Are US and Israel aligned on Iran war? Deciphering Trump’s post after gas field attacks
Are US and Israel aligned on Iran war? Deciphering Trump’s post after gas field attacks
Following strikes on a significant gas field shared by Iran and Qatar, Donald Trump, the U.S. president, delivered a pointed critique. Israel targeted Iran’s South Pars field—a key component of the world’s largest natural gas reserve—and Tehran retaliated by hitting an energy complex in Qatar. The assaults caused a rise in energy costs and deepened Trump’s frustration. On his Truth Social platform, he accused Iran and stated he was unaware of Israel’s plan for the attack. This raises questions about the unity between the U.S. and Israel in their strategy toward Iran.
Trump’s assertions and conflicting reports
The U.S. leader claimed the administration “knew nothing” about the Israeli strike. However, Israeli newspapers contradicted this, citing sources that suggested U.S. involvement. Yedioth Ahronoth, a centrist publication, reported that the attack “was co-ordinated in advance with the United States” and agreed upon by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Trump. Israel Hayom, a right-wing outlet, added that Trump had discussed the strike with leaders from three Persian Gulf states over the weekend.
“NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field,” Trump wrote, “unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case Qatar.”
Trump’s use of all caps here hints at a possible shift in tone. For a leader accustomed to asserting control, the statement may reflect either a pre-existing agreement or a subtle challenge to Netanyahu. His description of the attack as an “out of anger” response suggests impatience, contrasting with the precision typically associated with Israeli military operations.
Netanyahu’s alignment with Trump’s message
On Thursday evening, Netanyahu echoed Trump’s remarks in a press conference, declaring Israel had “acted alone” in the strike. He emphasized that Trump had requested Israeli forces to “hold off” from similar attacks, framing their relationship as unbreakable. “I don’t think any two leaders have been as coordinated as President Trump and I,” he stated, asserting, “He’s the leader. I’m, you know, his ally.”
Alex Gandler, the Israeli embassy spokesman in London, told the BBC, “We are very much aligned on most or all of our goals regarding the Islamic regime in Iran, the IRGC, their ballistic and nuclear programmes,” and “We want the same thing.” Despite this, the two allies appear to have differing priorities. While the U.S. has focused on degrading Iran’s missile capabilities and attacking its Gulf coastline, Israel has pursued a more aggressive approach, targeting key figures and infrastructure to weaken the regime’s grip on power.
Israeli officials have framed the South Pars strike as part of a broader campaign to destabilize Iran’s leadership. “The gas supply to citizens is being shut off, and that will bring the uprising closer,” one official told Yossi Yehoshua of Yedioth Ahronoth. Netanyahu, a long-standing advocate for regime change, has consistently pushed for Iran’s removal, viewing it as a threat to the Jewish state. The U.S., meanwhile, has prioritized containment over complete overhaul, leaving room for potential divergence in their strategic goals.
