Israel launched fresh strikes on Tehran and Beirut on Saturday after US President Donald Trump said he was considering “winding down” military operations against Iran following three weeks of war, temporarily easing sanctions on Iranian oil shipments to stem a global supply crisis.
Tehran, however, has kept up its retaliatory drone and missile attacks on Gulf nations it accuses of serving as launchpads for US strikes, as well as on Israel.
Kuwait reported a missile and drone attack early Saturday and Saudi Arabia said it intercepted more than two dozen drones as Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei claimed to have dealt a “dizzying blow” to his country’s enemies.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the United States was “getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East.”
His post was the strongest indication yet that he may be prepared to soon end hostilities that began on February 28.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a post on X shortly after Trump’s message, said “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,” Leavitt continued. “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 authorization allows for the delivery and sale of Iranian crude oil and other petroleum products loaded onto ships before March 20 and will last through April 19, it said.
“By temporarily unlocking this existing supply for the world, the United States will quickly bring approximately 140 million barrels of oil to global markets, expanding the amount of worldwide energy and helping to relieve the temporary pressures on supply caused by Iran,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
As energy analysts and consumers count the cost of attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Gulf, including the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub, Trump slammed NATO allies as “cowards” and called on them to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has choked the channel crucial for around a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas during peacetime.
The standoff has sent crude oil prices soaring, with a barrel of North Sea Brent crude up more than three percent on Friday to around $112.
Trump has previously said he does not plan to put boots on the ground in Iran.
But The Wall Street Journal said Washington is deploying between 2,200 and 2,500 US Marines from the California-based USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Asked about the reports, the Marine Corps said the two groups are “deployed at sea,” while the US 3rd Fleet said they are “conducting routine operations.”
A week ago, US media reported a separate deployment to the Middle East of some 2,500 Marines aboard as many as three ships.
Beyond the Gulf, the war has spread to Lebanon where the Israeli military has carried out regular bombardments in response to rocket fire by Iran ally Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes against “Hezbollah terrorist organization targets” in the Lebanese capital early Saturday.
It had called on residents to evacuate parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.
In southern Lebanon, close to the border, state media reported an “extensive” Israeli operation around the town of Khiam and said an Israeli airstrike killed at least one person.
Lebanon’s health ministry says the war has killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than one million, while Israel’s army says two soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon.
In Iraq, which neighbors Iran and has been drawn into the war, a strike killed a fighter at a military airfield in the country’s north, with his group blaming the US and Israel.
