Donald Trump Denies US Role in Israel’s Attack on Iran’s Gas Field, Social Media Questions Claims
- Donald Trump has weighed in on Israel's attack on Iran’s South Pars Gas Field and the country's retaliation against Qatar
- The President of the United States warned of further attacks on the same gas field if Iran continued attacking innocent countries
- Social media users weighed in on Trump's claims about the attack, with some wondering if it was a sign of division between the US and Israel
- Wichard Cilliers, Head of Market Risk at TreasuryONE, explained to Briefly News how the rand was affected by the ongoing conflict
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WASHINGTON, DC – Donald Trump has seemingly thrown Israel under the bus for an attack on Iran’s South Pars Gas Field, which sparked a fresh wave of retaliation from the Middle Eastern country.
A portion of the gas field, which is the world’s largest natural gas reserve, was attacked by Israel on 18 March 2026. The field is shared between Iran (South Pars) and Qatar (North Field/North Dome).
The attack on the gas field was the latest in the ongoing war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran on 28 February 2026.
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Iran launched retaliatory attacks across the Persian Gulf, targeting Qatar’s LNG Gas facility, a move that Trump was not impressed with. But while he condemned the attack on Qatar, he also claimed that the US did not know Israel planned an attack on the gas field.
Source: Getty Images
What did Trump say?
Taking to Truth Social, placed the blame solely on Israel, saying the US didn’t know about the attack.
“Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as the South Pars Gas Field in Iran.
“The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen,” he claimed.
This claim has already been contradicted, as The Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed US officials, reported that Trump not only knew of the attack but approved it, in a bid to pressure Tehran into unblocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Barak Ravid, a prominent Israeli journalist and political analyst for CNN, also pointed this out.
The strait, which is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points, has been closed by Iran since the war began. This has prevented much of the global oil supply from passing through.
Trump threatens further attacks
While Trump claimed that the US did not know about the original attack and promised that no other attack would be made by Israel on the South Pars Field unless Iran attacked an innocent target, he also threatened to ‘massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field’.
He warned that if Iran attacked an innocent country, as was the case with the strike on Qatar, the US would respond with an ‘amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen’ before.
How have the markets reacted?
Wichard Cilliers, Head of Market Risk at TreasuryONE, told Briefly News that oil prices jumped by over 4.0% after Israel launched the attack on Iran's largest natural gas field and the country’s retaliation.
Cilliers noted that the rand was also affected by the ongoing war.
“The Rand lost around 1.8% yesterday on the back of the stronger Dollar and rising energy cost concerns. The local currency closed at R16.98 and is trading unchanged against the Dollar this morning (19 January 2026) but is weaker against both the Euro and Pound,” he said.
Social media users react to Trump’s claims
Social media users weighed in on Trump’s claims about Israel and his threats, with many commenting on his shifting stance during the ongoing war.
@FajrCoded asked:
“So, if you had no knowledge, or didn’t do it, then why are you threatening to do it again?”
@MalloryUltra noted the same thing:
“We didn’t bomb part of it, but we’ll bomb the rest if you bomb someone else.”
@Buntu_Bokweni stated:
“Cracks between the US and Israel alliance. Wow.”
@UmuofiaPresiden agreed:
“The marriage between Trump and Netanyahu is going south gradually.”
@walidmahmodrouk asked:
“So, your ally is carrying out airstrikes without even telling you?”
@JohnnyVomits questioned this as well:
“Netanyahu is keeping information from Trump, and he's totally okay with it? Hmm.
@SiphiweNodwele asked:
“Did the White House just accuse its BFF of violating Article 8(2)(b) of the Rome Statute (International Armed Conflicts)?”
Trump declares victory over Iran
Briefly News also reported that Trump provided another narrative about the ongoing war in Iran, changing his story again.
The President of the US was also contradicted by his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, about the status of the conflict.
The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian maintained that the conflict would not end until three conditions were met.
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Source: Briefly News
