President Donald Trump declared victory over Iran in a prime time address to the nation Wednesday night, saying that U.S. military objectives are “nearing completion” while suggesting that American forces would not be used to reopen the Strait of Hormuz because it will “open up naturally” once the conflict is over.
“We are in this military operation so powerful, so brilliant, against one of the most powerful countries for 32 days, and the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat,” Trump said.
The conflict, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by the Pentagon, is currently in its fifth week. On Wednesday, Trump said “we’re getting very close” to being done but did not give an exact timeline.