Energy prices have soared since Israel attacked production infrastructure associated with Iran’s South Pars natural gas field, part of the world’s largest gas reserves, prompting Iran to target energy facilities in neighboring Persian Gulf states and Israel.
President Donald Trump has sought to distance his administration from attacking Israel, saying the United States “knew nothing” about it, but officials dispute his claims.
Here’s what you need to know on day 20.
What are the main headings?
Energy prices soar: Global oil benchmark Brent crude hit $115 a barrel on Thursday morning as Iran launched a counterattack on energy infrastructure across the Middle East following Israel’s attack on the South Pars gas field. On Thursday, Iranian missiles struck an Israeli oil refinery in Haifa. Saudi Arabia said two oil refineries were damaged in the capital Riyadh, and Qatar reported “extensive damage” in its main energy hub, Ras Laffan. After the airstrike, Qatar ordered Iranian military and security attachés to leave the country within 24 hours.
President Trump distances himself from US: Israel’s attack on South Pars marked a significant escalation: Israel had previously attacked Iranian fuel depots, but had refrained from attacking energy production facilities until Wednesday. President Trump distanced his administration from an Israeli attack on some of the gas fields it shares with Qatar. “The United States knew nothing about this particular attack,” he wrote in Truth Social. However, he warned that if Iran continued to attack Qatar, the United States would “detonate the entire South Pars gas field on a large scale.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: President Trump also said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him to stop attacking Iranian oil and gas facilities. “I told him not to do that,” Trump said. “And he won’t do that. Prime Minister Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will comply with President Trump’s demands.
Sources contradict Trump: Sources familiar with Israel’s South Pars attack contradict Trump’s claim that the United States “knew nothing” about it. An Israeli official told CNN that Israel carried out the attack in coordination with the US, while a US official said the US was “aware” of the attack.
Export ban ruled out: The White House has ruled out a ban on U.S. crude oil and gas exports as it looks for ways to ease soaring energy prices, administration officials told CNN. Trump administration officials initially considered a ban as one of a variety of ideas to alleviate soaring prices.
Saudi Arabia threat: Saudi Arabia warned on Thursday that it “reserves the right to take military action” against Iran if necessary, following attacks on its energy facilities. In a joint statement after a meeting of foreign ministers from 12 Arab and Islamic countries, Saudi Arabia called on Iran to “immediately cease its attacks.”
US military: Asked about a Reuters report that his administration was considering sending thousands of US troops to the Middle East, President Trump said he had no intention of sending US troops. President Trump said Thursday: “No, I’m not sending troops anywhere. If I were, I’d never say it, but I’m not sending troops.” In an op-ed in The Economist, Oman’s foreign minister urged U.S. allies to intervene to end what he called an “unlawful war.”
Intel’s review: A day after he resigned, former Trump administration counterterrorism chief Joe Kent said there was “no intelligence” suggesting Iran would launch a “massive surprise attack” similar to 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. He said Iran was not on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons and said he felt Israel had drawn the United States into the conflict. At Wednesday’s hearing, administration officials repeatedly refuted or failed to substantiate Trump’s claims about the Iranian threat.
Senate vote: Republicans once again rejected a resolution aimed at curbing President Trump’s war powers. This is the second time since the current conflict with Iran began that Democrats have pushed for a vote.
No clear timeline: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the US remains “on track” to achieve its goals, but did not say when the war would end. “I don’t want to set a final deadline” on ending the war, Hegseth said at a Pentagon news conference Thursday.
Trump administration facilitates arms sales: The Trump administration bypassed Congress and facilitated billions of dollars in arms sales to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait as Gulf allies take on Iranian retaliation for U.S. and Israeli military actions. The administration also facilitated the sale of millions of dollars in “aircraft and munitions support” to Jordan.
Strikes continue: Israel, Iran, and Lebanese Hezbollah continue their trade strikes. Israel announced on Wednesday that it had struck 200 targets across western and central Iran, including military infrastructure. Israel also announced early Thursday that it had intercepted a missile fired by Iran, and one foreigner was killed by debris in the southern Sharon region. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, at least three women were killed when a hair salon was hit by rocket fragments, but the Israeli military said the cause was an Iranian cluster bomb.
Caspian Sea Attack: Israel conducted its first attack on Iranian naval targets in the Caspian Sea after nearly three weeks of war. To date, U.S. attacks on Iranian naval assets have occurred in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. The landlocked Caspian Sea borders several other countries, including Russia.
Two ships hit: Unknown projectiles hit two ships in separate incidents in and around the Persian Gulf early Thursday morning, the British Maritime Authority said. The agency said more than 20 oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels have reported accidents in and around the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman since the war began.
Rising death toll: The death toll across the region is rising, with Lebanon now reporting more than 1,000 deaths since the conflict began. The highest death toll so far has been in Iran, with even more deaths in Persian Gulf Arab states and Israel. The head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society said more than 18,000 civilians were injured and tens of thousands of civilian buildings were damaged in continued US and Israeli attacks across Iran, Iranian state media reported.
Public hangings in Iran: Iran has executed three men in connection with nationwide protests in January, including a 19-year-old wrestler whose convictions drew criticism from the United States. A news agency affiliated with Iran’s judicial authorities said the hanging was carried out in the city of Qom after legal procedures were completed, including the presence of a lawyer and approval from Iran’s Supreme Court. Human rights groups say their trial was a sham that involved forced confessions and torture.
