US President Donald Trump has said that the United States is "nearing completion" of its objectives in the war against Iran.
"Tonight, I'm pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion," Mr Trump said in his first prime-time address since the start of the conflict in late February.
The president added his country's military objectives are on track to be completed "shortly, very shortly".
The president said the recent rise gasoline prices are "short term" and called for countries that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz to show "courage" and seize the key waterway.
"The countries of the world that ... receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage," Mr Trump said.
"Just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves," he added.
He also thanked "our allies in the Middle East - Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain", adding: "They've been great and we will not let them get hurt or fail in any way, shape or form."
Watch: Trump calls on nations that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait to 'just take it'
Yesterday, Mr Trump claimed a major breakthrough, saying Iran's president was seeking a ceasefire.
This was swiftly denied by Iran's foreign ministry, which also accused Washington of making "maximalist and irrational" demands.
Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian accused the US of war crimes and being influenced by Israel ahead of the much-anticipated address by Mr Trump.
He asked the people of the United States if the Middle East conflict was truly putting "America First".
"Attacking Iran's vital infrastructure - including energy and industrial facilities - directly targets the Iranian people," Mr Pezeshkian said in an open letter, published to his website.
He added: "Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran's borders."
They sow "instability, increase human and economic costs", and plant "seeds of resentment that will endure for years", he continued.
"Exactly which of the American people's interests are truly being served by this war?"
Mr Trump and his advisers have offered shifting explanations and timelines for the conflict, now in its fifth week.
Some allies are pushing the US president to assuage growing concerns among Americans, most of whom oppose the conflict and are upset at rising gasoline prices due to disruptions in the global oil supply.
The president briefly addressed those concerns, saying that prices would come back down.
He notably did not commit to any timeline to end the war and said the US would begin hitting energy and oil targets if it was deemed appropriate, even as he said the end was near.
He said: "Many Americans have been concerned to see the recent rise in gasoline prices here at home.
"This short-term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers of neighboring countries that have nothing to do with the conflict."
Mr Trump did not directly discuss NATO, despite telling Reuters in an interview earlier in the day that he would also express his disgust with the alliance for what he considers its lack of support for US objectives in Iran.
Before the address, recent polling showed Mr Trump's overall approval rating slipping below 40%, with disapproval climbing above the mid-50s as voters sour on both the war and its economic fallout.
The economic picture has compounded the problem.
Gasoline prices have surged above $4 a gallon (over $1 a liter) for the first time in years, while consumer confidence has weakened, dragging down Mr Trump's already fragile standing on the economy.
Ahead of the speech, markets seized on Mr Trump's more optimistic signals.
Global equities rallied and oil prices fell yesterday on hopes of a near-term end to the conflict.
Brent crude was down around 2.7% at $101.16 a barrel, while stock markets posted strong gains.
Still, analysts warned the underlying economic risks remain acute, with oil prices elevated and the Strait of Hormuz - a conduit for roughly a fifth of global supply - still effectively shut.
Beyond the markets, the strategic picture is increasingly difficult to reconcile with the administration's rhetoric, say its critics.
US and Israeli forces have struck thousands of targets and inflicted heavy damage on Iran's military infrastructure.
But the conflict has dragged on, the leadership in Tehran remains in place and the economic shock has spread globally - raising questions about whether the US preisdent can deliver a clear endgame.
That uncertainty has filtered into Washington, where even some of Mr Trump's allies acknowledge the war has become a growing political liability ahead of November's midterm elections.
Although Mr Trump's messaging has been inconsistent, the administration says these goals are to:
- destroy Iran's navy.
- destroy its missiles and production facilities.
- neutralize its militia proxies across the region.
- guarantee that Tehran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.
