The Latest: US deploys more troops to Mideast as Trump considers ‘winding down’ military operations
President Donald Trump said his administration plans to “wind down” military operations in the Middle East, even as the United States announced it was sending more warships and marines to the region and Iran threatened to attack tourist sites around the world.
The mixed messages from the United States came after another rise in oil prices sent the U.S. stock market plunging, and was followed by an announcement from the Trump administration that it would lift sanctions on Iranian oil loaded on ships, a move aimed at combating soaring fuel prices.
The war, meanwhile, shows no signs of slowing down.
Israel said Iran continued to fire missiles at it early Saturday, while Saudi Arabia said it shot down 20 drones in just a few hours in the country’s eastern region, which is home to major oil installations. The Defense Ministry said there were no injuries or damage.
The death toll stands at more than 1,300 people in Iran, more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, 15 in Israel and 13 U.S. service members in the region. Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.
Here is the latest:
The Israeli army announced on Saturday morning that it was striking targets in Tehran.
The announcement came shortly after the army said it had launched a wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah positions in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.
Hours earlier, the army renewed its evacuation warnings for seven neighborhoods in Beirut’s suburbs, prompting some residents to fire shots to alert families who had returned to flee.
No casualties were immediately reported.
The airline’s CEO said the company was also preparing for oil not to return to $100 a barrel until the end of next year.
Scott Kirby said in a message to United employees Friday that jet fuel prices, which have already more than doubled in the past three weeks, would cost the airline $11 billion a year if they remain where they are now.
The price of Brent crude has zigzagged from around $70 a barrel before the start of the Iran war to $119.50 this week.
Regarding United’s worst-case scenario, Kirby said: “I think there’s a good chance it won’t be that bad, but… there’s not a lot of downside for us to prepare for that result.”
