President Trump said Wednesday that Israel will not conduct further attacks on Iran's main natural gas facility, hours after Israeli forces struck the South Pars gas field in southwestern Iran. The attack marked the first time Israel has targeted Iranian natural gas infrastructure, which is central to Iran's economy. Trump's statement appeared aimed at de-escalating tensions after the significant military escalation.
The Israeli strike was coordinated with and approved by the White House, according to Israeli and U.S. officials. However, the attack prompted immediate retaliation from Iran, which conducted two missile strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, hitting natural gas facilities and causing extensive damage with no immediate casualties reported.
Qatari officials contacted White House envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior Trump administration officials demanding to know whether the U.S. had prior knowledge of the Israeli strike. The incident strained relations with Qatar, a key regional ally that operates major natural gas facilities.
Trump later claimed on Truth Social that Israeli forces "violently lashed out" and that "the United States knew nothing about this particular attack." U.S. and Israeli officials contradicted Trump's account, saying his remarks were inaccurate regarding American knowledge of the strike.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed Iran "is being decimated" and no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles after sustained air attacks, though these assertions could not be independently verified.