Trump, signaling that he wants to wind down war, will address nation on Iran Wednesday night
The speech will be delivered as American Jews mark the first night of Passover
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive at the Opera House of the Kennedy Center for the opening night performance of the musical “Chicago” on March 31, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
(JTA) — President Donald Trump will address the nation “to provide an important update on Iran” on Wednesday night, his press secretary announced late Tuesday.
The speech comes one month into the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which has caused death and destruction across the Middle East as well as global economic shocks including a sharp rise in oil prices.
The speech, set for 9 p.m. ET, will take place as American Jews celebrate the first night of Passover, traditionally marked with a lengthy ritual meal called a seder. It is one of the most practiced Jewish traditions in the United States, according to surveys of American Jews.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not indicate what Trump planned to say when she announced the speech on X. But Trump told reporters on Tuesday, “We’ll be leaving very soon,” indicating, as he has before, that he is ready to wind down the war even as he has positioned U.S. troops in the Middle East to facilitate a potential expansion of the conflict.
Trump has repeatedly delaying major U.S. strikes to make way for what he says are productive negotiations with the Iranians, which the Iranians have largely denied. He has also reportedly told aides that he is willing to end the war without a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping corridor that Iran closed in retaliation.
Trump has also signaled that he believes Iran effectively has experienced regime change, a goal he has cited at times, because so many of its top leaders have been killed. The Islamic Republic regime remains intact.
Trump has a record of indicating publicly that he does not want to attack Iran while planning privately to strike. But he is also under pressure because of opposition to the war among portions of his base, as well as sharply rising gas prices that are fueling voter discontent.
The Israelis have reportedly accelerated and shifted their strikes on Iran in anticipation of a potential exit by the United States. Whether Israel continues fighting with Iran in that case remains to be seen, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lay the groundwork for a “mission accomplished” moment in his own address on Tuesday night.
Netanyahu outlined 10 objectives he said had already been achieved in weakening the Iranian regime. The speech followed his comments on Monday when he said the Israeli campaign was “definitely beyond the halfway point.”
Iran continued to fire missiles at Israel overnight, severely injuring a young girl in a strike on the city of Bnei Brak.
This article originally appeared on JTA.org.
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