Trump says he urged Netanyahu not to target Iran's oil, gas fields

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike Iran’s oil and gas infrastructure.

“Yeah, I did, I did. I told him, don’t do that and he won’t do that,” Trump told reporters when asked whether he had spoken to Netanyahu about targeting Iranian oil and gas facilities.

“We didn’t discuss, we do independent, but get along great. It’s coordinated,” said Trump. “But on occasion, he’ll do something. And if I don’t like it … we’re not doing that anymore.”

Trump’s remarks come after Israel struck Iran’s South Pars natural gas field, the country’s largest gas reserve and a key pillar of its economy, marking a major escalation in the war.

The strike triggered sharp retaliation from Iran, which warned it would show “zero restraint” if its infrastructure is hit again and launched attacks on energy facilities across the region, including in Qatar and Kuwait.

The escalation has rattled global energy markets, with oil and natural gas prices surging amid fears of wider disruptions.