U.S. Privately Rebukes Israel Over Wide Iran Fuel‑Depot Strikes Amid Oil‑Price Fears
Israel’s air force struck dozens of fuel depots and at least one civilian oil storage site near Tehran, sparking massive fires and reported deaths among tanker drivers, in an operation U.S. officials say was broader than expected and for which Washington privately rebuked Israel. U.S. concern centers on the risk that dramatic visuals will spook oil markets and drive prices higher, and officials expect the dispute to be taken up at senior levels as Iranian leaders threaten retaliation against regional energy and other civilian infrastructure (including a damaged desalination plant in Bahrain and recent strikes in Lebanon).
📌 Key Facts
- Israel struck roughly 30 Iranian fuel depots around Tehran, causing massive fires and heavy smoke visible across the capital; it was the first reported strike on an Iranian civilian oil storage facility near Tehran and at least four tanker drivers were killed.
- U.S. officials privately rebuked Israel for the strikes: Washington had received advance notice but was surprised by the operation’s scale, called it a bad idea (with some U.S. and Israeli officials using blunt language), and warned the imagery of burning depots could spook oil markets and push prices higher; the dispute is expected to be raised at senior political levels between the allies.
- Iranian political and military leaders publicly threatened rapid and stronger retaliation if attacks on infrastructure continue, warning they could strike regional fuel and energy targets and potentially drive oil toward $200 a barrel; Iranian authorities say they have held back so far.
- Separately, attacks on desalination infrastructure have widened the conflict: Bahrain reported material damage after an Iranian-drone strike on a desalination plant, while Iran’s foreign minister said a U.S. airstrike had earlier damaged an Iranian desalination plant on Qeshm and framed Bahrain’s strike as a response—though Iran has not otherwise formally claimed responsibility for the Bahraini attack.
- The war’s human and regional toll is growing: updated cumulative counts cite at least 1,230 killed in Iran, 397 in Lebanon, 11 in Israel and six U.S. troops; Israel’s strikes in Lebanon included a hit on Beirut’s Ramada Plaza hotel, contributing to dozens of deaths and nearly 300 killed in Lebanon overall with tens of thousands displaced; Saudi Arabia reported its first conflict deaths after a projectile hit a residential area, and the Arab League condemned Iran’s attacks on Arab states.
- Political and succession tensions are escalating: an Assembly of Experts member said a majority consensus has been reached on a new, still-unnamed Supreme Leader with an announcement expected soon; Israel’s military publicly warned (in Farsi) it would ‘pursue every successor’ and target Assembly of Experts members, and U.S. commentary has signaled intent to influence Iran’s post-war leadership.
📊 Relevant Data
In Bahrain, expatriates constitute approximately 53.4% of the population as of 2024, with Indians being the largest expatriate community numbering about 290,000.
Facts & Figures - Bahrain.bh — Bahrain.bh
In Saudi Arabia, expatriates make up 41.6% of the total population as of 2023, with Bangladeshi nationals comprising the largest group at about 13% of expatriates, followed by Indians and Pakistanis.
Saudi Arabia (KSA) Population Statistics 2025 [Infographics] — Global Media Insight
South Asian migration to Gulf states is driven by economic factors such as wage differentials, poor socio-economic conditions in home countries, and labor demand in sectors like construction and manufacturing, with the oil boom of the 1970s initiating large-scale inflows.
A View from South Asia Countries of Origin: Changing Contexts, Perceptions and Policies towards Migration — Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Attacks on desalination plants in the Gulf could disrupt water supplies for millions, as these facilities provide over 90% of drinking water in countries like Bahrain and the UAE, potentially leading to health crises and economic devastation.
Persian Gulf desalination plants could become military targets in regional war — The Conversation
The ongoing conflict in Iran could displace up to 9 million people, representing about 10% of Iran's population, potentially creating one of the largest refugee crises in decades.
Iran-US war could lead to the largest refugee crisis in decades, EU officials warn — The Independent
Migrant workers in the Gulf, who account for over 40% of the labor force, are disproportionately affected by war casualties, with deaths reported among Filipinos, Pakistanis, Nepalis, and Bangladeshis in recent conflicts.
Millions of Asian migrant workers in Gulf in danger as war with Iran rages — South China Morning Post
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Israel’s air force struck 30 Iranian fuel depots on Saturday around Tehran, causing massive fires and heavy smoke visible across the capital.
- U.S. officials say Israel gave advance notice but the operation was much more wide‑ranging than Washington expected; a senior U.S. official is quoted saying, “We don’t think it was a good idea,” and an Israeli official says the U.S. message to Israel was essentially “WTF.”
- U.S. officials are worried that visuals of burning depots, even though they are not production facilities, could spook oil markets and push prices higher, while Iranian military and political leaders publicly warn they could retaliate by striking regional fuel and energy infrastructure and drive oil toward $200 a barrel.
- Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and a spokesman for the Khatam al‑Anbiya military HQ both threaten rapid retaliation if infrastructure attacks continue, saying Iran has so far held back from hitting regional energy sites.
- U.S. officials expect this disagreement over fuel‑infrastructure targeting and escalation risks to be addressed at senior political levels between the two allies.
- Bahrain publicly accuses Iran of striking one of its critical desalination plants, framing it as part of the widening war on civilian infrastructure.
- Saudi Arabia reports its first deaths in the conflict: two foreign residents (from India and Bangladesh) killed and 12 other Bangladeshis wounded when a military projectile hit a residential area.
- Updated cumulative death tolls: at least 1,230 killed in Iran, 397 in Lebanon, 11 in Israel, and six U.S. troops killed since the war began.
- Arab League chief Ahmed Abouel Gheit denounces Iran’s attacks on Arab states as a “reckless policy,” signaling regional diplomatic blowback against Tehran.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian hardens his line after earlier apologies, vowing stronger responses to pressure and signaling continued attacks on sites in neighboring countries used by U.S. forces.
- The article reiterates Trump’s ABC comments that Iran’s next supreme leader will need U.S. approval and that any successor without it “is not going to last long,” underscoring explicit U.S. intent to shape Iran’s post‑war leadership.
- Confirms that an Iranian drone attack damaged a desalination plant in Bahrain and that Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported 'material damage' to the facility.
- Clarifies that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi publicly framed the Bahraini strike as a response to what he says was a prior U.S. attack on an Iranian desalination plant on the island of Qeshm, saying 'The U.S. set this precedent, not Iran.'
- Adds that Iran itself has not otherwise directly addressed responsibility for the Bahraini attack beyond Araghchi’s precedent-claim framing.
- Israel targeted an Iranian civilian oil storage facility near Tehran for the first time, with at least four tanker drivers reported killed by an Iranian news agency.
- Iran’s foreign minister said a U.S. airstrike damaged an Iranian desalination plant for the first time, in addition to Iran’s previously reported drone attack on a desalination plant in Bahrain.
- Israeli military publicly warned in Farsi that it would 'pursue every successor and every person who seeks to appoint a successor' to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and vowed to target members of the Assembly of Experts overseeing the process.
- An Assembly of Experts member said a majority consensus has been reached on a new, still-unnamed Supreme Leader, with an announcement expected soon.
- Israel struck a hotel in central Beirut (the Ramada Plaza) for the first time since the Iran war began, as part of its intensified campaign against Hezbollah, with Lebanese officials reporting at least four dead and nearly 300 killed overall in Lebanon with tens of thousands displaced.