President Donald Trump addressed the nation on the evening of Wednesday, April 1, at 9 p.m. EST, to share information with the American people on the war with Iran and an updated timeline, saying that the war would end in the next two to three weeks.
Trump began the speech by praising the team at NASA for a successful launch of Artemis II, before quickly transitioning to the topic of the conflict in the Middle East. He spoke about Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign launched with Israel on Feb. 28 as an effort to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapon capabilities, and stated that it has been successful so far.
“Tonight Iran’s navy is gone. Their air force is in ruins. Their leaders, most of them terrorists, are now dead,” Trump said. “These actions will cripple Iran’s military, crush their ability to support terrorist proxies and deny them the ability to build a nuclear bomb.”
As a result of these actions, a new regime has taken over the Iranian government, one that Trump seems willing to work with.
“Regime change has occurred,” Trump said. “The new group is less radical and much more reasonable.”
However, Trump threatens that, should this group not agree to a deal to stop all nuclear weapon development in exchange for the U.S. halting large-scale attacks, then he will order strikes against their energy plants.
“If there’s no deal, we’re going to hit each and every one of the electric generating plants hard and probably simultaneously,” Trump said.
This would greatly impact Iran as it would cause widespread blackouts affecting hospitals, water treatment facilities and food supply, according to TIME Magazine. The war was started with strikes from Operation Epic Fury ordered by Trump through executive action, without approval from Congress.
To do this, Trump utilized the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which states that without a declaration of war by Congress, the president has 48 hours to inform Congress of military action and 60 days to complete operations. After the 60 days are concluded, the U.S. must withdraw forces until Congress authorizes continued military action.
Many students are upset with Trump’s decision to strike Iran and involve the U.S. in international affairs instead of focusing on domestic problems, such as the rising rate of everyday expenses.
“There are a lot of domestic problems that he said he would address in his campaign, and he has done none of them,” said Ethan Sherris, a freshman political science and economics major. “These foreign conflicts are only making the domestic problems worse.”
One such domestic concern is the increased rate of gas prices as a result of the war. A gallon, which once cost around $2 to $3 in January, can now run consumers up to $5 as of April, according to a graph released by the American Automobile Association (AAA).
This increase in gas prices is a result of Iran’s control over the Hormuz Strait, which, according to BBC, is one of the world’s busiest oil shipping channels that sees about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passing through it.
“The gas prices are really high. I literally spent $45 on ten gallons of gas two days ago,” said Mary Taylor, a freshman elementary education major.
A two-week ceasefire was announced on April 7, 38 days after the start of the war, on the condition that Iran opens the Hormuz Strait. This would allow ships carrying natural energy resources from the Middle East to travel through the channel and reach countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.
However, some students express uncertainty about how successful the ceasefire will be.
“The ceasefire is the right path, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to take that path,” Sherris said.
Mackenzie Antis, a sophomore biology major, speaks of her concern about her belief in the president’s unpredictability, but thinks that the war will most likely conclude in his favor.
“He’ll eventually get what he wants out of this, but at the same time he is so unpredictable, he could decide he doesn’t like it anymore,” Antis said.
Students wanting more information on the war with Iran can find updates on the White House’s official page and their preferred news outlets. A recording of Trump’s national address is available to watch on YouTube or any major news network such as Cable News Network (CNN).