‘STONE AGE’ WARNING: Trump Vows Massive Iran Strikes in 2–3 Weeks as War Enters Second Month
In his first prime-time address on Operation Epic Fury, President Trump claimed victory while threatening to obliterate Iran’s power grid — but offered no clear exit plan, rattling global markets and sending oil prices surging past $100 a barrel.
By Staff Reporter | April 2, 2026
US President Donald Trump addressed the nation on Thursday in a 19-minute speech, declaring that America is winning the war against Iran — while simultaneously warning of a dramatic escalation in the weeks ahead.
Trump told Americans that the conflict, now entering its second month, will end “shortly,” hailing the US military’s performance as “unstoppable.” Yet his words offered little comfort to war-weary observers or jittery markets.
Trump said he will “hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” adding that if no deal is struck, the US would target Iran’s electric generating plants “very hard and probably simultaneously.”
In a stark warning, Trump threatened to bring Iran “back to the stone ages, where they belong” if negotiations fail — despite having told reporters just a day earlier that a formal deal was not even necessary to end the war.
Contradictions Pile Up
Analysts and opposition figures were quick to note that the speech broke little new ground. Trump called for negotiations to end the conflict while having said the previous day that no agreement was needed. He demanded the Strait of Hormuz be reopened, then said other nations should shoulder that responsibility themselves.
In his speech, Trump said he never aimed for regime change — yet simultaneously declared he had achieved it, saying “regime change has occurred because of all of their original leaders’ death — they’re all dead,” and that the new leadership is “less radical and much more reasonable.”
Trump also appeared to abandon a previous war objective, telling Reuters he is no longer concerned about Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, saying “that’s so far underground, I don’t care about that” — contradicting earlier statements in which he insisted the US wanted all enriched uranium.
Civilian Toll Mounts
The human cost of the war continues to rise steeply. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 1,606 civilians have been killed in Iran since hostilities began on February 28, including at least 244 children.
Markets Shaken, Oil Surges
Markets reacted negatively to the speech. S&P 500 futures slid 0.75%, Nasdaq futures fell 1%, and Dow futures dropped more than 310 points.
Oil prices jumped sharply, with US crude rising to over $102 per barrel while Brent crude climbed to around $104. Since the war began, average US petrol prices have risen from $2.46 per gallon to more than $4.
Iran Refuses to Back Down
Tehran flatly rejected Trump’s claims. Iran denied seeking a ceasefire and continued its counterattacks, firing more missiles at Israel even as Trump was delivering his address. Iran’s military advisors warned they would not stop fighting until they had secured their objectives.
Britain Calls 35-Nation Summit — Without the US
In a significant diplomatic development, Britain announced it is convening a 35-nation meeting to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz — notably without American participation. The summit, co-led with France, aims to explore diplomatic and political steps to restore safe passage for vessels and crew stranded in the war zone.
The war has further strained US relations with NATO allies. Trump said he is considering pulling the United States out of NATO because allied nations refused to join the military campaign against Iran.
With Iran unbowed, oil prices soaring, and allies distancing themselves from Washington, the coming two to three weeks — by Trump’s own reckoning — may prove to be the most consequential of this conflict yet.
