earlier, Trump hinted that the U.S. could end the war, without first reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
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“We’re not going to be there too much longer. We’re obliterating the s-t out of them right now, it’s a total obliteration,” Trump said.
“But we won’t have to be there much longer – but we have more work to do in terms of killing their offensive, whatever offensive capability they have left.”
Questioned about the virtually closed Strait of Hormuz, Trump said he expects the shipping corridor to “automatically reopen” with the end of the war and that “the countries that are using the strait, let them go and open it.”
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Trump on Tuesday has sharply criticized European allies including the U.K. and France for what he described as insufficient support.
In his latest post, he suggested the EU allies may have to take responsibility for restoring access to the vital shipping route themselves.
“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz … I have a suggestion for you: buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and build up some delayed courage — go to the Strait and just take it,” Trump wrote on social media. He added that allies would have to “start learning how to fight for yourself,” warning that the United States would not step in as it had in the past.
Ali Imran is a Washington-based journalist, who has worked for leading world news organizations as correspondent, expert and in editorial positions. He is a published author and poet.
