- By Raju Kumar
- Thu, 19 Mar 2026 02:39 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
US-Iran War: As the US-Israel war against Iran has been dragging on and is set to enter its fourth week, people are anxiously waiting as to when the warring sides will call a truce. On the 20th day of the war in the Middle East, which adversely affected global fuel supply, the US President, Donald Trump, showed a toned-down approach towards the war, perhaps for the first time in the ongoing conflict.
Trump's Surprise Statement On Israel
In the ongoing war, for the first time, Trump expressed his displeasure over the Israeli strikes after the IDF targeted the Iranian gas field. Trump on Truth Social said that the US was not aware of Israel's plans to strike the South Pars gas field in Iran. However, the news agency AP, quoting sources, said the US was informed about the plan for an Israeli strike on the Iranian gas field but did not take part in it.
Trump Vows No More Attacks By Israel On Iran Gas Field
Trump said an angry Israel violently lashed out and attacked Iran's major gas field, a significant escalation in the war, but ruled out further such attacks by Israel unless Iran retaliated.
Wednesday's attack on the huge South Pars gas field drove oil prices higher and prompted a threat by Iran to attack oil and gas targets across the Gulf, while it fired missiles at Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The escalation heightens the unprecedented disruption of global energy supplies that has raised the political stakes for Trump.
How Many People Were Killed In Ongoing War?
The ongoing war is not only damaging the oil economy in the Asian countries but also claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians. More than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran since the US-Israeli attacks began on February 28, the US-based Iran human rights group HRANA estimates. Authorities in Lebanon said 900 have been killed there and 800,000 forced to flee their homes. Iranian attacks have killed people in Iraq and across the Gulf states, and at least 13 US military service members have been killed in the war.
Is Trump Planning To Exit The War?
The recent developments showed that Trump has been trapped in the war, as the objective of the conflict is yet unclear. Trump's former aide Joe Kent, who headed the US National Counterterrorism Centre, exposed the US President's misassessments of Iran's nuclear programme under Israel's influence. After resigning from his post, Kent criticised Trump's war policy, saying Iran posed no imminent threat to America. He also asserted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu influenced Trump to join the war.
As criticism mounts at home, Trump may think about the exit plan. Trump recently repeatedly stated that the war is "almost over" or "won," but there is no clear timeline. He also asserted that the US and Israel were way ahead of the timetable and there was practically nothing left to target. Now, for the first time, Trump displayed that the US and Israel are not on the same page. If anti-Israel sentiment grows further in America, Trump may choose to withdraw.
Trump's only dilemma is the Strait of Hormuz, which remains under Iranian control. If Iran agrees not to attack ships in the Persian Gulf, Trump can claim success and exit. Trump has not given any signal of regime change. Trump may wrap up military aggression, saying it had already finished the top leadership of the regime, which may pave the dignified exit for the US.
(With Agencies inputs)