War far from over: Israel plans to continue three more weeks of strikes on Iran, says IDF

“We have thousand of targets ahead,” IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told CNN.

“We are ready, in coordination with our US allies, with plans through at least the Jewish holiday of Passover, about three weeks from now. And we have deeper plans for even three weeks beyond that," Defrin said.

Defrin told CNN that the IDF is “not working according to a stopwatch, or a timetable, but rather to achieve our goals” which are to “weaken the Iranian regime severely.”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump warned of further US strikes on Kharg Island and called on allied nations to deploy warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions with Iran intensified and the conflict entered its third week.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump claimed US strikes had “totally demolished” much of Kharg Island and suggested more attacks could follow.

“We may hit it a few more times just for fun,” he said, while adding that Tehran appeared willing to negotiate, but the proposed terms were “not good enough yet.”

Rising risk around the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s ability to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical oil and gas routes—has emerged as a major concern for global energy markets.

In a social media post, Trump urged major oil-importing nations including China, France, Japan, South Korea and United Kingdom to send naval forces to help protect shipping in the region.

“The countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help—a lot,” he wrote.

None of those countries immediately confirmed plans to deploy warships.

Oil supply disruptions grow

The conflict—triggered after US and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28—has killed more than 2,000 people, most of them in Iran, according to official and state media reports.

Energy markets remain volatile. Oil-loading operations in the UAE’s Fujairah emirate, a major global ship-refueling hub, were partially suspended following the drone strike.

Fujairah handles about 1 million barrels per day of Murban crude, roughly 1% of global oil demand, highlighting the growing risk to global energy supply if the conflict expands.