US president Donald Trump has claimed that his war on Iran will end in “two to three weeks” and that peace will bring oil prices “tumbling down”.
His statement comes after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that no negotiations were ongoing with Washington despite direct and indirect exchanges of messages.
Trump told reporters that “Iran doesn’t have to make a deal” to end the conflict, adding that “we’ll be leaving very soon”. He gave a timeline for the US withdrawing from the conflict as “within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three.”
Trump said the requirement for winding down the operation was that Iran be “put into the Stone Age,” without the ability to soon acquire a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, missile and drone attacks continued from both sides on Wednesday morning.
Kuwait said an Iranian drone attack sparked a “large fire” after striking fuel tanks at its international airport. Wednesday’s attack caused significant damage to airport fuel tanks belonging to the Kuwait Aviation Fuelling Company, according to state media reports.
Oil prices fall as Trump declares war will end ‘very soon’
Oil prices have dropped after President Donald Trump announced that the US-Israeli war against Iran would end “very soon”, and suggested it could be as soon as two or three weeks.
Prices have fallen 3 per cent to just above $100 a barrel, but remain 39 per cent higher than before the war.
Qatar ‘targeted by Iranian missiles’
Qatar has also claimed it was targeted by three Iranian missiles on Wednesday.
A statement from the defence ministry on X says two cruise missiles were intercepted but a third struck an oil tanker in its waters.
The tanker, carrying a crew of 21, was evacuated without any casualties reported.
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This ‘US invasion’ video in the Middle East is fake | Debunked
This viral video claiming to show US military deployment to the Middle East is completely fake.
It’s not troops preparing for a ground invasion of Iran – instead, it is AI-generated footage. The clip has been shared as “proof” that thousands of troops are preparing for a ground invasion.
While the US has repositioned assets, officials deny any decision on ground forces. Analysis flagged the video as synthetic, and its creator labeled it a “realistic simulation.”
More here.
This ‘US Invasion’ video in the Middle East is fake | Debunked
Israel strikes building near Beirut’s international airport
Asian stocks rally as Trump says US will leave Iran
Asian stock markets jumped sharply Wednesday after Donald Trump said the U.S. would exit the war with Iran within two to three weeks, with or without a deal, raising hopes that the month-long conflict that has roiled global energy markets may be nearing its end.
South Korea‘s Kospi surged 6.4 percent in early trading, while Japan‘s Nikkei 225 rose 4 percent, Hong Kong‘s Hang Seng gained 1.9 percent, and Taiwan‘s Taiex was up 4.3 percent. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.7 percent. India’s BSE Sensex jumped more than 1,800 points in early trade, with broad-based buying across banking, financials and technology stocks.
Both the Nikkei and Kospi, however, remain below the levels at which they were trading before the war began on February 28. A survey by Japan‘s central bank released Wednesday showed business sentiment among major manufacturers had improved despite war-related concerns.
More here.
Bangladeshi national killed in UAE by projectile debris
A Bangladeshi national was killed by shrapnel from an intercepted drone at a farm in the UAE’s Fujairah.
“The competent authorities in Fujairah are dealing with an incident that occurred in a farm in the Al Riffa area as a result of shrapnel falling from the interception of a drone, which resulted in the killing of a person of Bangladeshi nationality,” state news agency Wam said on X.
Tanker hit by two projectiles off Qatar
A tanker struck off Qatar was hit by two projectiles, one causing a fire that has since been extinguished and another remaining unexploded in the vessel’s engine room, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said this morning.
The vessel was struck about 17 nautical miles north of Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial hub, causing damage above the waterline, with the crew safe and no environmental impact reported.
UKMTO said it was unable to confirm the source of the projectiles and that investigations were ongoing. Maritime authorities have reported multiple security incidents affecting vessels in Gulf waters in recent days.
Starmer to update on cost of living after Trump asks UK to ‘get its own oil’
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to provide an update on the cost of living amid concerns over the amount energy bills could rise as a result of the Middle East conflict.
The prime minister is due to speak at a press conference later on Wednesday morning after he vowed to “protect the British people at home and abroad”.It is thought Sir Keir’s Downing Street press conference will cover both the conflict and Government support for households as rising prices bite.
Since fighting began in Iran, oil prices have soared in response to Tehran’s block on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Families with a 55-litre diesel car face paying more than £100 at the pump for the first time since December 2022.
It comes as Donald Trump alleged on his Truth Social platform that the UK was among several countries which “can’t get jet fuel” ahead of the Easter bank holiday weekend – a claim which industry body Airlines UK has refuted.
The US president said the UK and other countries that did not take part in strikes against Iran should secure the Strait of Hormuz themselves.
Source: independent.co.uk