Israelʼs strikes on 30 Iranian fuel depots on March 7 exceeded US expectations and caused the first significant disagreements between the allies since the start of the war.
This was reported to Axios by American and Israeli officials and a knowledgeable source.
Israeli air strikes caused major fires in Tehran, with flames visible for miles and the capital shrouded in thick smoke. The Israel Defense Forces said the fuel depots were “used by the Iranian regime to supply fuel to various consumers, including its military”.
An Israeli military official said the strikes were partly a message to Iran to stop attacks on Israeli civilian infrastructure.
The Israel Defense Forces warned the American military about these strikes, but the States were surprised by their scale.
Although the affected facilities are not oil-producing, American officials are concerned that videos of burning storage facilities could spook oil markets and send energy prices soaring even higher.
"The president doesnʼt like this attack. He wants to preserve the oil. He doesnʼt want to burn it. And it reminds people of higher gas prices," a Trump adviser told Axios.
In addition, the US is concerned that Israeli strikes on infrastructure that serves ordinary Iranians could rally Iranian society in support of the regime.
Whatʼs happening in the Middle East?
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. The Israelis called the operation "Lionʼs Roar", the United States called it "Epic Fury". The attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and nearly 40 other senior Iranian officials. A new ayatollah was elected on March 8, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the deceased Ali Khamenei.
Iran responded by launching ballistic missile attacks on Israel and US bases in the Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. Some Iranian drones and missiles targeted infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries. On the first day of the attacks, Iran launched a total of 541 drones.
On March 5, Iran attacked Azerbaijan for the first time — a drone crashed into the terminal building of the Nakhichevan airport. There were injuries. A ballistic missile launched from Iran was also shot down over Turkish territory.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.