Fact Check: Was Trump aware of Israel's South Pars gas field attack?
WASHINGTON, DC: As the United States-Israel conflict with Iran continues to escalate, President Donald Trump has claimed that the US did not know of Israel's plans to strike Iran's South Pars gas field. Trump’s claim has sparked speculation, with many questioning the truth behind the remark. Let us fact-check the president’s statement.
Claim: United States was unaware of the South Pars gas field 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. A relatively small section of the whole has been hit."
"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,” Trump wrote on his social media platform on Wednesday.
He added, “Unfortunately, Iran did not know this, or any of the pertinent facts about the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar's LNG Gas facility.”
He then promised “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL about this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar - In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before.”
He ended by saying, “I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long-term implications that it will have on the future of Iran, but if Qatar's LNG is again attacked, I will not hesitate to do so. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Fact Check: Media reports contradict Donald Trump's claim
Despite Trump claiming that Israel acted alone in attacking Iran's key energy site, and the US knew nothing about it, the media reports contradict his account.
According to Reuters, Israeli media widely reported that the attack on the South Pars gas field was carried out with the consent of the United States.
Barak Ravid, who works for Axios, asserted that the US not only had prior knowledge of the attack but had greenlit it to ‘pressure’ Iran, and was ‘changing course’ after Iran retaliated.
“Contrary to Trump’s statements, senior Israeli and U.S. officials said that the United States had prior knowledge of the Israeli strike and even approved it in an attempt to pressure Iran,” the report said.
