U.S. Officials Hint at Diverging Iran War Goals With Israel After Trump Denies Gas‑field Strike Knowledge
While intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard explicitly said that Trump's goals 'are different from the objectives laid out' by Israel, the CIA chief said Israel's goals may diverge on regime change. Hegseth, meanwhile, said that while the U.S. 'holds the cards,' allies may pursue their own aims
WASHINGTON – Senior U.S. officials on Thursday acknowledged with increasing bluntness that the U.S. and Israel have their own independent goals with the ongoing Iran war, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump sharply disavowed any advanced knowledge of Israeli strikes on an Iranian energy field.
Trump's comments that neither the U.S. nor Qatar was involved, and the subsequent statements from U.S. officials, come as Iranian strikes on Qatari energy targets have only further escalated the crisis rattling the global energy market as the Strait of Hormuz remains untraversable and energy targets in U.S.-allied Gulf states suffer unprecedented damage from Iranian attacks.
It also marks the first public, on-the-record signs of potential divisions between the U.S. and Israel over the Iran war, after both countries have taken pains to project full coordination and no daylight on the war's timeline, causes and ongoing operations.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a House Intelligence Committee hearing that "the objectives laid out by the president are different from the objectives laid out by the Israeli government."
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Gabbard added that while Israel's operations point to a focus on "disabling the Iranian leadership," Trump stated his objectives were to "destroy Iran's ballistic missile launching and production capability, their navy and minelaying capability."
When asked if Israel is supportive of Trump's supposed desire to strike a deal with Iran, Gabbard said: "I don't know the answer to that, I don't know Israel's position on that."
Asked specifically about Israel's strike on Iran's South Pars gas field despite Trump's call to avoid energy targets, Gabbard again demurred: "I don't have an answer for that. I'm not privy to any of their deliberations or what went into their calculus into launching this or other attacks. We're not involved in the operational elements of this."
CIA Director John Ratcliffe further told the hearing that "to be clear, the president's objectives with respect to Operation Epic Fury did not include regime change. That may be different from what Israel's objectives were."
Earlier in the day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked whether Washington would support Israel if its war aims diverged from U.S. objectives.
Hegseth stressed that the U.S. "holds the cards" and has "clear" goals, while acknowledging allies may pursue their own aims. He added that Iran has "weaponized energy," and said Israel's strike was meant as a warning, echoing recent U.S. actions.
Hegseth said the U.S. strike on Kharg Island underscored Washington's ability to threaten key Iranian assets, adding that Tehran should "make the right choices" and stop targeting Arab allies, reiterating Trump's demand that Iran halt attacks on Qatar and other Gulf states.