US President Donald Trump said Thursday he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop striking Iranian gas fields after attacks rattled global energy markets.
Trump sought distance from Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, insisting overnight on social media that he had no prior knowledge.
Iran retaliated swiftly, targeting energy facilities in Qatar, widening fears that the escalating conflict could disrupt regional supplies and deepen global economic uncertainty.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump confirmed he had warned Netanyahu directly, saying he told the Israeli leader not to carry out further attacks.
He described US-Israeli ties as coordinated yet independent, suggesting disagreements occasionally arise when military actions risk broader political or economic consequences.
Trump’s remarks contrasted with US officials who said Washington had been aware of Israel’s operation, although American forces did not participate directly.
The president previously said the United States was refraining from striking Iranian energy infrastructure, fearing further spikes in oil prices during the ongoing conflict.
Yet late Wednesday, Trump warned on his Truth Social platform that Washington would “massively blow up” South Pars if Iran continued attacks against Qatar.
Iran responded defiantly, declaring it would show “zero restraint” if additional strikes targeted its vital energy infrastructure or economic lifelines.
The nearly three-week conflict has already unsettled energy markets, with investors reacting nervously as oil prices fluctuate amid uncertainty surrounding the war’s trajectory.
Trump argued prices would fall quickly once fighting ends, even as concerns grow about economic fallout ahead of November’s crucial US midterm elections.
Markets remain uneasy, partly because Trump has offered little clarity about the duration or ultimate objectives of the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched February 28.
The president said the war aims to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons while dismantling its missile forces and naval capabilities across the region.
Netanyahu, however, has openly encouraged Iranians to overthrow their clerical leadership, signalling deeper political ambitions beyond Washington’s publicly stated military goals.
