'Two score and seven years' of Iranian terror ends here – Trump vows victory, open seas, and lower petrol prices

In a stirring address echoing Abraham Lincoln's resolve to preserve the Union against existential threats, President Donald Trump declared that the US will not falter until the Iranian regime is dismantled, its terror proxies crushed, and the Strait of Hormuz flows freely once more —ushering in an era of stable, affordable energy for American families and the world.

Trump's statement, posted by the White Hosue on Wednesday (March 11), emphasised that while no confirmed reports exist of Iran deploying mines, any such actions would trigger military consequences "at a level never seen before."

He also highlighted US use of advanced missile technology to eliminate mine-laying vessels, urging Iran to de-escalate as a "giant step in the right direction."

The statement follows US strikes destroying 16 Iranian mine-laying ships near the strait, as reported by the US Central Command.

"In recent years, the regime and its terror proxies have launched attacks on hundreds of commercial vessels," he proclaimed.

"We're putting an end to all this threat once and for all. And the result will be lower oil prices, oil and gas prices for American families. We've done that, we've brought it very low. This was just an excursion into something that had to be done."

The Iranian regime came to power in 1979 — 47 years ago.

Like Lincoln's call to a "new birth of freedom," Trump framed the ongoing Iran conflict as a moral imperative after "47 years of aggression against Americans and allies."

The US Central Command, alongside Israel — has obliterated degraded Iran's missiles and drones.

CentCom has reported hitting over 5,000 targets, which has led to the sinking of the Iranian naval fleet, missile and drone launchers and factories, and leadership decapitated.

'Ahead of schedule'

Trump boasted the US is "ahead of schedule," noting a "90% decline" in missile launches and drone swarms.

The Strait of Hormuz, that vital artery choked by Iranian mines and suicide boats, stands as the campaign's pivotal battleground.

Trump vowed US Navy escorts — led by the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group — will soon clear the "Death Valley" gauntlet, shielding tankers from Tehran's asymmetric traps.

Political risk insurance for shipping and waived oil sanctions will flood markets anew, slashing Brent crude from its $100+ spike and averting recession.

While Trump sidestepped assassination queries, he insisted: only toppling the ayatollahs, and ushering in a regime friendly to America, ensures proxies like Hezbollah and Houthis — long backed by Tehran — vanish as threats.

Iran's escalations drew regional unity in the Gulf, even as Venezuela has emerged as a fresh oil ally post-Maduro's capture, while China signals cooperation for global stability.

With Iran's capabilities crumbling, Hormuz unblocked, and terror's grip broken, lower pump prices await, Trump said.

Meanwhile, maritime monitor HFI research has posted that tankers are now crossing Hormuz as "ghosts", as they turn off transponders while making the delicate passage.

Trump framed his decision to launch Operation Epic Fury as a "short-term excursion that had to be done" and which forms part of the US-led drive to see a world — with free markets and secure seas — finally ridding itself of 47 years of IRGC terror.

"We're very close to finishing that," Trump said.