Day 33 of Middle East conflict — Trump’s first address to the nation on Iran war | CNN

• Get the latest updates on the war with Iran here. • Trump’s address: President Donald Trump used familiar talking points in his first address to the nation on the Iran war, telling Americans the war is “nearing completion” and projected another two or three weeks of involvement. However, Trump signaled that the US is prepared to intensify its military response in the remaining time period and threatened to bring Iran “back to the stone ages.” • NATO criticism: Trump said in a new interview he would consider having the US leave NATO and again criticized the alliance for what he said was lackluster military support for the war. • Oil price up: Trump’s speech – offering few details of an exit strategy – did little to calm oil markets. Both the global and US oil benchmarks surged following his address. • Latest strikes: Israeli defenses intercepted Iranian missiles on the first night of Passover, and in Lebanon, Israeli attacks killed at least 50 people within 24 hours, health officials said. President Donald Trump used his Wednesday address to play down the United States’ reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and gas shipping route, as the rest