Sidelining Israel? Trump Denies Involvement in South Pars Strike Despite Reports of US Briefing, Says 'US Knew Nothing'

New Delhi: In a high-stakes late-night ultimatum that has rocked global energy markets, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the attack on Iran's South Pars gas field was carried out by Israel, and the U.S. and Qatar were not involved in it. 

"The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump also said Israel would not make any more attacks on Iranian facilities in South Pars unless Iran attacked Qatar, warning that the U.S. would attack those facilities if Iran acted against Doha.

The President’s statement comes in the wake of a chaotic 24-hour window where the "shadow war" over Middle Eastern energy supplies erupted into open conflict.

Catastrophic turn 

Amid rise in regional hostilities, the conflict has taken a catastrophic turn as the South Pars and Ras Laffan gas fields- the world’s most critical energy hubs- have come under direct fire. 

Iran had said earlier that Israel struck ​its facilities in South Pars on Wednesday in a major escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that sent oil prices shooting higher.

Tehran retaliated by promising attacks on oil and gas targets throughout ‌the Gulf, firing missiles at Saudi Arabia and also hitting Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, an energy-industry hub.

Doha rebuked Israel for a "dangerous and irresponsible" attack on Iran's South ​Pars facilities, and condemned Iran for what it called "a flagrant breach" of international law, expelling two senior Iranian diplomats.

The ‘unjustified’ strike 

While Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility for the South Pars attack, President Trump further clarified that while Israel did carry out a "violent" strike on a section of Iran’s South Pars Gas Field “out of anger", the operation was conducted without the knowledge or participation of the United States or Qatar.

He characterized Iran’s retaliatory strike on Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG hub as "unjustified and unfair," claiming Tehran acted out of ignorance regarding the facts of the initial Israeli operation.

'US was informed'

Meanwhile, in contrast to Trump's claim, a source familiar with the matter stated that the United States was briefed on Israel’s plans to strike Iran’s massive offshore South Pars natural gas field on Wednesday but did not participate in the operation, as per news report AP. 

The strike has since ignited a chain reaction of regional retaliation, pushing the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran into a volatile new phase targeting the world’s energy heartland.

Distancing from Israel?

The President’s sudden distancing from Israel’s ‘anger-fueled’ strike on Iran suggests a calculated strategic pivot rather than a simple retreat. 

By claiming the U.S. “knew nothing”, despite intelligence reports to the contrary, Trump appears to be sidelining his closest ally to shield the global economy from a total meltdown. 

With oil prices surging past $108 a barrel and Qatar’s Ras Laffan reeling from "extensive damage," this "no further attacks" pledge acts as a shadow ceasefire designed to stop the bleeding, as per reports.

Global Markets on Edge

The South Pars-North Dome field is the largest natural gas reserve on Earth, shared between Iran and Qatar. It is the jugular vein of the global energy system. 

As the region teeters on the edge of all-out economic warfare, the world now waits to see if Tehran will heed the White House's warning or risk the total loss of its most valuable economic asset.

This "eye for an eye" escalation has effectively turned the region into an economic battlefield, sending oil prices soaring past $110 per barrel and forcing Qatar to expel Iranian diplomats as the global energy supply faces its most severe threat in decades.

The timeline

Iran has been striking its Persian Gulf neighbors’ energy facilities since the war started on Feb. 28, and has made the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil travels, nearly impassable. Iran and Hezbollah have also been firing drones and missiles at Israel.

The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, more than 960 in Lebanon and 14 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. The U.S. military says 13 U.S. service members have been killed and about 200 wounded.

Also Read: War Explodes Middle East Energy Lifelines: Largest Natural Gas Field South Pars Bombed In Iran, Tehran Strikes Qatar’s Ras Laffan