Iran-US war latest: Oil prices spike after Trump vows to keep hitting Iran ‘extremely hard’ in address to nation

Democrats have criticised Donald Trump’s prime-time address to the American people on the war in Iran as “incoherent” and as doing little to answer “the most basic questions”.

Senator Mark Warner noted that Trump owed Americans more answers about a conflict that has driven up prices on gas “alongside rising prices for diesel, fertiliser, aluminium, and other essentials, with consequences that will continue to ripple through the economy for a long time to come” in his statement.

Senator Chris Murphy released a statement that said the “speech was grounded in a reality that only exists in Donald Trump’s mind”.

Murphy said that “no one in America, after listening to that speech, knows whether we are escalating or de-escalating.”

Trump’s former counterterrorism chief, Joe Kent, has warned that the best time to get out of the Iran war “is now”.

President Donald Trump said US forces will “finish the job” in Iran soon as “core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” offering a defence of the war on Wednesday night in his first national address since the conflict began more than a month ago.

“As we celebrate this progress, we think especially of the thirteen American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran,” he added.

Mr Kent in a post on X said: “We do not honor our fallen by getting more of our best men & women killed in the Middle East.

“We honor our fallen by learning from our past & only shedding American blood in defense of our nation. The best time to get out of a war of choice is now, before we lose more lives.”

Oil prices climbed more than $4 this morning after president ​Donald Trump said the US will continue ‌to attack Iran, including energy and oil targets over the next few weeks, and did not commit to a specific timeline to ​end the war.

Brent crude futures rose $4.88, or 4.8 per cent, ​to $106.04 per barrel by 2am GMT.

US West Texas ⁠Intermediate crude futures were up $4.17, or 4.2 per cent, to $104.29 per ​barrel.

Trump said in a televised speech to the ​nation that the US military had nearly completed its ​goals in its war with Iran, and that the conflict would soon ‌end, but gave no specific timeline.

Members of congress and military experts have started expressing their reactions to Donald Trump’s address to the nation on his Iran war.

Brett McGurk, a former senior national security adviser under presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, said: “I think this war is going to continue for some time.”

Trump staunchly defended his handling of the month-old war on Iran, ​saying the US military was nearing completion of its mission while also reinforcing his threats to bomb the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Age”.

Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in a post on X said: “I wanted so much for President Trump to put America First. That’s what I believed he would do. All I heard from his speech tonight was WAR WAR WAR.”

“Nothing to lower the cost of living for Americans. Nothing to reduce our near $40 trillion in debt. Nothing to save Social Security, which goes bankrupt in just a few years. Nothing to lower the cost of insurance. Nothing to address jobs for Americans. Nothing about education for our children. Nothing about our children’s future. Nothing for America’s future. I’m so beyond done,” she said.

Senator Chuck Schumer asked: “Has there ever been a more rambling, disjointed, and pathetic presidential war speech?”He added: “He is completely unfit to be Commander-in-Chief and the whole world knows it.”

Donald Trump once again blamed the rise in gas prices in the U.S. on the Iranian conflict, and once again boasted that the economy he had cultivated was strong enough to withstand it.

“This short term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers and neighboring countries that have nothing to do with the conflict,” he said.

“This is yet more proof that Iran can never be trusted with nuclear weapons. They will use them, and they will use them quickly. It would lead to decades of extortion, economic pain and instability, worse than we can ever imagine.”

He added: “The United States has never been better prepared economically to confront this threat. You all know that we built the strongest economy in history.

“In one year, we’ve taken a dead and crippled country, I hate to say that, but we were a dead and crippled country after the last administration, and made it the hottest country anywhere in the world, by far.”

Analysis: Andrew Feinberg delivers his verdict on Donald Trump’s address to the nation:

Moments before Donald Trump began his remarks, officials from the United Arab Emirates revealed that its defense systems were engaging with drone and missile attacks originating from Iran.

“The Ministry of Defense confirms that the sounds heard in various parts of the country are the result of the UAE air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones,” the UAE Ministry of Defense wrote online.

“UAE Air Defences system are actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats MOD asserts that the sounds heard across the country are the result of ongoing engaging operations of missiles and UAV’s.”

The MOD also warned civilians not to approach, touch or photograph debris that had fallen onto the ground as a result of any interceptions.

Barack Obama’s former speech writer Jon Favreau blasted the rambling and self-aggrandizing nature of Donald Trump’s remarks Wednesday night.

“I’m actually quite glad that primetime viewers are being exposed to the insane Truth Social rants the rest of us have been reading,” referring to the president’s frequent posts on his social media website, that often boast of his own achievements.