In a primetime address on Operation Epic Fury, President Trump declared core strategic objectives in Iran nearly complete, stating Iran's navy is gone, its air force in ruins, most leaders dead, and missile capabilities curtailed. Yet he vowed to hit Iran "extremely hard" over the next two to three weeks, threatening to "bring them back to the stone ages where they belong" if no deal materializes, including potential strikes on electric plants while claiming the U.S. has avoided targeting oil facilities so far. Trump pinned short-term gasoline price rises on Iranian attacks on tankers and urged nations reliant on Strait of Hormuz oil to take the lead in reopening it, emphasizing U.S. energy independence. Markets reacted sharply against the mixed signals of triumphalism without a clear exit or ceasefire: Brent crude surged over 5-6% above $106-107 per barrel, WTI similarly climbed, and Asian stocks slid as investors priced in prolonged disruption from the Hormuz blockade, estimated at 11 million barrels daily. This pattern—asserting near-victory while committing to intensified bombing—reveals escalation dynamics and global supply chain fragilities that mainstream reporting often frames as contained, despite the conflict's rapid spillover into energy markets and ally frustration. Connections to broader risks include potential wider regional involvement and sustained inflation pressures, underscoring how U.S. maximum-pressure tactics continue to expose economic interdependencies even as domestic production is touted as a buffer.