A dispute over U.S. awareness of an Israeli strike on a major Middle East gas field has intensified as energy markets react and conflicting accounts emerge from officials and journalists.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said Wednesday night that the United States had no prior knowledge of an Israeli strike targeting a major natural gas site jointly tied to Iran and Qatar, even as separate reporting indicated U.S. officials may have been aware of the operation in advance.
The incident comes during a period of heightened volatility in global energy markets following ongoing military activity tied to Operation Epic Fury, which has disrupted supply chains and driven liquefied natural gas prices sharply higher. According to data tracking global gas flows, LNG prices have surged more than 50% worldwide, as reported by Reuters.
Trump has previously stated his preference to avoid targeting energy infrastructure due to long-term reconstruction challenges, saying such damage could take years to repair. However, he indicated that Israel did not follow that approach in this case.
QatarEnergy, the state-owned energy company, confirmed in a statement shared on X that multiple liquefied natural gas facilities were struck early Thursday. The announcement followed earlier regional tensions, including a reported Iranian missile strike that caused damage and fire at Ras Laffan Industrial City, according to Al Jazeera.
Shortly after QatarEnergy’s statement, Trump addressed the situation in a post on Truth Social, attributing the strike to Israel and describing it as a forceful response. He identified the target as the South Pars Gas Field in southern Iran, which spans nearly 10,000 square miles and accounts for approximately 9% of global natural gas production, according to analysis from NCR Iran.
In his statement, Trump emphasized that the United States had no involvement in the decision-making process. “The U.S. knew nothing about this particular attack,” he wrote, adding that Qatar was “in no way, shape, or form, involved with it.” He further stated, “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL,” and warned that the United States would “massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field” if Iran were to retaliate against Qatar.
However, that account was challenged by reporting from Axios global affairs correspondent Barak Ravid, who stated in a post on X that “senior Israeli and U.S. officials said that the United States had prior knowledge of the Israeli strike and even approved it in an attempt to pressure Iran.”
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the differing accounts.
The developments underscore escalating tensions in the region, with energy infrastructure increasingly becoming a focal point in the broader conflict.
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