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In a prime time address, Donald Trump said, quote,

We are on track to complete all of America's military objectives shortly in Iran.

The President vowed to hit Iran extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.

He also repeated his threat to bomb the country's energy infrastructure should its regime not agree to a deal in the coming weeks.

Mr. Trump's speech did little to soothe oil prices or stock

markets. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose while Asian indices dropped. Mr. Trump blamed the

quote short-term increase in petrol prices on Iran's attacks on commercial vessels and suggested

that other countries should buy oil from America as, quote, we have plenty.

Meanwhile, Massoud Peseshkian, Iran's president, issued an open letter to Americans, urging them to, quote,

look beyond political rhetoric and said relations between the two countries were undermined by,

quote, distortions and manufactured narratives. He also signaled that Iran was open to engagement, but ultimate authority rests with the

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Meshaba Hymane, and it is unclear whether the letter has his backing

or that of powerful military factions.

America's top Republican lawmakers announced an agreement to reopen the Department of Homeland Security,

which has been shuttered for more than six weeks.

...