Across the world on Wednesday night, millions of people will tune in to watch Donald Trump deliver a primetime update on the war in Iran. Many will hope for some insight on how the war ends and what might come after.
The Trump administration has, so far, given little clue as to what prompted the hastily-arranged remarks, or whether they will mark the beginning of the end of the conflict or a potentially bloody escalation.
This ambiguity is, at least partly, by design. Trump often changes course or leaves his thinking a mystery to all but a small inner circle of supporters, which he has acknowledged leaves friend and foe alike wondering about his next move.
The president also knows that the address comes at a critical time in his presidency and amid mounting domestic pressure to find a way out of the conflict.
Poll after poll has shown that Americans have little appetite for a protracted conflict in Iran, particularly if it involves the prospect of US soldiers on Iranian soil.
A Reuters poll released this week found that two-thirds of Americans believe the US should work to swiftly wrap up its involvement in the war, even if the administration's stated military objectives are not completely achieved.
Closer to home, many Americans are increasingly wary of higher prices at the petrol pump, which this week crossed the average of $4 a gallon for the first time in years. For a president who, pre-war, often pointed to lower petrol prices as a mark of success, this trend represents a challenge.
Imran Bayoumi, a geostrategy expert with the Atlantic Council in Washington DC, told the BBC that the deep domestic unpopularity of the war, along with the economic fallout, "both pose a problem ahead of midterm elections" if the war were to drag on.
Trump is likely to present his view on how the conflict will come to a close, a notion that has shifted repeatedly, including a recent claim that the war could end in 'two to three' weeks even without a deal. In recent comments, he suggested that Iran's president had asked the US for a ceasefire, but that it would not be considered until the Strait of Hormuz is open.
While the US-Israeli operation has successfully degraded Iran's military, Trump's claim that the war is nearing an end leaves little room for more complex military strategies. Allies and adversaries worldwide will scrutinize his address, pondering whether it’s a true policy shift or merely a temporary tactic.
The Trump administration has, so far, given little clue as to what prompted the hastily-arranged remarks, or whether they will mark the beginning of the end of the conflict or a potentially bloody escalation.
This ambiguity is, at least partly, by design. Trump often changes course or leaves his thinking a mystery to all but a small inner circle of supporters, which he has acknowledged leaves friend and foe alike wondering about his next move.
The president also knows that the address comes at a critical time in his presidency and amid mounting domestic pressure to find a way out of the conflict.
Poll after poll has shown that Americans have little appetite for a protracted conflict in Iran, particularly if it involves the prospect of US soldiers on Iranian soil.
A Reuters poll released this week found that two-thirds of Americans believe the US should work to swiftly wrap up its involvement in the war, even if the administration's stated military objectives are not completely achieved.
Closer to home, many Americans are increasingly wary of higher prices at the petrol pump, which this week crossed the average of $4 a gallon for the first time in years. For a president who, pre-war, often pointed to lower petrol prices as a mark of success, this trend represents a challenge.
Imran Bayoumi, a geostrategy expert with the Atlantic Council in Washington DC, told the BBC that the deep domestic unpopularity of the war, along with the economic fallout, "both pose a problem ahead of midterm elections" if the war were to drag on.
Trump is likely to present his view on how the conflict will come to a close, a notion that has shifted repeatedly, including a recent claim that the war could end in 'two to three' weeks even without a deal. In recent comments, he suggested that Iran's president had asked the US for a ceasefire, but that it would not be considered until the Strait of Hormuz is open.
While the US-Israeli operation has successfully degraded Iran's military, Trump's claim that the war is nearing an end leaves little room for more complex military strategies. Allies and adversaries worldwide will scrutinize his address, pondering whether it’s a true policy shift or merely a temporary tactic.
