Within moments of studies rising that Israeli jets had struck Iran’s largest gas manufacturing plant on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump posted a combative message on Truth Social. “We are putting them out of business,” he stated, following the assault on the world’s greatest pure gas reserves. Israeli officers have been concurrently briefing reporters that the assault had been performed with US coordination and consent.
But hours later, after Iran retaliated with strikes on Qatar, Trump modified his tune. This time he said unequivocally that the United States “knew nothing about this particular attack,” declaring “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL” on the South Pars gas discipline, except Iran attacked Qatar. Same president, similar day, similar strike – two contradictory postures.
It was the second time since the joint US-Israeli navy marketing campaign in opposition to Iran started that Washington publicly distanced itself from Israeli strikes. Last week, after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck Tehran’s gas depots, Axios reported the first vital disagreement between the two allies, with a Trump adviser quoted as saying, “The president doesn’t like the attack.”
The gas depot assault, like all navy operations on this marketing campaign, was coordinated with the US prematurely, two Israeli officers instructed NCS. One acknowledged, nevertheless, that the White House “might have been surprised” by the scale of the impression on gas prices and the extent of the environmental injury. The different stated Washington privately conveyed a message to Israel urging extra restraint.
When Israeli jets started placing the gas manufacturing fields on Wednesday, a separate Israeli supply burdened the operation was restricted to pure gas and electrical energy infrastructure – not oil refineries – indicating that Trump’s considerations about gas prices have been factored into the goal choice. But after Iran retaliated with strikes on Qatar – which despatched oil and gas prices hovering as soon as once more – Trump rebuked Israel regardless.
“I told him (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) don’t do that, so he said we won’t do that,” Trump instructed White home reporters Thursday when requested about oil and gas amenities. “We get along great; everything is coordinated but on occasion he will do something and if I don’t like it, so we’re not doing that.”
Israeli officers instructed NCS the Wednesday attack was conducted in coordination with Washington. A 3rd Israeli official stated after the strike, “Israel would not do such a move without the US knowing about it.” A US official additionally instructed NCS that the US was “aware” of the strike.
While CENTCOM has denied US involvement in the strike, former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro wrote on X that there was “zero, I mean zero, chance the IDF would conduct a strike in that location without giving CENTCOM full visibility,”
The White House directed NCS to Trump’s feedback on Thursday when requested about the strikes.
Two well-placed Israeli sources consider Qatar was the primary driver of Trump’s rebuke, noting it isn’t the first time pressure from Doha has prompted Trump to distance himself from Israeli actions.
In September 2025, after Israel tried to assassinate the Hamas political management in an airstrike in Doha, Trump issued a uncommon rebuke to Netanyahu on Truth Social, writing that the resolution “was not made by me” and “does not advance Israel or America’s goals.” He later instructed reporters he was “very unhappy about the way that it went down.”
“I’m not thrilled about the whole situation,” he stated.
Trump additionally facilitated a direct apology cellphone name from Netanyahu to Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, staged at the White House, regardless that the name triggered the Israeli chief inner political backlash. Shortly afterward, the White House launched its plan to finish the Gaza war, and inside two weeks, a ceasefire deal was introduced securing the launch of Israeli hostages.
“Every time Trump has to choose between Qatari and Israeli interests, he sides with the Qataris,” considered one of the well-placed sources instructed NCS. “And maintaining distance from the energy strikes gives someone to blame if fuel prices keep rising.”
NCS has reached out to the Qatari overseas ministry for remark.
Trump’s interventions additionally echo the occasions of June 2025, when he ordered the Israeli Air Force to recall jets en route to strike Iranian targets, successfully ending the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
Israel is conscious {that a} comparable strategic intervention is feasible. Driven by surging gas prices and domestic opposition to a protracted war, Trump’s political timeline is probably going shorter than Israel’s, and he might transfer to finish the war abruptly as soon as once more.