Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to repeat the type of attack Israel carried out on Iran’s South Pars gas field, even as he acknowledged that both nations coordinate their actions.
In a social media post on Wednesday night, Trump said Washington “knew nothing about this particular attack,” contradicting reports from three Israeli officials who told Reuters that the strike had been coordinated with the United States.
The attack on the Iranian gas field prompted an Iranian aerial assault on energy infrastructure in Qatar and other parts of the Middle East, marking the largest escalation in tensions involving the U.S. and Israel against Iran.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump did not clarify whether he had prior knowledge of the strike or approved it in advance, nor did he specify the timing of his conversation with Netanyahu.
“I told him, don’t do that and he won’t do that,” Trump said. “We didn’t discuss, you know, we do independent, but get along great. It’s coordinated. But on occasion he’ll do something. And if I don’t like it. And so we’re not doing that anymore.”
The three Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel was not surprised by Trump’s social media comments. They compared the situation to previous Israeli strikes on fuel depots in Iran, where U.S. officials had similarly distanced themselves.
When asked for comment regarding the officials’ remarks, the White House declined to provide further details, and Netanyahu’s office did not respond to inquiries.
