Scoop: U.S. dismayed by Israel's Iran fuel strikes, sources say
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Smoke rises over oil depot tanks in Tehran on March 8, 2026, after overnight strikes as the conflict with Iran escalates. Photo: Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images
Israel's strikes on 30 Iranian fuel depots Saturday went far beyond what the U.S. expected when Israel notified it in advance, sparking the first significant disagreement between the allies since the war began eight days ago, according to a U.S. official, Israeli official and a source with knowledge.
Why it matters: The U.S. is concerned Israeli strikes on infrastructure that serves ordinary Iranians could backfire strategically, rallying Iranian society to support the regime and driving up oil prices.
Driving the news: The Israeli air force's Saturday strikes created large fires in Tehran, igniting flames visible for miles and blanketing the capital in heavy smoke.
- The IDF claimed in a statement that the fuel depots "are used by the Iranian regime to supply fuel to different consumers including its military organs."
- An Israeli military official said the strikes were intended in part to tell Iran to stop targeting Israeli civilian infrastructure.
Behind the scenes: Israeli and U.S. officials said the IDF notified the U.S. military ahead of the strikes.
- But a U.S. official said that the U.S. military was surprised by how wide-ranging they were.
- "We don't think it was a good idea," a senior U.S. official said.
- An Israeli official said the U.S. message to Israel was "WTF".
- The White House and the IDF didn't comment.
The big picture: While the facilities that were struck are not oil production facilities, U.S. officials are concerned the footage of burning depots could spook oil markets and push energy prices even higher.
- "The president doesn't like the attack. He wants to save the oil. He doesn't want to burn it. And it reminds people of higher gas prices," a Trump adviser told Axios.
The other side: The spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, which oversees the military operations, warned Saturday that if attacks on Iran's oil infrastructure continue, Tehran may respond with similar strikes across the region.
- He added that Iran so far hasn't targeted regional fuel and energy infrastructure and threatened that if Iran does, oil prices could hit $200 a barrel.
- Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, one of the most senior officials in the regime, warned that if attacks on infrastructure continue, Iran will retaliate "without delay."
What's next: A U.S. official says the disagreement and what the U.S. expects in the war is expected to be addressed at senior political levels between the two allies.
