The president did not specify what actions he would take, and he has on other occasions abandoned threats to dramatically escalate the war with Iran.

Times reporters who cover the war, diplomacy, energy and the broader Middle East are joining our “Ask a Correspondent” feature as the conflict nears the six-month mark. Let us know what’s on your mind.

Africans have turned to one of their own for fuel as the world’s supplies run low. But they are not the only ones with the continent’s richest man on speed dial.