A major disagreement has emerged between the United States and Israel after Israeli airstrikes on Iranian fuel depots went much further than the U.S. had expected. President Trump is reportedly furious about the scale of the damage, mainly because he wants to protect Iran’s oil infrastructure and is worried the strikes could push up gas prices.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham recently urged Israel to be careful about what it targets. According to Axios, Graham posted on X, suggesting that Israel should leave Iran’s oil economy intact. He believes this will be important for the Iranian people to rebuild their country once the current regime falls.
“There will be a day soon that the Iranian people will be in charge of their own fate, not the murderous ayatollah’s regime,” Graham said, adding that the goal is to free the Iranian people without damaging their future.
Israel’s strikes went further than the U.S. expected, and Washington’s reaction made that very clear
The Israeli air force struck 30 Iranian fuel depots on Saturday, causing massive fires in Tehran that were visible for miles and covered the city in thick smoke. The Israeli military said these depots supply fuel to various consumers, including the Iranian military.
An Israeli military official also said the strikes were partly meant to send Iran a message to stop targeting Israeli civilian infrastructure. Although the IDF informed the U.S. military ahead of time, American officials were reportedly caught off guard by the size of the attacks.
A senior U.S. official said plainly, “We don’t think it was a good idea.” An Israeli official even described the U.S. reaction as “W.T.F.” Neither the White House nor the IDF gave official comments on the matter.
The U.S. has real strategic concerns about these strikes. There is worry that hitting infrastructure used by ordinary Iranians could backfire, pushing Iranian society to support the current regime rather than weaken it. Analysts have also been warning about oil prices surging toward $100 per barrel and even beyond, and footage of burning depots could push that further.
Iran has responded with strong warnings. The spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters warned that if attacks on Iran’s oil infrastructure continue, Tehran may retaliate with similar strikes across the region. He also threatened that if Iran were to target regional fuel and energy infrastructure, oil prices could jump to $200 a barrel.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf echoed this warning, saying retaliation would come “without delay” if the attacks continue. Iran has already shown it is willing to act, as seen when Iran fired precision missiles at a Bahrain base in a recent escalation.
This disagreement marks the first major point of tension between the two allies since the conflict began eight days ago, and U.S. officials expect it to be addressed at senior political levels between the two countries.
Published: Mar 9, 2026 12:45 pm