New Delhi, March 12: As the United States and Israel’s military campaign against Iran and the latter’s retaliatory strikes move toward their third week, Tehran has laid down three key conditions for ending the conflict, including recognition of its rights and compensation for the damage caused during the war.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remains committed to peace but asserted that the conflict can only end if its demands are accepted by Washington and Tel Aviv.

In a statement posted on social media after holding conversations with the leaders of Russia and Pakistan, Pezeshkian said that Iran’s position on ending the war was clear.

“The only way to end this war — ignited by the Zionist regime and the US — is recognising Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression,” Pezeshkian said.

Tehran has maintained that the conflict began after attacks by the United States and Israel and has insisted that it will not agree to a ceasefire without concrete assurances regarding its security and rights.

Despite these conditions, there appears to be little indication that the fighting will end soon. US President Donald Trump said that the United States intends to continue its operations, even as the war entered its second week following joint American and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets.

Speaking at a campaign-style rally in Kentucky ahead of the November midterm elections, Trump claimed that the United States had effectively gained the upper hand in the conflict but signalled that military operations were still ongoing.

“We don’t want to leave early, do we? We got to finish the job,” Trump said.

Shortly before making that remark, the US President had also indicated that the conflict might end soon, arguing that there were limited remaining targets for American forces to strike.

“Any time I want it to end, it will end,” Trump said, adding that there was “practically nothing left” for the US military to bomb.

Meanwhile, the US military has issued warnings to Iranian civilians, advising them to avoid ports that host naval facilities, citing the risk of further strikes. Israel, on its part, has indicated that it still has a long list of potential targets inside Iran, including locations linked to ballistic missile capabilities and nuclear-related infrastructure.

The conflict has already resulted in heavy casualties and widespread disruption across the region.

According to estimates, nearly 2,000 people have been killed so far, most of them Iranians and Lebanese, as the violence has spilt over into Lebanon.

The war has also had a devastating impact on children. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 1,100 children have either been killed or injured since the conflict began.

Global energy markets have reacted sharply to the escalation, particularly because of concerns over supply disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most crucial energy transit routes. Roughly one-fifth of the global oil supply passes through this narrow waterway.

Oil prices surged to nearly 120 US dollars per barrel earlier in the week before easing to around 90 dollars, but renewed tensions pushed prices higher again on Wednesday.

Iran has warned that the situation could worsen further, cautioning the global community to prepare for oil prices potentially climbing as high as 200 US dollars per barrel. Tehran has also indicated that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has become nearly impossible, claiming control over the strategic waterway and attacking vessels approaching the strait.

Washington, March 12: The White House pushed back sharply against critical reporting in major US newspapers on the Trump administration’s handling of the war with Iran and its impact on global energy markets, accusing the media of spreading a “fake narrative” about the objectives of the military campaign.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said reports suggesting confusion or “mixed messaging” about the goals of Operation Epic Fury were incorrect.

“The left-wing media is lying and pushing a fake narrative that there has been ‘mixed messaging’ about the objectives of Operation Epic Fury,” Leavitt wrote on social media.

Her remarks came after reports in New York Times and Wall Street Journal raised questions about the administration’s planning, its assessment of Iran’s response, and the rapid policy shifts surrounding emergency oil market intervention.

Leavitt said the administration had repeatedly laid out clear military objectives from the beginning of the campaign.

“From the beginning, President Trump and his entire team have consistently laid out clear objectives to the American people about what the US Military seeks to accomplish through these ongoing successful major combat operations,” she said.

President Donald Trump had earlier outlined the mission in public remarks.

“Our objectives are clear. First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities… Second, we’re annihilating their navy… Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon… And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders,” Trump said on March 2.

Senior defence officials have described similar operational goals.

“The mission is laser-focused: obliterate Iran’s missiles and drones and facilities that produce them, annihilate its navy and critical security infrastructure, and sever their pathway to nuclear weapons,” the US war secretary said on March 4.

Admiral Brad Cooper also described the military campaign as a major operation aimed at reducing Iran’s threat to the United States.

“Our military in the Middle East is undertaking an unprecedented operation to eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten Americans, as they’ve been doing for nearly half a century,” Cooper said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration initially opposed a massive intervention in global oil markets, then reversed course within hours and urged allies to support an unprecedented release of emergency oil reserves.

The report said the shift reflected a change in Trump’s position as officials scrambled to stabilise markets amid fears that the conflict could disrupt energy supplies.

The New York Times separately reported that the administration may have underestimated how aggressively Iran would respond to the military campaign and the risks to global energy flows through the Persian Gulf.

The report said oil prices surged and shipping disruptions emerged as tensions escalated, forcing officials to search for ways to contain a potential economic shock.

Leavitt defended the administration’s handling of the energy situation and said the decision to release oil reserves was consistent with Trump’s earlier statements.

“President Trump previously stated that he would responsibly use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at the right time, and that time is now,” she said.

Washington, March 11: The White House said that President Donald Trump personally approved a temporary waiver allowing India to purchase Russian oil as part of a broader effort to stabilise global energy markets amid disruptions caused by the ongoing US military campaign against Iran.

The decision was taken after consultations between the President, the Treasury Department, and members of the national security team, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

“The President and the Secretary of the Treasury and the whole national security team came to this decision because our allies in India have been good actors and have previously stopped buying sanctioned Russian oil,” Leavitt told reporters in response to a question.

She said the temporary measure was meant to address disruptions in global oil supply triggered by the crisis surrounding Iran.

“So as we work to appease this temporary gap of oil supply around the world because of the Iranians, we have temporarily permitted them to accept that Russian oil,” she said.

Leavitt noted that the shipments involved had already been dispatched before the waiver was granted.

“This Russian oil was already at sea, it was already out on the water,” she said.

According to the White House, the administration does not expect the arrangement to significantly benefit Moscow financially.

“So this short-term measure, we don’t believe it will provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government at this time,” Leavitt said.

The remarks came as the White House provided updates on Operation Epic Fury, the US military campaign targeting Iran’s missile infrastructure and naval capabilities.

Leavitt said the operation had achieved rapid progress since it began ten days ago. “More than 5000 enemy targets have been struck so far,” she said.

She added that Iran’s ability to retaliate had sharply declined.

“Iran’s ballistic missile attacks are down more than 90 per cent, and their drone attacks are down by approximately 35 per cent since the start of Operation Epic Fury,” Leavitt said.

US forces have also targeted Iran’s naval assets.

“We have destroyed more than 50 Iranian naval vessels, including a major drone carrier ship,” she said, adding that the Iranian navy has been assessed as “combat ineffective.”

The administration said the operation’s goals remain unchanged.

“The stated objectives for Operation Epic Fury remain the same: destroy the terrorist regime’s ballistic missiles, raise their Iranian missile industry to the ground, ensure their terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region, and ensure that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon,” Leavitt said.

The White House also stressed that the United States would ensure the continued flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.

Leavitt said President Trump had reiterated his commitment to protecting energy supply routes.

“President Trump reiterated his commitment toward keeping oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz so the United States and all of our allies can receive their energy needs,” she said.

She added that the administration had already taken steps to stabilise energy markets.

“Thus far, the Trump administration has offered political risk insurance to tankers operating in the Gulf,” she said.

Officials also said the US Navy could escort tankers if necessary to keep the vital waterway open.