The Israeli strikes on Iranian oil depots, which created ‘apocalyptic’ scenes in Tehran, have seemingly led to a disagreement between the US and Tel Aviv, with Washington taken by surprise by the extent of the bombing.
Israel struck 30 Iranian fuel depots on Sunday and notified the US in advance about the action. But according to a report by Axios, they went far beyond what Washington expected.
According to the report, the Donald Trump administration is concerned that Israeli strikes on infrastructure that serves ordinary Iranians could backfire strategically, rallying Iranian society to support the regime and driving up oil prices.
Strikes created doomsday scenes in Tehran
The Israeli air force’s Saturday strikes created large fires in Tehran, igniting flames visible for miles and blanketing the Iranian capital in heavy smoke. Visuals out of the city gave the impression of doomsday.
The IDF claimed in a statement that the fuel depots “are used by the Iranian regime to supply fuel to different consumers, including its military organs.”
According to an Israeli military official quoted by Axios, the strikes were intended in part to send a message to Iran to stop targeting Israeli civilian infrastructure.
US says ‘WTF’
While officials in Washington and Tel Aviv maintain that the IDF notified the US military ahead of the strikes, a US official quoted by Axios said the US military was surprised by the strikes’ scope.
“We don’t think it was a good idea,” the senior official said.
According to an Israeli official quoted in the report, the US message to Israel was “WTF”.
Both the IDF and the White House are yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Why is the US concerned about Israeli strikes on Iranian oil depots?
While the facilities that were struck are not oil production facilities, the US is concerned that the footage of burning depots could spook oil markets and push energy prices even higher.
“The President doesn’t like the attack. He wants to save the oil. He doesn’t want to burn it. And it reminds people of higher gas prices,” a Trump adviser told Axios.
Iran’s reaction
The spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, which oversees the military operations, warned on Saturday that if attacks on Iran’s oil infrastructure continue, Tehran may respond with similar strikes across the region.
He added that Iran so far hasn’t targeted regional fuel and energy infrastructure and threatened that if Iran does, oil prices could hit $200 a barrel.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also warned that if attacks on infrastructure continue, Iran will retaliate “without delay.”
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