(The Guardian) 'I told him don't do that': Trump confirms he told Netanyahu to stop attacks on Iranian energy facilities
Asked about Israel’s attack on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, Trump confirmed that he spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu about it – though he was not explicit about when exactly they spoke – and said he told the Israeli prime minister not to carry out further attacks on Iran’s oil and gas facilities. -- Yeah I did, I told him don’t do that … And he won’t do that … We’re independent. We get along great. It’s coordinated. But on occasion, he’ll do something, and if I don’t like it … So, we’re not doing that any more.
It suggests that the US and Israel’s war aims are somewhat diverging.
Yesterday, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Washington “knew nothing about this particular attack” and that Israel would not attack the gasfield further unless Iran again attacked Qatar. In that case, he said, the US would “massively blow up” the gasfield.
His defense secretary Pete Hegseth, also earlier claimed that Trump knew nothing about the attack on the South Pars gasfield, the world’s largest natural gas reserve.
Israel, meanwhile, has claimed that the attack was coordinated with the United States. Israeli sources have told Reuters and CNN that that Israel had carried out the attack in coordination with the US, contradicting the president’s claim. A US source also told CNN that the US was “aware” of the strike.
The Wall Street Journal also reported yesterday that Trump supported the attack as a message to Tehran over its blocking of the strait of Hormuz, but is now against any further attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure – but could be open to targeting more Iranian energy facilities, depending on whether Tehran impedes traffic in the critical waterway.
Main Reference
Asked about Israel’s attack on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, Trump confirmed that he spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu about it – though he was not explicit about when exactly they spoke – and said he told the Israeli prime minister not to carry out further attacks on Iran’s oil and gas facilities. -- Yeah I did, I told him don’t do that … And he won’t do that … We’re independent. We get along great. It’s coordinated. But on occasion, he’ll do something, and if I don’t like it … So, we’re not doing that any more.
It suggests that the US and Israel’s war aims are somewhat diverging.
Yesterday, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Washington “knew nothing about this particular attack” and that Israel would not attack the gasfield further unless Iran again attacked Qatar. In that case, he said, the US would “massively blow up” the gasfield.
His defense secretary Pete Hegseth, also earlier claimed that Trump knew nothing about the attack on the South Pars gasfield, the world’s largest natural gas reserve.
Israel, meanwhile, has claimed that the attack was coordinated with the United States. Israeli sources have told Reuters and CNN that that Israel had carried out the attack in coordination with the US, contradicting the president’s claim. A US source also told CNN that the US was “aware” of the strike.
The Wall Street Journal also reported yesterday that Trump supported the attack as a message to Tehran over its blocking of the strait of Hormuz, but is now against any further attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure – but could be open to targeting more Iranian energy facilities, depending on whether Tehran impedes traffic in the critical waterway.
Main Reference
