President Donald Trump speaks about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo)Marking a month since the start of US-Israel joint operation against Iran, in a televised address from the White House, United States President Donald Trump thanked US allies in the Middle East, including Israel and the Gulf nations, and vowed to protect them.“I wanna thank our allies in Middle East, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE. They’ve been great, and we will not let them get hurt or fail in any way, shape or form,” he said. Trump noted that Iran had attacked these nations, saying it underscored that it should never have a nuclear weapon.His address came at a time when the Middle East is caught in the crossfire amid the Iran’s war with the US and Israel.“We’re now totally independent of the Middle East, and yet we are there to help,” he said. “We don’t have to be there. We don’t need their oil. We don’t need anything they have.” He asserted, “we’re there to help our allies.”US to hit Iran ‘very hard’ over next 2 weeksDonald Trump, in his address to the nation, also said Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones had been “dramatically curtailed”.“Tonight Iran’s navy is gone, their air force is in ruins, their leaders, most of them… are now dead,” he said in his speech, adding that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “is being decimated as we speak”.“We will continue Operation Epic Fury till our objectives are fully achieved, thanks to the progress we made. Tonight I am pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” he said, warning that the US is going to hit Iran very hard in the next two weeks.Story continues below this ad“We’re going to bring them back to stone ages where they belong,” he added.Trump on oil production and exportTrump also spoke about US and Venezuela’s oil production capacities, underlining that the US does not need oil from abroad.He said that countries which need oil from the Middle East should now take the lead to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Trump said: “To those countries that can’t get fuel, many of which refuse to get involved in the decapitation of Iran… build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it.”Hailing US’s oil production capacity, Trump also called for countries to buy its oil, instead. “America has plenty of gas, we have so much gas, we are the number one producer of gas and oil, have produced more gas and oil than Saudi Arabia and Russia combined.”Story continues below this adThis comes as energy shipments from the Gulf come to a standstill after Iran retaliated against the US-Israeli strikes by threatening to attack vessels that try to cross the Strait of Hormuz.“We were a dead crippled country after the last administration, and made it the hottest country in the world with no inflation,” Trump said.He also said that Iran has killed their own people — about 45,000 protesters — who were demonstrating against the Khamenei regime in recent months.His speech comes after, in an exclusive interview to The Telegraph, Trump suggested that an American military withdrawal could be just two to three weeks away, even without a formal deal from Iran.Story continues below this adEven though US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested a resolution was “close,” the situation on the ground tells a dangerous story.Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, in an open letter to Americans, described the war as an “occupation and invasion” of his country. He added that Iran has no ill will towards ordinary people in the US, Europe and Gulf Arab neighbours.Moreover, Trump is strongly considering pulling the United States out of Nato alliance after it failed to join his war on Iran. Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte will visit Washington DC next week, BBC reported.The Express Global Desk at The Indian Express delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis. A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. 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