Trump Claims Ignorance of Israeli Strike on Iran Gasfield, Urges Restraint
In a revealing Oval Office statement on Thursday, former US President Donald Trump asserted he had no advance knowledge of an Israeli attack on Iran's South Pars gasfield, a move that has strained relations with Gulf allies and highlighted deepening fissures in the US-Israeli war against Iran. Trump recounted telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from further assaults that could escalate regional hostilities targeting energy infrastructure.
Divergent Strategies and Diplomatic Fallout
The strike on South Pars, part of a reserve shared with Qatar, has triggered retaliatory actions against Gulf energy assets, including pipelines and natural gas processing facilities crucial for global LNG supplies, particularly in Asia. While the US has concentrated on military targets like Iran's navy and ballistic missile systems, Israel has pursued a different approach, involving targeted assassinations and bombings of civilian infrastructure, leading to ecological concerns and Iranian counterattacks on sites in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Trump sought to distance himself from the Israeli operation without outright condemnation, posting on Truth Social that he opposed future attacks unless Iran targeted Qatar's energy infrastructure. He warned of a massive US response in such a scenario. However, Israeli officials contradicted this, claiming Washington was informed beforehand, underscoring the growing rift.
Criticism from Allies and Internal Defections
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi criticized the US for being drawn into the conflict, arguing it is not America's war and that both nations are unlikely to achieve their objectives. Netanyahu, meanwhile, denied dragging the US into the fray, insisting no one dictates to Trump, and boasted that US-Israeli actions have halted Iran's uranium enrichment and ballistic missile production.
This claim was supported by Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's director of national intelligence, who testified that Iran has not enriched uranium since Israel's Operation Midnight Hammer last year. Gabbard noted differing US and Israeli war goals, with Israel focused on disabling Iranian leadership versus US aims to destroy missile capabilities.
The controversy has sparked internal dissent, with Joe Kent, former director of the US national counterterrorism center, resigning in protest, citing pressure from Israel and its lobby as driving an unnecessary war.
