Facing a restless public and roiled markets, US President Donald Trump used a prime-time address to mount a forceful defense of the month-old US-Israeli war on Iran, insisting the military was close to finishing its task even as he renewed threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Age. He spoke for 19 minutes with global oil prices elevated and his own approval ratings sliding. Here are some key takeaways. 1. Searching for a way out - but not yet Even as he argued the US military was moving toward its goals…

Washington’s case for the US operation in Iran remains as murky as ever, with shifting explanations about its purpose and endgame leaving Americans and allied governments struggling to pin down exactly what the mission is meant to achieve. The Trump administration’s public message has repeatedly shifted, as the president and his top officials offer conflicting accounts of why the campaign began, what success looks like and when it is supposed to conclude. Since the start of March, President Donald Trump has said more than a…

Trump touts ‘economic boom’ and blames Biden for prices in prime-time address WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump promised Americans “an economic boom” and said prices are “falling rapidly” in a nationally televised address from the White House, casting blame for high costs on his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, even as new polls show persistent voter anxiety over affordability. “Good evening America. Eleven months ago I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump, 79, said in the live speech at the end of his first year…