President Donald Trump is showing little appetite for a truce even as the war’s fallout spreads far beyond Israel and Iran. Fresh strikes have battered Israel, rattled Gulf states, and sent another shock through global energy markets, turning what was already a dangerous conflict into a wider regional crisis.
On March 21, Trump said the United States was considering “winding down” its military operations against Iran, but he stopped well short of backing a clear ceasefire push. He also said other countries should take more responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz, a route that remains critical to global oil and gas trade.
That message came as the fighting kept escalating. Reuters reported that attacks on major oil and gas facilities across the Middle East have disrupted operations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain after Israeli strikes on Iran’s South Pars gas field triggered wider retaliation. Bahrain declared force majeure after a strike on its Sitra refinery, while Qatar said it lost about one sixth of its LNG capacity.
Israel has also remained under pressure. Associated Press reported that Iran launched more missile attacks as Israel threatened to intensify its campaign, and the conflict has already killed people in Israel while widening instability across the region. The same report said Saudi Arabia intercepted drones, Iraq was hit, and fears of a broader war kept rising.
The deeper problem is that the war is no longer just about direct military targets. It is now hitting the infrastructure that keeps the region and much of the world economy running. Reuters said the damage to Gulf energy sites pushed oil prices to record highs and prompted the International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels from global reserves.
Trump has tried to project control, at one point urging Israel not to repeat strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure after the South Pars attack sharply worsened the crisis. But his broader stance still suggests pressure over peace. The White House line has been closer to managing the war’s consequences than forcing a negotiated stop.
For now, any talk of a truce feels overshadowed by the scale of the attacks and the political signals coming from Washington. Israel is still striking. Iran is still retaliating. Gulf states are counting the cost. And with energy routes under strain, the war’s impact is being felt far beyond the battlefield.
