*Photo: Donald Trump*
President of United States, Mr Donald Trump has said his country is considering “winding down” its military operations against Iran, claiming the U.S. is very close to meeting its objectives in the three-week-old conflict.
However, this announcement comes amid reports that a major Iranian nuclear facility has been targeted again and that the U.S. is simultaneously increasing its military presence in the region.
*KEY DEVELOPMENTS
• Strike on Natanz Nuclear Facility: Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation confirmed that the Natanz fuel enrichment complex was targeted by airstrikes on Saturday morning. Iranian state media reported that there was no radiation leakage and no danger to residents.
• Trump’s “Winding Down” Statements: In a post on Truth Social, Trump indicated that the U.S. is nearing its goals, which include destroying Iran’s navy, air force, and ballistic missile capacity. He expressed a desire to “talk” but claimed there is currently “nobody to talk to” in the Iranian leadership.
• Conflicting Military Actions: Despite the talk of scaling back, the U.S. is deploying three additional amphibious assault ships and approximately 2,500 more Marines to the Middle East, joining more than 50,000 troops already in the region.
• Strait of Hormuz Tensions: Trump called NATO allies “cowards” and insisted that other nations must take over the responsibility of guarding the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping lane that has been severely disrupted by the war.
• Economic Measures: To combat soaring global energy prices, the U.S. announced it would temporarily lift sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded on ships until April 19. Brent crude oil prices have recently fluctuated around $105–$112 per barrel.
• Ongoing Regional Conflict: While Trump mulls a wind-down, Israel continues to launch fresh waves of airstrikes on targets in Tehran and Beirut. Iran reportedly fired ballistic missiles at a joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, though they did not hit the target.
*Credit: Agency reports