Saturday, 4th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 21st March 2026, 6:33 AM
On Friday, 20 March, United States President Donald Trump indicated that Washington is considering scaling back its military operations against Iran. The announcement coincides with a temporary easing of US sanctions on Iranian oil shipments, aimed at stabilising global energy supplies.
Trump shared the update on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, “We are very close to achieving our objectives, and as a result, we are considering winding down our extensive military efforts in the Middle East.” This post marks the strongest signal yet that hostilities, which began on 28 February, could soon come to an end.
Shortly after Trump’s announcement, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt confirmed that both the President and the Pentagon had initially projected the military mission would require approximately four to six weeks to complete.
Amid rising global concerns over oil price increases and supply shortages, the US Department of the Treasury has authorised a temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian crude oil. The measure allows the transport and sale of oil and other petroleum products loaded onto vessels before 20 March, remaining in effect until 19 April.
| Key Sanctions Update | Details |
|---|---|
| Effective date | 20 March 2026 |
| End date | 19 April 2026 |
| Scope | Iranian crude oil and other petroleum products loaded before 20 March |
| Purpose | Stabilise global oil supply and mitigate price increases |
Despite the US easing pressure, tensions in the Middle East remain elevated. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, recently called for “severe strikes” against his nation’s adversaries. Following this, Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and Israel. In response, early on 21 March, the Israeli Defence Forces carried out retaliatory strikes on what they described as regime-linked targets in Tehran.
In an interview on Friday, Trump reiterated that regime change in Iran is no longer a US priority, stating, “Changing the Iranian regime or its government is not an American objective.” This marks a shift from the joint US-Israeli aggression initiated on 28 February, which had aimed to destabilise the Iranian government.
Analysts view this combination of military de-escalation and sanction easing as a strategic move to reduce tensions in the Middle East while protecting global energy markets.
Source: The Guardian
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