Trump Shifts Toward Regime Change, Threatens Oil Seizure as Markets React
Key Takeaways
- Trump says core Iran war objectives nearing completion, with continued strikes and a near-term end.
- End of war contingent on reopening the Strait of Hormuz to restore oil transit.
- Ceasefire talks underway; Iran denies requesting a ceasefire, while conditions hinge on Hormuz reopening.
Trump Proclaims Victory, Threatens Economic Decimation
President Trump declared US-Iran military objectives were nearing completion and threatened to bring them back to the Stone Ages.
“Trump says US forces will ‘finish the job’ soon in first prime-time speech since starting Iran war Trump says US forces will ‘finish the job’ soon in first prime-time speech since starting Iran war WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said U”
He openly declared his favorite thing to do is take Iran's oil, an unprecedented economic objective.
The Pentagon's official casualty count remained low at 27, but Trump claimed Iran's military had been completely destroyed.
Trump set reopening the Strait of Hormuz as a condition for ending hostilities, despite it being closed for over a month.
Ceasefire Odds Plunge, Markets Recalibrate
Prediction markets plummeted after Trump's speech, with odds of a ceasefire by April 7 dropping to 8%.
Oil surged over 5% to above $100 per barrel, wiping out two weeks of declines.
US stock futures fell nearly 1%, and Asian markets closed broadly lower.
The widening divergence between rhetoric and market expectations underscores escalating risks.
Congress Debates, Allies Balk
The House voted 224-201 to require congressional authorization for ground combat.
“Trump: The United States could end its war in Iran within two to three weeks U”
NATO formally rejected Trump's request to invoke Article 5.
Trump privately vented frustration at America’s closest allies for declining to join the war.
Human Cost Mounts Unseen
The Iranian Red Crescent reported 1,287 Iranians killed, including at least 153 children at a girls' school in Minab.
Several US-Israeli strikes that killed hundreds also destroyed Tehran’s central prison.
The widening gap between devastation and Washington's official narrative highlights the war's human cost.
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