US Urges Israel to Avoid Strikes on Iran’s Oil Infrastructure
ISTANBUL
The administration of Donald Trump has asked Israel to avoid additional strikes on Iran’s energy facilities, particularly oil infrastructure, according to a report published Tuesday.
The news outlet Axios cited three sources familiar with the discussions.
Message Delivered to Israeli Leadership
Officials delivered the request through senior political channels. In addition, they communicated the message to the Israeli military leadership, including Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, according to an Israeli official.
US officials believe that attacks on oil facilities mainly harm ordinary Iranian citizens. Many of those citizens, Washington believes, do not support the government in Tehran.
Concerns Over Wider Regional Escalation
Washington also fears that continued attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure could trigger large-scale retaliation. Iranian forces might respond by targeting oil facilities across the Gulf region, which could disrupt global energy supplies.
Furthermore, Trump reportedly hopes to work with Iran’s oil sector once the conflict ends. For that reason, the administration prefers to keep energy infrastructure intact.
Energy Strikes Seen as Last Resort
According to one source quoted by Axios, Trump views strikes on Iranian oil facilities as a “doomsday option.” The United States would consider such action only if Iran first attacks oil infrastructure in Gulf countries.
The request came after reports suggested that US officials felt uneasy about the scale of recent Israeli strikes on Iranian fuel depots over the weekend.
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