APTOPIX Lebanon Israel Iran War

Iran has hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait’s airport. Airstrikes meanwhile have battered Tehran. The unrelenting tempo continued hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was nearly ready to wind down the war. He said he could walk away from the war in two to three weeks once he felt confident Iran would not be able to build a nuclear weapon, even if Tehran does not agree to a ceasefire. That raised the possibility that the U.S. could withdraw without any guarantee from Iran that it would stop bombing its Gulf Arab neighbors or release its grip on the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Trump is scheduled to address the nation later Wednesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump says the military could end its Iran offensive in two to three weeks as the White House announced a prime-time presidential address Wednesday evening on the war.  He also said responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz will shift to countries that rely on it. U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 as fuel prices continue to soar worldwide.