Trump to deliver a primetime speech about U.S.-Israel war on Iran at 9 p.m. ET

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that Iran is seeking a ceasefire, hours ahead of his primetime speech to the nation to provide an update about the ongoing war.

Trump is scheduled to speak at 9 p.m. ET, and hinted that he would also use the occasion to say he is considering withdrawing the U.S. from NATO.

He made the claim about the ceasefire on his social media account, saying that in response, “We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”

Iran denied making such a request.

Thousands killed across Middle East

A White House official later said Trump is expected to reiterate in his speech that he believes the war in Iran will end in the next two to three weeks, and to provide an update on U.S. progress toward achieving his goals in Iran.

The official said those goals are to destroy Iran’s missile production, destroy its navy, ensure its proxies can no longer destabilize the region and guarantee that it does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

Thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East since Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel struck Iran, triggering Iranian attacks on Israel, U.S. bases and the Gulf states, while opening a new front in Lebanon.

The conflict has unleashed one of the largest supply shortages in global energy market history, heaping political pressure on Trump to end the conflict quickly, even as analysts said his objectives had not been ​met.

Trump had suggested on Tuesday he could wind down the war in two to three weeks even without a deal, while scaling up threats to pull the U.S. out of the NATO defence alliance if European states did ‌not help stop Iran from blocking the waterway.

In remarks to Reuters on Wednesday, Trump said he would express his disgust with NATO for what he considers the alliance’s lack of support for U.S. objectives in Iran.

U.S. Senate reacts to NATO attacks

Trump’s attack on NATO elicited a bipartisan defence of the alliance from the U.S. Senate. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said in a joint statement that “NATO is the most successful military alliance in history” and stressed how its members “fought and died” alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Americans are safer when NATO is strong and united,” the statement said. “The Senate will continue to support the alliance for the peace and protection it provides America, Europe, and the World.”

France was among the first European ⁠NATO members to react to Trump’s threats.

“Let me recall what NATO is,” French junior army minister Alice Rufo said. “It is a military alliance concerned with the security of territories in the Euro-Atlantic area. It is not intended to carry out an operation in the Strait of Hormuz, which is not in accordance with international law.”

A German government spokesperson, asked about Trump’s comment during a government press conference, said ​Germany remains committed to NATO: “This isn’t the first time he’s done this, and since it’s a recurring phenomenon, you can probably judge the consequences for yourself,” they said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would act in his country’s interest, regardless of the “noise.” The instability caused by the war meant Britain ⁠should pivot to focus on closer economic and defence ties with Europe, he said.

Experts say it is not clear whether Trump could act unilaterally to leave the 77-year-old coalition, even though he frequently makes major decisions without congressional approval, some of which are held up by U.S. courts.