Trump Ditches Appeal for Help in Iran War, Slamming Allies

WATCH: Iran stepped up attacks on energy infrastructure around the Persian Gulf and set a massive gas field ablaze. Bloomberg’s Joumanna Bercetche reports from Dubai.Source: Bloomberg

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By Hadriana Lowenkron

March 17, 2026 at 3:33 PM UTC

Updated on

March 17, 2026 at 10:49 PM UTC

US President Donald Trump abandoned his effort to recruit partners for the war with Iran and scolded allies who openly rejected his appeals, even as he repeated claims the conflict would end soon.

The US and Israel nonetheless kept up their attacks with little clarity on when operations would end, with Israel saying it had killed Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, in an overnight operation. Trump threatened to expand strikes on Kharg Island, Iran’s main export hub, while Gulf countries continued to face attacks from Iran-sent drones.