WTF, Miffed US Told Israel After It Hit 30 Iranian Oil Depots, How Oil Depot Attacks Have Led To Catastrophe In Iranian Capital

9th March 2026 at 12:07 PM

1 minute read

New Delhi : The US and Israel have reportedly clashed over Israel’s large-scale strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure, with a senior US official saying the attacks were “not a good idea” and Washington conveying a blunt message of “WTF” after learning the scale of the operation. Israel’s strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure on Saturday went far beyond what the United States had anticipated when it was informed in advance.

Fresh Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Saturday triggered massive fires across parts of Tehran, with flames visible from miles away and thick smoke engulfing sections of the Iranian capital. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the targeted fuel depots were used by the Iranian regime to supply fuel to various consumers, including its military units. The scale of the operation has raised concerns in Washington. US officials fear that attacks on facilities linked to everyday civilian use could have unintended consequences, potentially rallying public support within Iran for the government and pushing global oil prices higher.

We don’t think it was a good idea,” a senior US official said. Another Israeli official said the message conveyed by the US to Israel afterward was a blunt “WTF”, reflecting surprise in Washington over the breadth of the operation. Although the targets were fuel depots and not oil production facilities, US officials are worried that visuals of large fuel storage sites burning could rattle energy markets and drive prices even higher.

The President doesn’t like the attack. He wants to save oil. He doesn’t want to burn it. And it reminds people of higher gas prices, a Trump adviser told Axios. Iran warned that continued attacks on its oil infrastructure could trigger retaliation across the region. A spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, which oversees military operations, said Tehran had so far avoided targeting fuel and energy infrastructure in the wider region but could reconsider.