Adedokun Waliyu 
President Donald Trump and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday there is consideration to end the war against Iran, as the country is being “crippled day by day.”
Trump said he was considering “winding down” military operations against Iran, as the United States temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil shipments to stem a global supply crisis.
Iran launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and Israel, meanwhile, after Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei claimed to have dealt a “dizzying blow” to his country’s enemies.
Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States was “getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East” — the strongest indication yet that he may be prepared to soon end hostilities that began on February 28.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X: “The President and the Pentagon predicted it would take approximately 4-6 weeks to achieve this mission. Tomorrow marks week 3 — and the US Armed Forces are doing an exceptional job. Day by day, the Iranian Regime is being crippled, and their ability to threaten the United States and our allies is being significantly weakened.”
Amid growing concern over oil prices and global supply shortages, the US Treasury said it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded onto vessels. The authorisation covers Iranian crude oil and petroleum products loaded before March 20 and runs through April 19. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move would bring approximately 140 million barrels of oil to global markets to relieve supply pressures.
‘Dangerous Escalation’
Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — through which 20% of the world’s oil and gas normally flows — and attacks on energy infrastructure across the Middle East have sent crude prices soaring. North Sea Brent crude rose 3.26% on Friday to $112.19 per barrel. Wall Street stocks ended sharply lower on fears of a global economic downturn from prolonged supply disruptions.
Fresh blasts hit Tehran on Friday. Israel accused Iran of attacking holy sites in Jerusalem, with a strike leaving a crater in the Old City near Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed more than 20 Iranian drones early Saturday, while Israel reported a new wave of missiles fired from Iran.
Drone attacks hit Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, causing a fire later brought under control, a day after a direct hit on Qatar’s Ras Laffan natural gas facility.
The Israeli military launched strikes on Beirut early Saturday, targeting Hezbollah and calling on residents of several areas to evacuate. Turkey condemned Israeli strikes on Syrian army camps in southern Syria as a “dangerous escalation.” Syria has so far avoided being drawn into the regional war.
‘We Have Won’
Trump told White House reporters Friday he was not looking for a truce with Iran: “I think we have won. I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You know you don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side.”
After criticising NATO allies as “cowards,” Trump said other nations would need to take responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz, posting: “The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!”
Trump said the US wanted to talk to Iran but “there’s nobody to talk to” following the killing of Iran’s former supreme leader and other top officials. Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in public since being named to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei. In a written Nowruz statement, Mojtaba Khamenei claimed Iranians had defeated the enemy and forced him into “contradictory words and nonsense.”
Trump has repeatedly ruled out ground troops in Iran, though the Wall Street Journal reported 2,200–2,500 additional US Marines were heading to the region. Trump declined to confirm an Axios report that he was considering an occupation or blockade of Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub. US forces have struck Kharg but avoided hitting its oil infrastructure.
Source: AFP
