US no longer wants to fight Iran: Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Friday (March 20) local time that he is considering "winding down" military operations against Iran. At the same time, the United States has temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil shipments to prevent a global oil supply crisis.

Trump said on his 'Truth Social' platform, "We are very close to achieving our goals, so we are considering winding down our massive military effort in the Middle East." His post was the strongest indication yet that the hostilities that began on February 28 are coming to an end soon.

Shortly after Trump's message, White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt said that the president and the Pentagon had predicted that it would take approximately 4-6 weeks to complete the mission.

Amid rising oil prices and growing concerns about global supply shortages, the US Treasury Department said it was temporarily lifting sanctions on ships carrying Iranian oil.

The agency said the shipment and sale of Iranian crude oil and other petroleum products loaded on ships before March 20 has been allowed and will remain in effect until April 19.

Meanwhile, Iran has launched new drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and Israel after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei called for a "crushing blow" against his country's enemies. In response, the Israeli military struck "regime targets" in Tehran early Saturday (March 21).

Earlier on Friday (March 20), he said in an interview that "regime change in Iran is no longer a US priority." Although Washington and Israel launched a joint invasion on February 28 to overthrow the Iranian government.

Source: The Guardian.