Stocks fall after Trump's speech, Iranian missiles target Israel

Donald Trump says U.S. forces will keep hitting Iran very hard in the next two or three

weeks, sending the country in his words back to the Stone Ages.

The president addressed the nation late on Wednesday and said the U.S. was close to completing

its core objectives in Iran, but didn't offer a firm timeline for when the conflict

might end.

But uncertainty appears to have affected the markets, Asian stock fell and oil prices

rose after the president spoke.

Brent Crude is now at around $108 a barrel, which means higher fuel costs for consumers

around the world.

And the conflict keeps spreading beyond Iran's borders.

The U.S. Embassy in Iraq has told American citizens to leave Baghdad, warning of an

imminent attack by armed groups aligned with Iran.

And attacks have continued across the Gulf with more missile interceptions in the UAE,

in the last few hours.

Iran's president, Masopiz Shian, has also written a letter addressing the American people

in which he says attacking Iran's vital infrastructure, including energy and industrial

facilities, is a direct attack on the Iranian people.

Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran's

borders.

Shian asks, is America's first truly among the priorities of the U.S. government today?

He says the choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential.

Its outcome will shape the future for generations to come.

In other developments, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has urged all American citizens to leave

Iraq immediately, warning of possible attacks in the capital within the next 24 to 48

hours.

In alert, posted on X, the Embassy said Iran allied Iraqi armed groups may be planning

strikes in central Baghdad, potentially targeting U.S. citizens and interests.

Washington accuses some Iraqi groups of maintaining ties to Iran and of carrying out attacks

on U.S. bases in the region.

Coming up on the take, inside Iran's leadership, the key figures shaping decisions and how

past assassinations are shaping what comes next.

That's the take by Al Jazeera.

Find it wherever you get your podcasts.