Iran, Israel in tit-for-tat strikes; US sends Marines as Trump mulls over ‘winding down’ war

Summary

• Israel struck Iran and Beirut on March 21, while Iran attacked sites in multiple countries, including Israel, escalating the conflict.
• The US is deploying 2,500 Marines to the Middle East, but Americans fear a larger ground war, despite Trump's denials of troop deployments.
• The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed, Trump criticises allies, but the US waives sanctions on Iranian oil to increase global supply.

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DUBAI – The Israeli military struck Iran and Beirut on March 21 in response to Iranian missile attacks, after US President Donald Trump said he was considering “winding down” military operations against Iran following three weeks of war.

More than 2,000 people have been killed since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb 28, while Americans appear increasingly concerned at signs the war could expand further as it enters another week.

Israel’s military said it launched strikes on “regime targets” in Tehran early on March 21 after Iran fired missiles at Israel.

Iran said late on March 20 that it launched strikes on more than 55 American- and Israeli-linked sites in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Bahrain, as well as Haifa and Tel Aviv in Israel.

Kuwait’s military said its air defence systems were responding to a missile and drone attack on March 21.

The Wall Street Journal reported on March 20 that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles towards the joint US-British military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Neither missile hit the target, which is around 4,000km from Iranian territory, but the launch suggests that Tehran has missiles with longer ranges than previously thought, the report said.

One of the missiles failed in flight and the other was targeted by an interceptor fired from a US warship, though it was not clear if the missile was hit, the Journal reported.

Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands is one of two bases that Britain is allowing the US to use for “defensive” operations in Iran.

‘Winding down’

The latest barrage came as Mr Trump signalled a retreat from the objective of regime change in Iran.

“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great military efforts in the Middle East,” Mr Trump said in a social media post.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump and the Pentagon “predicted it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve this mission”.

However, US media reported on March 20 that Washington was deploying thousands of US Marines to the Middle East, in a possible sign of a coming ground operation.

Mr Trump told reporters he was not looking for a truce because Washington was “obliterating” Iran.

The Treasury Department, meanwhile, lifted sanctions on Iranian oil already at sea for 30 days to ease global supply fears as the Strait of Hormuz, conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, remains effectively closed to most shipping.

Mr Trump on March 20 called America’s allies “cowards” for declining to help open the strait while fighting continued.

Several allies, who were not consulted before the war, have pledged to join “appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage through the strait, but Germany and France have said fighting must stop first.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would speak to Mr Trump this weekend.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz remained open, but only to countries Iran considers as uninvolved in the war.

To prove his point, he said Tehran was ready to facilitate the passage of Japanese vessels through the strait. Japan gets around 90 per cent of its oil shipments via Hormuz.

As Muslims around the region began to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, ending the fasting month of Ramadan on the evening of March 20, and Iranians marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year, new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a message of defiance.

Mr Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since the Israeli attack that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the war’s first day, said Iranians had responded with unity and resistance and “dealt a disorienting blow to the enemy”.

A US intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mr Khamenei’s statement raised questions about his condition, since his father traditionally marked the New Year with a video address.

US Marines are coming

Three US officials told Reuters on March 20 that 2,500 marines, along with amphibious assault ship Boxer and accompanying warships, would deploy to the region, although they did not say what their role would be.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that almost two-thirds of Americans believe Mr Trump will order troops into a large-scale ground war, with only 7 per cent supporting such a move.

Two officials said there had been no decision on whether to send troops into Iran. Sources said possible targets could include Iran’s coast or the Kharg Island oil export hub.

Mr Trump said on March 19 he was “not putting troops anywhere” when asked by a reporter about his plans, but added that “if I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you”. REUTERS, AFP