On April 1, 2026, Donald Trump delivered his first primetime address to the nation on the war with Iran. He said the conflict was "nearing its completion." He then threatened to destroy Iran's electric generating plants and oil infrastructure if a deal is not reached within two to three weeks. He said he would bring Iran "back to the stone ages." International human rights experts and United Nations officials have stated that deliberately targeting civilian power and water infrastructure is a war crime under international law. Trump said it on national television and markets fell after he finished speaking.
How the War Started.
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a joint surprise attack on sites and cities across Iran, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other senior Iranian officials. The administration had been watching Iran rebuild its nuclear program following the June 2025 "Operation Midnight Hammer" strikes, and Trump ordered the attack without seeking congressional authorization. Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz — the chokepoint through which roughly 130 ships a day normally pass — and launching missile and drone strikes against Israel, U.S. military bases, and U.S.-allied countries in the region.
Before the war, approximately 130 ships per day transited the Strait of Hormuz. As of early April 2026, only six or fewer ships are transiting daily, in coordination with Iran. Iranian parliament is reportedly moving to formalize fees for any ships passing through. The Strait has not been fully reopened. Global oil prices and airline fuel surcharges have spiked. The average U.S. gas price has hit $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022.
The Address: Contradictions in Primetime.
Trump's April 1 address was heavy on theater and light on specifics. He told Americans the war was "nearing its completion" and that the U.S. would complete its objectives "shortly, very shortly." In the same speech, he said the U.S. would "hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks." He threatened to destroy every one of Iran's electric generating plants simultaneously if a deal is not reached. He threatened their oil infrastructure. He threatened to bring the country "back to the stone ages, where they belong." Stock futures dropped after he finished speaking. Asian markets fell the following morning. Oil prices surged.
He said the war was "nearing completion." Then he said he'd bomb Iran's power plants and water infrastructure for another two to three weeks. He said both things in the same speech.
What International Law Says About Destroying Power and Water Infrastructure.
Experts were direct about the legal implications. Attacks on civilian infrastructure by any party to a conflict would likely constitute a war crime under international law, multiple experts told CNN. David Michel of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said that deliberately attacking desalination plants — which provide drinking water to millions — would be a "provocative escalation" and, if done as policy rather than as a mistake, would be both illegal and a war crime. United Nations officials raised the same concerns. Trump made these threats from the Cross Hall of the White House.
Iran Says It Is Prepared for Six Months of War. Trump Says Two Weeks.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Iran is prepared to fight for at least six months and does not recognize any timeline set by its adversaries. Iran also directly contradicted Trump's claims that negotiations are going well — Araghchi stated that actual negotiations between the two countries do not exist. Iran also denied agreeing to "most of" a 15-point U.S. peace proposal, directly contradicting Trump's claims to the contrary. So the man saying the war is nearly over and the man saying Iran is eager to make a deal is describing a reality Iran's leadership says does not exist.
NATO: Not Interested.
Trump used the same week to blast NATO as a "paper tiger" for not backing the U.S. on the Iran war, and said in an interview that he would consider having the United States leave the alliance. NATO members have not provided military support for Operation Epic Fury. Ten European countries, including the United Kingdom, along with the EU's foreign policy chief, issued a joint statement calling for de-escalation.
Trump launched the war with Iran without seeking congressional authorization. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. Trump did not ask. Congress has not voted. The war is now over a month old with 13 Americans dead, gas at $4 a gallon, global markets destabilized, and no clear legal basis for the operation under U.S. law.
Sources
- CNN — Day 33 Live Updates: Trump's primetime address, market reaction, NATO criticism, and oil price surge following the speech.
- CNBC: Trump speech recap including threats to destroy Iran's electric generating plants and oil infrastructure.
- CNN — Day 32: Iran foreign minister says Iran is prepared to fight for six months and denies that U.S.-Iran negotiations exist.
- CNN — Day 31: Experts say targeting desalination plants would be a war crime. 13 US service members killed. Strait of Hormuz still closed.
- TIME: Inside Trump's search for an exit from the Iran war; how the administration's assumptions about a quick, decisive strike proved wrong.
- NPR: Republican strategists growing anxious as Iran war political consequences set in ahead of midterms.