Tel Aviv and Washington clash; "What the hell is going on?"

According to a U.S. official, an Israeli source, and a person familiar with the situation, Israel informed the U.S. in advance about the planned strikes, but U.S. officials were surprised by their scale.

An Israeli military official said the attacks were partly intended to send a message to Iran to stop targeting Israeli civilian infrastructure.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that Iranian authorities use the targeted fuel depots to supply various consumers, including military structures.

Both Israeli and U.S. officials confirmed that the Israeli military notified the U.S. beforehand about the planned strikes. However, a U.S. official said that the U.S. military was taken aback by the magnitude of the attacks.

“We don’t think that was a good idea,” a senior U.S. official said.

One Israeli official said that Washington’s reaction was very sharp, noting that the U.S. message to Israel was: “What the hell is going on?”

Fear of rising oil prices

A U.S. official said that the disagreements between Washington and Tel Aviv, as well as U.S. expectations regarding the further course of the war, will be reviewed at the highest political level between the two countries.

The United States fears that Israeli strikes on infrastructure used by Iranian civilians could backfire strategically, as they might increase domestic support for the Iranian authorities and cause oil prices to rise.

Although the targeted facilities were not directly related to oil production, U.S. officials worry that footage of burning depots could alarm markets and further push up energy prices.

Israeli air force strikes on Saturday caused large fires in Tehran, with flames visible for kilometers, while thick smoke covered the Iranian capital.