Trump Floats ‘Winding Down’ Iran War as Strikes Continue

President Donald Trump said he was considering “winding down” US military efforts against Iran, saying that the US was close to achieving its objectives, even as attacks continued as the war entered its fourth week.Author of the article:You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump said he was considering “winding down” US military efforts against Iran, saying that the US was close to achieving its objectives, even as attacks continued as the war entered its fourth week.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Trump’s comments came shortly after he ruled out a ceasefire and kept the door open to deploying ground troops, highlighting how the president continues to send wildly divergent signals about his objectives and plans for the US and Israeli war on Iran. The conflict has roiled financial markets and sent energy prices soaring, prompting the US Treasury to take the extraordinary step of unsanctioning some Iranian oil. “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East,” Trump said in a social-media post on Friday. He cast those objectives as “Completely degrading” Iran’s missile capabilities, “destroying” the country’s defense industrial base, eliminating its navy and air force, never allowing Tehran to get close to a “Nuclear Capability” and protecting Middle Eastern allies.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.But it’s unclear how Iran would respond to any unilateral decision by the US to pause strikes after recent attacks that targeted the country’s energy infrastructure and killed more high-profile officials, including security chief Ali Larijani. Despite weeks of US-Israeli bombardment, the regime isn’t close to falling, and is instead coalescing around the remaining hardliners, according to western intelligence assessments and people familiar with the matter.Iranian officials have become reluctant to even discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid the intense US-Israeli bombing campaign, which continued overnight. The Israeli army said Saturday morning it was striking targets in Tehran and had detected missiles launched from Iran, which continued to launch retaliatory strikes at Gulf Arab neighbors as well. Trump also addressed the strait, a critical waterway that carries roughly a fifth of global oil and natural gas flows and has been all but closed since hostilities began. Trump has been pressuring allies to help the US secure the strait militarily but indicated Friday that he will leave that effort to other nations.“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. “If asked, we will help these Countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated. Importantly, it will be an easy Military Operation for them.”Trump’s suggestion that the nations most reliant on Mideast energy and other goods shipped through the strait should have the responsibility of policing it belies the global reach of the oil market. Even though the US is pumping a record amount of oil, crude prices are set in a world market, so supply shocks tied to the strait will ripple from Beijing to Washington, affecting consumers in the US. On Friday, in an effort to bring down prices, the Department of Treasury issued a general license for Iranian energy that’s already on vessels, authorized through April 19. That follows similar moves for Russian oil on the water. For now, the vast majority of Iran’s oil is bought by Chinese customers.Trump’s comments capped a tumultuous Friday in financial markets following a Bloomberg News report that an increasingly dug-in Iranian regime was refusing to negotiate over Hormuz and with reports the US is preparing options to deploy ground troops.Oil prices surged again Friday with global benchmark Brent closing above $112 a barrel, the highest since mid-2022. Prices eased to trade near $108 a barrel in thin post-settlement trading on Trump’s comments about possibly winding down the conflict.Global stocks extended their losses, with the US equity benchmark falling steeply to end the week nearly 2% lower. Treasury yields climbed, as traders priced in a 50% chance of a Federal Reserve hike by October. Meanwhile gold saw its worst week in four decades.Trump, a little over an hour before his social media post, had rejected the idea of declaring a halt to hostilities and expressed confidence Hormuz would reopen “itself” despite allies’ reluctance to offer assistance. “I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You know, you don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side,” the president had said at the White House. “We’re not looking to do that.”Trump had expressed growing frustration in recent days after his calls for allies to help vessels transit the waterway were rebuffed, lashing out at US partners, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as well as China.“NATO could help us, but they so far haven’t had the courage to do so. And others could help us, but we don’t use it,” the president said of the strait. “At a certain point, it’ll open itself.”Adding to the market turmoil was the administration’s consideration of a ground operation. Trump was evasive when asked by reporters about his plans for Kharg Island, Iran’s major oil export hub. US officials have said the White House is ordering hundreds of Marines to be deployed to the Middle East as it weighs a plan to seize the outpost.“I may have a plan or I may not, but how would I ever say that to a reporter?” Trump said.Any move to use ground troops to seize control of Iran’s energy facilities would pose risks for Trump, including by putting American forces at greater danger than they’ve already been exposed to in the conflict and adding to the cost and scope of the campaign. The Pentagon has asked for an additional $200 billion from Congress to pay for the war, sending another mixed signal on how long the administration expects the conflict to last.Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. 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