Donald Trump announced on Monday, July 13, that he would address the American nation on Thursday at 21 p.m. (Eastern Time), without specifying the topics he would discuss. The address comes as clashes with Iran have resumed with increased intensity.
The announcement was made directly on Truth Social. "President Trump will address the nation Thursday night at 21 p.m. ET (1 a.m. GMT Friday)," the US president wrote on his platform. The White House did not respond to AFP's requests for comment regarding the content of the address.
Trump's last televised address was on April 1st, a speech of about twenty minutes during which he justified for the first time the American military intervention in Iran, more than a month after the start of the Israeli-American bombings launched on February 28th.
This new speech comes amid a sharp escalation in the Middle East. On the same Monday, Trump stated on Truth Social that the United States would now be "the guardians of the Strait of Hormuz" and that it would impose on ships "a fee equal to 20% of the value of the cargoes" transiting through this strategic waterway, which is subject to international law guaranteeing freedom of navigation.
Trump also announced the reinstatement of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with the US military specifying that it would take effect at 20 p.m. GMT on Tuesday. This decision strikes at a crucial trade artery for the global economy, through which a significant portion of the world's oil passes.
The war, triggered on February 28 by Israeli-American strikes, continues to shake the region and international markets. Trump had also declared that Iran would be hit "extremely hard" for another two to three weeks.
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