Trump to address nation as Iran crisis, China tensions and election fight intensify

Such addresses are typically reserved for major national moments. During his second term, Trump has used them to highlight key priorities, including a year-end address in December, and a speech in April focused on the Iran conflict.

The White House has not released the full agenda, but the timing has drawn attention. The address comes soon after Trump announced the reinstatement of a US naval blockade on Iran and reversed course on his proposed 20 per cent fee on cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz, declaring the US the “guardian” of the critical waterway.

But the broadcast is already being teased by briefed congressional allies as the most critical Oval Office address since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, with a warning that the time for complacency with China is officially over.

Reporting by Khushboo Razdan, Dewey Sim and Orange Wang