US officials predict quick end to Iran war, while Tehran says it can outlast foes
Written by: Maya Gebeily, Emily Rose and Jarrett Renshaw
DUBAI/JERUSALEM/PALM BEACH, Florida, March 15 (Reuters) – Responding to economic uncertainty over high oil prices, U.S. officials predicted on Sunday that the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran will end within weeks and a drop in energy costs, even as Iran claims it remains “stable and strong” and ready to defend itself.
US President Donald Trump threatened more attacks on Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, over the weekend and said he was not ready to reach a deal to end the war that has closed the vital Strait of Hormuz and rattled global energy markets.
The Trump administration plans to announce as early as this week that multiple countries have agreed to form a coalition to escort ships through the narrow waterway, but they are still debating whether those operations will begin before or after hostilities end, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed US officials. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump, who said on Friday that the US Navy would begin escorting oil tankers “soon”, said Iran wanted to negotiate, but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi disputed that claim on Sunday.
“We never wanted a ceasefire, we never even wanted negotiations,” Araqchi told CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “We are ready to defend ourselves no matter how long it takes”
With crude oil prices hovering around $100 a barrel, Trump administration officials insisted that all signs pointed to a relatively quick end to the conflict.
“This conflict will certainly end within the next few weeks – it may be sooner than that … and after that we will see a recovery in supply and a decline in prices,” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told ABC’s “This Week.”
Meanwhile, Araqchi tried to project an image of strength.
“This is not a fight for survival. We are stable and strong enough,” Araqchi told CBS. “We don’t see any reason to talk to the Americans, because we were talking to them when they decided to attack us, and this was the second time.”
As the war enters its third week, Trump said Saturday that U.S. strikes have “completely destroyed” most of Kharg Island and warned of more, telling NBC News on Saturday, “We might hit it a few more times just for fun.”
The comments mark a sharp escalation from Trump, who previously said the US was only targeting military sites in Kharg, dealing a blow to diplomatic efforts to end the war that has spread across the Middle East and killed more than 2,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.
Washington brushed aside attempts by Middle Eastern allies to start talks and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired more missiles at Israel and three US bases in the region on Sunday, three sources told Reuters.
However, two Israeli officials said that Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold talks in the coming days to establish a ceasefire that will disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah. Lebanon was drawn into the war when Hezbollah opened fire on Israel, saying it was revenge for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, and Israel responded with a violent attack.
WAR AND ENERGY CRISIS SEEM TO CONTINUE
With global air transport largely disrupted and no clear end in sight, Iran’s ability to disrupt traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the transit point for one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, has emerged as a decisive threat to the global economy.
Although some Iranian ships continue to pass, the passage has been effectively closed to most ships worldwide since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 at the start of an intense bombing campaign that hit thousands of targets across the country.
Oil from emergency reserves will soon begin flowing to global markets, the International Energy Agency said on Sunday, with member countries promising to make 411.9 million barrels of oil available.
Trump on Saturday called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and other countries affected by the disruption of oil supplies in the Strait of Hormuz to join efforts to reopen shipping routes.
A Downing Street spokesman said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Trump on Sunday about the need to reopen the Strait.
The Financial Times reported that European Union foreign ministers will discuss expanding the EU’s regional Aspides maritime mission, which protects shipping against Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, to include the Strait of Hormuz. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he was skeptical of such a move.
Officials said France is trying to form a coalition to secure the strait once the security situation stabilizes, while Britain is discussing a range of options with its allies to ensure the safety of shipping.
IRAN DENIES TARGETING CIVILIAN AREAS
Araqchi denied that Iran had targeted civilian or populated areas in the Middle East and said it was ready to form a committee with its neighbors to investigate responsibility for such attacks.
But as tensions continued, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had launched more missile and drone bombardments on targets in Israel and US military bases in the region, which Saudi Arabia said had prevented 10 attacks.
Israel said its jets hit more targets in western Iran, including the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard and Basij militia in the city of Hamadan.
A source briefed on Israel’s military strategy told Reuters that Israel began targeting barricades and bridges it believed Revolutionary Guard commanders were using. According to Iranian media reports, Iranian security forces detained dozens of people accused of sharing information with Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected claims that Israel told the United States that its interceptors were running low.
(Reporting by Maya Gebeily in Dubai, Emily Rose in Jerusalem and Jarrett Renshaw in Palm Beach, Florida; Additional reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by James Mackenzie, David Morgan and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Sergio Non, Chizu Nomiyama, William Mallard, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens and Deepa Babington)
