Strike on Iran gasfield exposes US-Israel rift as Trump claims he did not know - The Guardian

The Guardian
March 19, 2026
4 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

A strike on an Iran gas field has exposed disagreements between the U.S. and Israel; Trump claims he did not know about it.

AI Summary

President Trump has claimed he did not know in advance about a strike on an Iranian gasfield, revealing a public disagreement between the Trump administration and Israel over military operations. The strike, reportedly carried out by Israel, targeted infrastructure in Iran and marks an escalation in regional tensions following months of tit-for-tat attacks between the two countries. Trump's disavowal suggests the operation occurred without coordination or advance notice to the White House, undercutting the close coordination typically expected between Washington and its closest Middle East ally. The incident exposes fractures in the US-Israel relationship even as Trump has positioned himself as strongly pro-Israel, raising questions about the limits of their operational alignment. Israel has not officially confirmed responsibility for the strike, but the timing and nature of the target point to Israeli involvement in what appears to be a response to Iranian threats.

Source Coverage Map

9 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

21% coverage
Did Not Cover (34)
ICIJ97AP World News96AP News96AP US News96AP Top News96+29 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

Trump relied on unverified intelligence to blame Iran for deadly school strike
National Security

Trump relied on unverified intelligence to blame Iran for deadly school strike

<p>Exclusive: Early US assessment suggesting missile was Iranian was almost immediately dismissed, sources say</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump</a>’s attempt to blame Iran for the deadly strike on an elementary school stemmed from an early US intelligence assessment that initially suggested the missile was Iranian but was almost immediately dismissed, according to two people familiar with the matter.</p><p>The CIA initially told the president that they did not believe the missile that struck the school was a munition used by the US because the fins appeared to be positioned too low for it to be a Tomahawk cruise missile.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/17/trump-intelligence-iran-school-strike">Continue reading...</a>

The Guardian US NewsMar 17
Trump draws parallel between Pearl Harbor and US strikes on Iran in meeting with Japanese PM - Reuters
National Security

Trump draws parallel between Pearl Harbor and US strikes on Iran in meeting with Japanese PM - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizwFBVV95cUxOSWhVYmREVDZqdE5UMzFzckNMY0hYZXZGaHNpNEhSTmdjczl6VEFtLV9YeVh3N1lUQjBKQmpNOVZZdE5jb2k0YUo5V283bWxtYThzOWh4TkhxbHlMcGRvVXo0YmE0NkhMTFVMNjBLN29wc1BQM3JpWjhkTHd3b1o1X2tOX0t6MkpsWDNRMEpBenl0SkZmaUtFSjFtVU43NGluc0laSWc4N3JPZ3dQc2hkbkp1QzFNVEc4aVBYaU8zcVN5c255YWJzaGNhYjJCdUk?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump draws parallel between Pearl Harbor and US strikes on Iran in meeting with Japanese PM</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

ReutersMar 19
Hundreds protest against US-Israeli strikes on Iran in Seoul
Politics

Hundreds protest against US-Israeli strikes on Iran in Seoul

Hundreds of peace activists and demonstrators marched in central Seoul on Saturday in protest of the US-Israeli strikes.

Al JazeeraMar 14
Trump Once Did a Deal With Oligarchs Allegedly Linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
National Security

Trump Once Did a Deal With Oligarchs Allegedly Linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard

In the opening days of his war against Iran, Donald Trump had a message for members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps: Surrender and get “total immunity”—or face “absolutely guaranteed death.” An elite armed force that exists outside Iran’s normal military structure, the IRGC began as the ayatollah’s personal strike force. But during the country’s […]

Mother JonesMar 16
Top counterterrorism official Kent resigns over Trump's Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat - AP News
National Security

Top counterterrorism official Kent resigns over Trump's Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxQY3hKc1k0enEwcnVPOWVCLXZqVUdUSGRMZDk2WkExSTlXZ2hobHdRWmZqUDBkVUhCN1JUOGVDblVzRG4yLU5Jc2xhSHdQWG1GRFpzTTY4V05TWTNNMWI0WlgyS1JLTU42MEI4UnAwa3FSMllYWjRCUU5UYkpETUNsal95enVVRXVDdWU5Z2lPRHI3a0Zwa1E?oc=5" target="_blank">Top counterterrorism official Kent resigns over Trump's Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsMar 17
Ex-counterterrorism official says he wasn't allowed to share concerns about Iran war with Trump - AP News
National Security

Ex-counterterrorism official says he wasn't allowed to share concerns about Iran war with Trump - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxNVUtwWUc1dTlackEtcVBrT1dyYzZiR3NHeHlSZnVLem1HTTZrQVpHSTZqcFp6elprYXdPUWk3bi1HQVcwRUhocjk1RHNnMm9LRVV3YkRGLXpGcEhoZmhDd3RfSXJHdTU1NFFRVEdneWJPWjV4OF9QcGlxODY2RnBBUWJFT0lUcjRzYUVhZHE2aW5wRGFhaGV4Mzg1ei0?oc=5" target="_blank">Ex-counterterrorism official says he wasn't allowed to share concerns about Iran war with Trump</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsMar 19
Read Next
Trump faces his most difficult Iran war decision: Will he deploy U.S. troops to seize uranium?
National Security

Trump faces his most difficult Iran war decision: Will he deploy U.S. troops to seize uranium?

The president has been circumspect about how far he's willing to go to follow through on his pledge to destroy Iran's weapons program once and for all, including seizing or destroying the near-bomb-grade nuclear material that Iran possesses.

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources