Overview
- Following Wednesday's televised address, the president said U.S. forces will keep hitting Iran for two to three more weeks and claimed Iran's navy and air force are wrecked with missile and drone capacity sharply cut.
- He said 13 U.S. service members have been killed in the operation and vowed to keep striking very hard until stated goals are met.
- He argued the United States does not need the Strait of Hormuz open and urged countries that rely on it to reopen the waterway or buy U.S. oil.
- Public pressure is rising after a Reuters poll over the weekend found about 66% of Americans want a quicker U.S. exit, while GasBuddy data show average gasoline prices above $4 per gallon.
- Senior Democrats urged immediate ceasefire talks, and the president criticized NATO partners for sitting out the campaign and said he is weighing a U.S. withdrawal from the alliance.