President Donald Trump said the U.S. was considering “winding down” its military operation against Iran, as Iran and Israel traded attacks on Saturday and Iranian media said the nuclear ‌enrichment facility in Natanz had been attacked.

In a social media post, Trump said the U.S. was close to meeting its goals but insisted that other countries should take the lead in policing the vital shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, whose near-closure threatens a global energy shock, Reuters reported.

Trump and his administration have sent mixed messages about U.S. goals throughout the war, now entering its fourth week, leaving traditional U.S. allies struggling to respond.

In less than 24 hours, Trump suggested the war could wind down as the Iranian threat was being eliminated, while at the same time U.S. Marines and heavy landing craft were headed to ​the region on a mission whose goals were not immediately clear.

“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of ​Iran,” Trump said on Truth Social.

“The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!” he added. “If asked, we ⁠will help these Countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated.”

IRAN REPORTS ATTACK ON NATANZ NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT PLANT More than 2,000 people have been killed in Iran since the U.S. and Israel attacked on February 28, while Americans ​appear increasingly concerned at signs the war could expand further.

Vital energy infrastructure in Iran and neighbouring Gulf states has been attacked, sending oil prices up 50% and threatening a global economic shock.

Trump had also accused NATO allies, which have not been consulted about the war, ​of cowardice over their reluctance to help open the Strait of Hormuz.

As the fighting continued, the Iranian media said U.S.-Israeli forces had attacked the Shahid Ahmadi-Roshan Natanz enrichment complex on Saturday morning. Technical experts found that no radioactive leaks had occurred and nearby residents were not at risk. Israel said it was unaware of such a strike.

Israel also attacked Beirut, saying it was targeting Hezbollah as it steps up airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed Lebanese militia in the deadliest spillover from the war on Iran since Hezbollah fired on Israel in support of Tehran on March 2.

Israel said Saturday’s attacks on Iran included ​Tehran, Karaj, west of the capital, and the central city of Isfahan. Three members of a family were killed in a strike on a residential building in the city of Ramsar, Iranian media quoted a local governor as saying.

Before its strikes on Lebanon, the ​Israeli military said it had issued evacuation warnings for seven neighbourhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Four Hezbollah militants were killed in southern Lebanon, one in a “ground engagement” and three using tank fire, it said.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon and over 1 million ‌displaced in the Israeli ⁠attacks.

Air raid sirens in Israel warned of incoming missiles from early morning, sending millions to shelters as the blasts of interceptions rang out from above. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israel’s military said search and rescue teams were headed to impact sites in central Israel.

Iran fired two ballistic missilesat the U.S.-British military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean but did not hit the base, the Wall Street Journal reported.

EUROPEAN GAS PRICES SURGE

Natural gas prices in Europe surged as much as 35% this week as Iran and Israel hit some of the region’s most important gas infrastructure. The European Union urged members to lower gas-storage targets and start refilling reserves gradually to curb demand, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

The Strait of Hormuz, conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas ​supplies, has been effectively closed to most shipping.

Leading allies of the ​U.S. from Europe as well as Japan and Canada have ⁠pledged to join “appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage through the strait, but Germany and France have spelled out that fighting must stop first.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Kyodo news agency that Iran was ready to let Japan-related vessels pass through the narrow waterway. Japan gets around 90% of its oil shipments via the strait.

The White House, in an effort to increase supply and lower prices, said it would waive ​sanctions on Iranian oil for 30 days to allow the sale of 140 million barrels on tankers. The administration had previously eased sanctions on a similar amount of Russian oil.

As ​Muslims celebrated Eid al-Fitr on Friday to ⁠end the fasting month of Ramadan and Iranians marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year, Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a message of defiance.

Khamenei – who did not appear at Eid prayers and has not been seen in public since the initial Israeli attack that killed his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – said in his statement that Iranians had responded with unity and resistance and “dealt a disorienting blow to the enemy”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent Nowruz greetings to Iran’s leaders, using the occasion to say Moscow remained a loyal friend and ⁠reliable partner.

The extent ​of Moscow’s support for Iran is in dispute though. Some Iranian sources say they have had little real help from Moscow in the biggest crisis for ​Iran since the U.S.-backed shah was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Israel launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran on Friday, intensifying a rapidly escalating regional conflict that has already spread beyond its initial front lines and shaken global energy markets.

The latest attacks came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israel not to repeat strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure—an escalation that had significantly raised tensions in what is increasingly seen as a joint U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Tehran.

According to a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, the military had “begun a wave of strikes against the infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran,” though no further details were provided.

The conflict, which began on February 28 after diplomatic efforts over Iran’s nuclear program collapsed, has killed thousands, drawn in neighboring countries, and disrupted the global economy.

In the early hours of Friday, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates reported missile attacks following days of Iranian strikes targeting regional energy infrastructure.

Energy markets have been particularly volatile. Prices surged Thursday after Iran retaliated against an Israeli strike on a major gas field by hitting Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, a key processing center for roughly one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas. The damage is expected to take years to repair.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s primary Red Sea export hub also came under attack, even as the kingdom sought to reroute shipments to bypass disruptions caused by Iran’s threat to the Strait of Hormuz—a critical passageway for about 20% of global oil supplies.

Despite the attacks, oil prices edged lower on Friday after European nations and Japan offered to help secure maritime routes through the strait, and the United States signaled plans to increase oil production.

The strikes on energy infrastructure highlight Iran’s capacity to impose significant economic costs in response to military pressure, as well as the limitations of existing air defense systems in protecting key assets across the Gulf.

Facing political pressure at home over rising fuel prices ahead of midterm elections, Trump criticized allies for what he described as a cautious response to U.S. calls for coordinated action to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

“I told him, ‘Don’t do that,’ and he won’t do that,” Trump said Thursday, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and further strikes on energy infrastructure.

Netanyahu later confirmed that Israel had acted alone in the attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field and acknowledged Trump’s request to avoid further escalation in that sector.

He added that Iran had been “decimated” and no longer possessed the capability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles, though he suggested that any fundamental political change in Tehran would require a “ground component,” without elaborating further.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers that Pakistan ranks among the most significant nuclear threats to the United States, placing it alongside Russia, China and North Korea.

Speaking before a Senate panel, Gabbard said the U.S. intelligence community is increasingly concerned about the growing missile capabilities of several countries, including Pakistan and Iran.

“The intelligence community assesses that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have been developing a range of advanced and traditional missile systems capable of carrying nuclear or conventional payloads that could reach the U.S. homeland,” she said.

Gabbard warned that the number of missiles capable of striking the United States is expected to rise sharply in the coming years, projecting an increase from roughly 3,000 today to more than 16,000 by 2035.

In her testimony, she also highlighted deepening ties between North Korea, Russia and China, suggesting growing strategic coordination among U.S. adversaries that could further complicate global security dynamics.

Addressing the ongoing conflict with Iran, Gabbard said U.S. military operations have significantly weakened Tehran’s capabilities. While the Iranian government remains in place, she described its military infrastructure as “largely degraded,” noting that it could take years for Iran to rebuild its missile and drone programs if the current leadership endures.

She added that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program had been “obliterated” by U.S. strikes in 2025, though she cautioned that Tehran may gradually attempt to restore its military strength over time.

Beyond state actors, Gabbard identified extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS as the most significant threats to U.S. interests overseas, particularly in parts of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

The assessment comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and follows the recent resignation of a senior U.S. security official linked to the ongoing Iran conflict. The White House reaffirmed its support for Gabbard, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that President Donald Trump retains “full confidence” in the intelligence chief.