Trump scared the markets in his address about Iran. What the media is writing

US President Donald Trump has addressed the nation in connection with the war with Iran. He promised to end the conflict soon, but at the same time threatened new attacks on power plants. His speech eventually scared investors and led to a spike in oil prices. How the world's media reacted to Trump's statements from the White House is in the Izvestia digest.

Bloomberg: Trump announced the imminent end of the war with Iran

Trump said that the war in Iran is "very close" to an end, although he noted that the United States plans to launch new attacks on the country within the next two to three weeks. In his address to the nation, he called the war a success, saying that the operation had almost achieved its military objectives, including the destruction of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, the air force, navy and industrial base. He said that these steps would prevent the destabilization of the region by Tehran's henchmen and block the country's path to nuclear weapons.

Instead of calming the markets and convincing them of the possibility of a quick end to the war, some of his statements seem to have alarmed investors. Trump said that military operations could soon intensify. He suggested that diplomacy would continue, but if no agreement was reached, the United States would deal "a very severe blow to each of their power plants."

Reuters: hopes for an early end to the war with Iran are fading

Hopes for an early end to the war in the Middle East faded after Trump promised more aggressive strikes against Iran, disappointing investors who had hoped for clearer signals of a way out of the month-long conflict. After Trump's announcement that military operations would be intensified in the next two to three weeks, and the lack of a specific timetable for the cessation of hostilities, stocks fell, oil prices rose sharply, and the dollar strengthened.

Brent oil prices jumped by about 6% to $107.69 per barrel, as Trump's speech did not provide any guarantees regarding the reopening of the most important energy channel in the Strait of Hormuz. The stock market also suffered: futures on American indices fell by 1.3%, while European ones fell by more than 2%. Almost all Asian stock exchanges were in the red, including Japan's Nikkei and the MSCI index of stocks in other Asia-Pacific countries.

CNN: Trump fails to allay concerns about the outcome of the war with Iran

Trump appeared before a country that, according to recent polls, has not only lost confidence in his presidency, but has also reacted negatively to his new war and is deeply concerned about its impact on the economy. Millions of people in the Middle East and around the world want to know when the war will end and how to fix its consequences, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which threatens a global recession.

Many expected that Trump would point to a clear ending to the war in his speech. Not only did he not do this, but he also allowed the possibility of a large-scale military escalation. He also threatened to strike all Iranian power plants and oil facilities if Tehran did not comply with his demands for a peace agreement. Therefore, it is difficult to assume that his speech will reassure Americans worried about the development of the war, or global investors alarmed by the energy crisis.

The Washington Post: A plan has been developed for Trump to seize Iranian uranium

According to two sources familiar with the situation, the US military presented Trump with a plan to seize almost 450 kg of highly enriched uranium in Iran. It involves the delivery of excavation equipment by aircraft and the construction of a runway for cargo planes that will take out radioactive material. According to sources, the plan was presented to the president last week after he made such a request.

One of the evidences of Trump's interest in conducting such an operation was that on Saturday he called on Americans to watch the program of Mark Levin, an ardent supporter of Israel. Levin said the United States should deploy "specialized" ground troops to seize Iran's uranium reserves. Launching a large-scale ground operation will require the deployment of special forces and many other troops and support personnel, which will create a significant new level of risk for the military. Polls show that the majority of Americans are against the war and, in particular, against the deployment of Ground troops.

Hell on the other shore: the US invasion of the Iranian islands could turn into a disaster

Washington is preparing scenarios for a ground operation - Tehran is ready to respond by blocking key sea routes. Washington is preparing invasion scenarios for the Iranian islands

Financial Times: Gulf states want new pipelines bypassing Hormuz

The threat of Iran's indefinite control over the Strait of Hormuz is forcing the Gulf states to reconsider expensive plans to build pipelines bypassing this bottleneck in order to continue exporting oil and gas. According to officials and heads of industrial enterprises, new pipelines may be the only way to reduce the vulnerability of the Persian Gulf countries to disruptions in the strait, despite the fact that such projects will be expensive, politically complex and will take years to implement.

In the near future, the expansion of the East—West pipeline, as well as the existing route from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, may be the most appropriate options. This will increase the capacity without the need to create a new cross-border infrastructure. Saudi Arabia could also build additional export terminals on the Red Sea coast, including a deep-water port that is being built as part of the Neom project.