US President Donald Trump’s claim that he was unaware of the Israeli attack on Iran’s Pars gas field appears unconvincing to analysts, who argue that he is attempting to distance himself from the consequences of this dangerous escalation in the war.
Trump denied prior knowledge of the Israeli strike, which Iran responded to by targeting facilities in Gulf states, most notably Ras Laffan in Qatar.
However, Israeli media confirmed that Trump had prior knowledge of the attack and approved it, raising serious questions about the credibility of the US partnership with regional countries, which are now bearing the consequences of Trump’s alignment with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Although the US president warned against further Iranian attacks on Qatari energy facilities, this stance does not absolve him of responsibility, nor does it prove that he was unaware of the strike on the Pars field, according to Professor of Middle East Studies Dr Mahjoob Zweiri.
Zweiri noted that when Israel targeted leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas in Doha last year, Trump also claimed he had no prior knowledge and warned Israel against repeating such actions, yet they occurred again.
He added that the targeting of the Iranian field, which extends into Qatar’s North Field, partially constitutes an attack on the Qatari side, which is likely to face at least economic repercussions.
Security and Economic Attrition
For this reason, Zweiri argues that it is implausible for a country like Qatar to be targeted three times within two years while the United States denies knowledge, when it is widely understood that this is not the case. He stated that the war has “entered a phase of security and political attrition across the region”.
He further explained that as Israel continues its policy of assassinations and moves toward striking vital infrastructure, fully aware that Iran would respond by targeting Gulf facilities, the credibility of US partnerships in the region becomes increasingly questionable.
According to Zweiri, the United States benefits from Israeli strikes, as disruptions to regional energy supplies increase global demand for US energy exports. He stated that “Trump supports what Israel is doing because it serves his own interests”.
He added that if Trump truly lacked prior knowledge of these attacks, this would also raise serious doubts about the value of partnership with the United States, given its failure to protect allies and their strategic facilities.
Questioning the Decision
Security and military affairs expert Richard White believes it is likely that Trump was aware of the Israeli strike on the Pars field but is denying it to minimise repercussions. In his view, it is preferable for Washington to deny knowledge of such operations to discourage Iran from retaliating against allied facilities in Gulf states.
White added that Trump’s distancing from these actions suggests that he has recognised the flawed nature of the decision and the importance of avoiding its repetition, similar to the previous Israeli attack in Qatar.
However, this interpretation is considered illogical by Israeli affairs expert Mahmoud Yazbak, who argues that Israel cannot undertake such a serious escalation without direct approval from Trump.
Yazbak believes that the situation represents a development that could ignite the entire region and potentially set the global economy ablaze. He described Trump’s denial as a “childish position” and argued that the US president gave Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, a green light for a joint operation that ultimately failed to achieve its objectives.
He added that the current targeting of energy facilities in the region is “a result of Trump and Netanyahu altering the objectives of the war without a thorough assessment of the consequences”.
Reciprocal Escalation
Meanwhile, Abbas Aslani, a researcher at the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies, considers Tehran’s response of targeting Gulf facilities as reciprocal action, as Iran views these states as partners or complicit in a war aimed at paving the way for Israel to become the dominant decision maker in the region.
