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The US-Israeli war against Iran has exposed further divisions between the two countries after an Israeli strike on Iran’s largest gasfield angered US allies in the Gulf and prompted Donald Trump to say he knew nothing in advance about the attack – a claim that Israeli officials disputed.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he had spoken to Benjamin Netanyahu following the strikes on Iran’s South Pars gasfield – part of a reserve shared with Qatar – and had told the Israeli prime minister to refrain from further attacks that could escalate a regional war on energy infrastructure.
“I told him: ‘Don’t do that,’ and he won’t do that,” Trump said. “But on occasion he’ll do something, and if I don’t like it … and so we’re not doing that any more.”
Also today, Israel’s prime minister denied that Donald Trump was “dragged” into the war by Israel, as he tried to pour cold water on suggestions that Israel influenced the US’s decision to attack Iran amid growing signs that the US and Israel are not aligned on their war aims.
“Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?” Netanyahu said, later adding: “I misled no one.”
Strike on Iran gasfield exposes US-Israel rift as Trump claims he did not know
Israeli attacks on the South Pars gasfields have opened a Pandora’s box of retaliatory strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure, including pipelines and natural gas processing facilities that serve LNG (liquefied natural gas) to economies around the world, particularly in Asia.
Trump mocks Japan about Pearl Harbor in response to question about Iran war
Hosting the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in the Oval Office on Thursday, Donald Trump could not resist mocking Japan about its 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor during the second world war.
No timeframe for ending US war against Iran, says Pete Hegseth
The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said on Thursday there is no “timeframe” for ending the US war against Iran and did not deny reports that the Pentagon could seek an extra $200bn in taxpayer funding.
US may remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded in tankers, US treasury secretary says
The US may soon remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded on tankers at sea, the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said on Thursday as Washington seeks to curb prices soaring over Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz.
US military is not preparing for Cuba takeover, top general tells lawmakers
The US military is not rehearsing for an invasion of Cuba or actively preparing to militarily take over the island, the top general overseeing American forces in Latin America has told lawmakers.
The war on Iran cost the US $12.7bn by day six. Here’s how it’s been spent
The US’s bill for its war on Iran, according to analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is growing by roughly half a billion dollars every day. Using cost analysis from the CSIS, we analyze where the US’s war dollars are going, in a war that was never declared in the first place.
Senate committee advances Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead homeland security
A key Senate committee on Thursday advanced Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on a near party-line vote, a day after the Republican senator faced questions at his confirmation hearing about his approach to Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda and accusations of encouraging violence.
Independent autism committee that challenges RFK Jr’s overhaul draws criticism
The first public meeting of US autism advisers – notably, since Robert F Kennedy Jr reshaped the committee – was cancelled recently with few details, coinciding with the creation of a rival organization that has prompted some questions within the autistic community about their focus.
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 18 March 2026.
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