Trump to address nation as Iran conflict escalates

The announcement comes after the United States struck Iranian military targets twice on Wednesday.

(NBC)- President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver a primetime address to the nation Thursday night as tensions with Iran continue to escalate following another exchange of military strikes.

The announcement comes after the United States struck Iranian military targets twice on Wednesday. Iranian state media also reported retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, though the Pentagon has not commented on any damage.

Trump said Iran has expressed interest in reaching a settlement but warned that additional U.S. strikes on Iranian infrastructure remain possible if an agreement is not reached.

According to a source familiar with the speech, the president is also expected to address election integrity and discuss findings from a White House task force reviewing his 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden.

The task force has reportedly gathered information related to issues including voting machines. However, multiple court rulings, audits and election reviews have repeatedly found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The administration also reversed a temporary pause on Immigration and Customs Enforcement traffic stops. The Department of Homeland Security had suspended the practice following two fatal ICE shootings involving men who were not the intended targets of enforcement operations.

Border czar Tom Homan said the pause was intended to ensure agents received additional vehicle stop training before the practice resumed.

In a separate development, Trump announced that an American citizen who had been detained in Iran since late 2024 has been released and allowed to leave the country safely. The president described the move as a gesture of goodwill by Iran.