Donald Trump to cause TV network blackout tonight as he addresses US nation
Donald Trump will cause a TV network blackout tonight as he's set to deliver an 'important update' to people across the United States.
The whole of the world has been on edge ever since it was confirmed that the US and Israel had bombed Iran at the end of February, with both Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting that their aim was to rid Iran of any nuclear weapons, despite the Middle Eastern country insisting that they don't have any.
Throughout the month of March, war has been raging on, with several soldiers killed in the conflict while a bomb also struck an Iranian girls school, killing almost 170 people, many of whom were girls between the ages of seven and 12.
It was the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei which perhaps caused the most outrage however, with his son succeeding him recently, while Trump suggested that assassination attempts against him had failed by comparison.
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Although the president recently suggested that the US would be leaving Iran 'very soon', the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz is continuing to cause issues for the rest of the world, with no end in sight after Trump claimed that allies should 'get their own oil'.
And now he looks set to deliver the latest news on the conflict to the US population at 9pm Eastern Time, causing a literal blackout on all TV networks to ensure that his message properly gets across, which suggests that it's certainly going to be a significant one.
It will be broadcast live across all four major US networks, CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox, beginning at 9pm ET, which means that shows such as The Masked Singer and Survivor will be interrupted, while talk shows such as The Late Show and The Tonight Show have been pushed back, no doubt so they can react to the president's remarks.
What will Trump say when he addresses the nation?
White House press officer Karoline Leavitt remained tight-lipped about what the president would discuss in his 20-minute speech.
But Trump's recent remarks and Truth Social posts could provide clues as to the content of his address.
On Tuesday (31 March), he said the war in Iran would end in 'two weeks, maybe three', adding this would be the case even if Iran did not agree a peace deal with the US.
Then earlier today, he wrote on Truth Social: "Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!"
He said, however, he would only consider it if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, adding: "Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!"
Following this suggestion the war could be winding down, oil prices in the US briefly dropped below $100 a barrel, with stock prices rallying around the world.
Many will hope Trump's announcement will detail how the war in Iran could end.
But a spokesperson for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X that Trump's claims the country had asked for a ceasefire were 'the delusions and falsehoods of criminals'.
When CBS asked Trump what had to happen between now and the US declaring victory in Iran, he responded: "Not much. We want to clean up some ends, but we have done our job."
Alternatively, the US president said in an interview with The Telegraph published today that he is contemplating leaving NATO.
He called the alliance a 'paper tiger', and said the US pulling out was 'beyond reconsideration'. His frustration largely stems from what he feels is his NATO partners' unwillingness to help him reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
This is something else we may hear more about this evening.
Can Trump leave NATO?
Trump can pull the US out of NATO - but it won't be easy.
He'll need the support of two-thirds of Congress to exit the alliance, thanks to a law introduced in 2023.
Taking the US out of the treaty after 77 years may well be a hard sell for the president.
It's not the first time Trump has butted heads with NATO, as his oft-discussed plans to annex Greenland are made all the more awkward by the fact that Denmark, which owns the island, is a NATO ally.
Of all the NATO members, Trump has singled out the UK for its unwillingness to become embroiled in the Iran conflict, but prime minister Keir Starmer suggested this morning that the UK wouldn't be getting involved in the conflict under any circumstances.
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, Politics, World News
James Moorhouse