Mara Liason

The televised address comes a day after Trump reversed himself, dropping his demand that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

He had threatened to, quote, completely obliterate Iran's civilian electric plants, oil wells, and desalinization plants if Iran didn't open the Strait shortly.

But now he says the U.S.

will be leaving Iran very soon.

And if other countries want to get oil through the Strait, they can, quote, fend for themselves.

Trump says we're not going to have anything to do with it.

With gas prices in the U.S.

breaking $4 a gallon, the president seems eager to find a way to end the war, even if many of his political objectives, including unconditional surrender, have not been met.

Mara Liason, NPR News.

That's right.

This is the biggest swivel that Trump has made so far.

He has made a series of very harsh threats against Iran.

Less than 36 hours ago, he said he would bomb civilian sites, electricity plants, desalinization plants.

That might have gone against the Geneva Convention.

But he said if the Strait of Hormuz didn't open up shortly, that would happen.

Now, all of a sudden, it's no longer a goal.

He doesn't care.

He's washing his hands of this.

And someone else can deal with it.

Here's what he said yesterday.