U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation about the Iran war at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. April 1, 2026. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS
President Donald Trump made a startling claim about the U.S.'s involvement in the war in Iran during his national address on Wednesday night.
Trump's speech was the first address he's given since the war began about five weeks ago. Since then, the president has offered shifting rationales for conducting coordinated bombing strikes across Iran, which have killed the country's top political and military leadership.
Trump said during his speech that the U.S. doesn't "need the Middle East for anything," including its oil. He made the comment after noting that the U.S. had been working with Venezuela's leadership after the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro on a deal that included the sale of oil.
"We're now totally independent of the Middle East," Trump said. "And yet, we are there to help. We don't have to be there. We don't need their oil. We don't need anything they have. We're there to help our allies."