'WTF': US left stunned by widespread fire following Israeli attack on Iranian oil depots

Israeli strikes on 30 Iranian fuel depots on Saturday left the United States stunned, according to an Axios report. A US official, an Israeli official and a source with knowledge told the outlet that even though Washington was notified about the strikes before they happened, American officials were surprised to see how widely they spread. According to an Israeli official, the US told Israel, “WTF” after witnessing how much the flames spread. The US is not happy with the attack as it fears it could backfire in its bid to remove the regime. Hitting Israeli strikes on infrastructure serving ordinary Iranians could lead people to start backing the regime. They also fear that the horrifying visuals could create panic and drive up oil prices. Tehran was shrouded in thick smoke after Israel hit the fuel depots, igniting fires visible for miles.

Not a good idea to attack oil depots, Trump official said

To back the strikes, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that the depots are "used by the Iranian regime to supply fuel to different consumers, including its military organs." It added that the strikes were a warning to Israel and deter attacks on Israeli civilian infrastructure. Israel told the US about attacking the fuel depots in advance, but the latter did not anticipate their scale. "We don't think it was a good idea," a senior US official said. A Trump adviser told Axios that the president is not happy with the attack on the depots. They aren't oil production facilities, but US officials are concerned that visuals of depots on fire could trigger panic in the oil market and push prices further up. "The president doesn't like the attack. He wants to save the oil. He doesn't want to burn it. And it reminds people of higher gas prices," the official told the outlet.

Also Read: ‘We will not target Iran's energy sector, infrastructure’: US Energy Secretary Chris Wright

Meanwhile, Iran has warned that if the enemy continues to hit the country's infrastructure, it would respond with similar strikes in the region. This could raise oil prices to $200 a barrel. The Iran war has continued unabated since starting over a week ago. Trump has warned of further strikes and said "something big" was coming up. While the president earlier said the conflict could last for 4-5 weeks, reports suggest that the Pentagon is preparing for a war that could last seven months.