Donald Trump is reportedly incensed following Israel’s recent assault on Iran’s oil depots, a move that has taken the White House by surprise amidst already rising oil prices.
The aftermath of this attack has led to the cancellation of a planned summit between the United States and Israel. This marks the first visible rift between the two allies since the onset of the current conflict.
Over the weekend, thirty Iranian fuel depots were destroyed, creating dramatic scenes of towering flames and thick smoke columns, while blackened rain fell from the sky due to the heavy combustion.
White House officials were caught off guard by the intensity of Israel’s offensive. There is growing concern that the stark visuals of oil fires could provoke public frustration in the U.S., where gasoline prices have surged to an average of $3.40 per gallon, up from $2.90 before the conflict began.
According to a Trump adviser speaking to Axios, the president is displeased with the attack, emphasizing his desire to conserve oil and his awareness of the public’s sensitivity to rising gas prices.
In response to the U.S. reaction, an Israeli representative conveyed the blunt message received from American officials: “What the f***?”
Trump’s two-week war with Iran led to oil prices spiking near $120 per barrel before falling back on Monday morning to $103. The Wall Street Journal noted that the war is on the verge of sparking one worst global energy crisis since the 1970s.
A new Daily Mail/J.L. Partners poll found the President’s approval now stands at 44 percent, down four points since last week and marking the lowest rating recorded in Daily Mail tracking to date.
The Israel Defense Forces justified the strike, claiming the oil depots are used by the Islamic regime to ‘fuel different consumers including its military organs.’
Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff canceled their planned trip to Israel for a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. Neither the US nor Israel provided a reason for the summit’s cancellation.
The President’s closest advisers are also warning the public that they may have to grapple with higher gas prices, as polling shows Trump losing public support for the war
Video emerged showing flames engulfing neighborhoods across Tehran as civilian ran for safety. It is unclear how many casualties occurred from the Israeli operation
Trump’s two-week war with Iran led to oil prices spiking near $120 per barrel before falling back on Monday morning to $103
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, has driven up oil prices. A fifth of global oil flows through the narrow strait.
Iran has closed the transit route by launching drone and missile attacks as retaliatory strikes against the US and Gulf allies since the start of the war.
An emergency meeting of the G7 will be held on Monday, where crisis options including the release of oil reserves will be discussed to help lower global prices.
More Americans are also beginning to feel the cost of the war in their everyday lives.
Higher gas prices can increase the cost of transporting goods and lead to higher prices for everything from groceries to consumer products.
Trump has said he and Netanyahu will make a ‘mutual’ decision on when to end the war with Iran as Pete Hegseth guaranteed Tehran ‘will surrender’.
Speaking by phone with The Times of Israel, Trump said Netanyahu will have input on resolving the conflict.
‘I think it’s mutual … a little bit. We’ve been talking. I’ll make a decision at the right time, but everything’s going to be taken into account,’ said Trump.
Trump is furious after Israel destroyed Tehran’s fuel depots, sending global crude prices soaring and further escalating the fallout from his war with Iran
The targeting of Iran’s fuel depots around Tehran on Saturday shocked Trump officials because of the scale of the strikes.
Video emerged showing flames engulfing neighborhoods across Tehran as civilian ran for safety. It is unclear how many casualties occurred from the Israeli operation.
‘We don’t think it was a good idea,’ a senior US official told Axios.
The pressure campaign against Iranian oil reserves continues as the US Navy reportedly attacked three regime ships in the Persian Gulf on Monday.
Sources say the vessels, all believed to be oil tankers, were struck during strikes on the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
Video and pictures circulating on social media show flames and huge plumes of smoke blowing from the ships.
