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On Thursday, Trump made a rare prime-time national television address from the White House. He attempted to reassure the American people who are experiencing financial market volatility and a decline in political support due to the war, claiming that the war with Iran is "very close" to ending. However, as Trump hinted at possible escalation of military action in the short term, international spot gold and silver prices plummeted while U.S. and Brent crude oil prices continued to rise. At the time of writing, spot gold fell over $100, spot silver fell over 3%, and U.S. and Brent crude oil both rose over 5%. This speech highlights the immense pressure Trump is facing to clearly define the purpose of the war to the public and find an "exit strategy" for the increasingly uncontrollable conflict that has entered its fifth week. It is worth noting that in some ways, this speech resembles the mobilization at the beginning of the war rather than a summary one month into the war. The Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global seaborne oil passes, has been basically blocked since the outbreak of hostilities, becoming a major economic pain point. Despite Trump's insistence that the energy shock will ease after the war, the government has not yet clarified how it will convince Iran to reopen the passage through the strait.