00:01This Tehran bazaar is bustling as Iran celebrates the Persian New Year, Nauru's.
00:06But the atmosphere is somewhat muted.
00:08There's a war on that's engulfed the whole region.
00:13The mood is even more somber in Lebanon's capital, Beirut.
00:17Here, displaced people spend Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in rain-soaked tents.
00:23The U.S. and Israel have been trading strikes with Iran for three weeks now,
00:27and mixed messages mean it's unclear what happens next.
00:31U.S. President Donald Trump says he's considering winding down the war.
00:36But the U.S. is also sending reinforcements to the Middle East,
00:39and CBS reports the country's making, quote,
00:42heavy preparations in case American boots end up on the ground in Iran.
00:47Trump himself has ruled out a ceasefire.
00:49Well, look, we can have dialogue, but I don't want to do a ceasefire.
00:53You know, you don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating.
00:57And from Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, a defiant written statement for Nauru's read aloud on state TV.
01:04In it, he cites his father and predecessor, who was killed in a strike.
01:12Finally, in this section, following the example of our great and martyred leader,
01:16I hereby declare this year's slogan to be,
01:19a resistance economy under the shadow of national unity and national security.
01:25As the fighting continues, the world is also watching the price of oil soar,
01:30since Iran blocked off the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial choke point for the global supply.
01:35Trump has waived sanctions on the 140 million barrels of Iranian oil
01:40already at sea for a month to try to bring prices under control.
01:44Despite the threat of Iranian attacks,
01:47nearly 100 ships have cleared the strait since the war began.
01:50And there are signs Iran could be willing to let some ships through, including from Japan.
01:57But with both sides continuing to trade strikes,
02:00and the prospect of more U.S. forces and weapons on the way,
02:03what's become a three-week war looks set to grind on.
02:07Hank Hsu and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.
