WASHINGTON: Israel said it was attacking Tehran and defending against missiles fired from Iran on Saturday, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US expected to conclude military operations within weeks, not months. An Iranian attack on an air base in Saudi Arabia wounded 12 US military personnel, two seriously, a US official said, as drones and missiles continued to strike around the Gulf. A month after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, the war has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands and causing the biggest disruption ever to energy supplies, hitting the global economy and fuelling inflation fears.
Rubio told reporters after meeting Group of Seven counterparts in France that Washington was "on or ahead of schedule in that operation, and expect to conclude it at the appropriate time here — a matter of weeks, not months". The war has driven a wedge between the US and its traditional allies, who have stayed on the sidelines. President Donald Trump said this lack of support had implications for Nato, the West's most important alliance. "We would have always been there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we?" Trump told an investment forum in Miami. "Why would we be there for them if they're not there for us? They weren't there for us."
Rubio said European and Asian countries that benefit from trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital choke point largely blocked by Iran, should contribute to efforts to secure free passage. While he said the US could achieve its aims without ground troops, he acknowledged it was deploying some to the region "to give the president maximum optionality and maximum opportunity to adjust the contingencies, should they emerge".
Washington has dispatched two contingents of thousands of Marines to the region, the first of which is due to arrive in coming days on a huge amphibious assault ship. The Pentagon is also expected to deploy thousands of elite airborne soldiers. The deployments have raised concerns that the war could turn into a prolonged ground battle. Stock markets tumbled sharply on Friday while the Brent crude oil benchmark topped $112, having risen more than 50 per cent since the war began.
In the US, where Trump is politically vulnerable to rising fuel prices, diesel in California hit a record average high of $7.17 a gallon, the American Automobile Association said. Trump has appeared eager to wind down the unpopular war, emphasising this week what he called productive negotiations aimed at a diplomatic solution - despite repeated assertions from Tehran that no such talks have begun. On Thursday, Trump extended a deadline by 10 days for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks against its civilian energy grid. — Reuters
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