Trump to make TV address later – here’s some of what he will saypublished at 17:57 BST17:57 BSTBernd Debusmann JrWhite House reporter
I spent much of this morning messaging White House officials and others close to the administration, hoping that I would get some sort of indication of what the president might tell the world in tonight’s address (it’s expected at 21:00 in Washington, 02:00 BST on Thursday).Just a few moments ago, I got word back from a White House official who described it as “an operational update” on the US operation, which they see as meeting or exceeding expectations. As part of that, Trump will highlight what he believes will be American military successes, such as destroying Iran’s navy, degrading its missile manufacturing, combating Iranian proxy groups in the Middle East and ensuring that Iran will not be able to have a nuclear weapon. Additionally, the official said that the president is again expected to reiterate a timetable of two or three weeks for the operation, which he mentioned yesterday. Notably, the official made no mention of any peace negotations, efforts to bring down petrol prices in the US or ensuring freedom of navigation and commerce in the Strait of Hormuz. We will have to see, however, what the final content of the speech is tonight. The situation is rapidly changing, and Trump’s thinking could evolve rapidly.
