President Donald Trump is set to address the nation Wednesday night on the war in Iran.The president is expected to highlight what he believes is progress in the conflict and reiterate his timeline of two to three weeks to compl ete the operation.WATCH LIVE COVERAGE OF THE ADDRESS ON SCRIPPS NEWSTrump will give an operational update on the progress of Operation Epic Fury, which is meeting or exceeding all of its benchmarks, according to a White House official.Those goals include preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, degrading its missile capabilities and its ability to produce more, and stopping the regime from arming, funding and directing terrorist organizations.Since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, the Trump Administration has repeatedly and unambiguously reaffirmed these core objectives, the White House stated in a release.So far, the campaign has been conducted largely through airstrikes, supported by U.S. warships in the region.While thousands of Marines have been deployed to the region, ground troops have not been used. However, while there has not been a decision to send ground troops, Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal, according to a White House official.RELATED STORY | Trump pressures allies to secure oil routes as Iran war strains NATOThere are two criteria, sets of criteria for the completion of the mission. The first is the objectives themselves having been successful, which, of course, there's no doubt that they have been militarily, said Jacob Olidort, Chief Research Officer Director of American Security at the America First Policy Institute.Ahead of the address, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country is not the aggressor in the conflict and has acted in self-defense, blaming Israel for what he called manufacturing an Iranian threat.He also appeared to try and appeal directly to many of Trumps supporters, asking how the war prioritizes America First policies.The Iranian leader ended his message by saying the country has outlasted many aggressors, suggesting the conflict may not end on the timeline Trump has outlined.RELATED STORY | Trump says Iran seeking ceasefire, but Khamenei signals no end to fightingTrump ahead of the address suggested the US would consider a ceasefire in exchange for an open Hormuz Strait as the US has pressed diplomatic efforts amidst military pressure.Irans New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!! Trump posted on Truth Social.I think militarily, we may very well be ahead of schedule, and the military has performed amazingly as usual, and yet there are not indications to me that the regime is at a breaking point. I believe they see the economic leverage as working, as splitting NATO, undermining alliances, raising the profile diplomatically of China as potential negotiator, said David Schenker, the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute. ...read more read less