Choking Iran with gas... Israel's 'gamble' that alarms Europe over its catastrophic consequences

European officials say Israel believes that striking Iran's main income sources and toppling its leadership could trigger a 'state collapse' of Iran; they warn the outcome would likely be the opposite, with Tehran escalating attacks using remaining drones and missiles against neighbors.

“European officials revealed that Israel believes that targeting Iran's main income sources and toppling its leadership would lead to what Israelis call a 'state collapse' of Iran, but they warned that the result would be entirely the opposite, with Iran escalating its attacks using what remains of its drones and missiles to destroy the infrastructure of its neighbors”

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The New York Times report on the matter also notes a rift between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over strikes on Iranian gas fields.

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State Collapse The Times quoted European officials — who spoke on condition of anonymity — as saying that 'the military operations in the past few days provided additional evidence of Israel's belief that if it could dismantle Iran's main income sources and topple its political, military, and intelligence leadership, the country would descend into what Israelis call 'state collapse'.'

The paper noted that Israel targeted the Iranian leadership, and by launching an attack on the South Pars gas field, Israel directly damaged Iran's economic capacities.

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The opposite result But European officials warned that this strategy would have exactly the opposite effect.

“European officials revealed that Israel believes that targeting Iran's main income sources and toppling its leadership would lead to what Israelis call a 'state collapse' of Iran, but they warned that the result would be entirely the opposite, with Iran escalating its attacks using what remains of its drones and missiles to destroy the infrastructure of its neighbors”

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The Times quotes them as saying that European opinion holds that the outcome would be the opposite: Iranian forces would escalate their attacks, using what remains of their drones and missiles to destroy the infrastructure of neighboring states, in what would become an existential struggle.

The paper noted that the Iranians responded with a rocket attack on the Ras Laffan industrial city in Qatar, causing heavy damage to one of Qatar's key energy hubs.

In a notable development, The New York Times revealed that President Trump said he had asked Netanyahu not to repeat attacks on Iran's natural-gas infrastructure, revealing sharp differences in the allies' strategies.

The Times quoted Trump as saying, 'I told him not to do that,' insisting that Netanyahu 'will not do that again in the future.'

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But the paper disclosed a stark discrepancy between the American and Israeli narratives.

While Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, hinted that he was 'not aware' of the attack, and said the United States did not participate in it, three Israeli officials familiar with the strike said that 'the United States was informed of the attack before it occurred.'

The Times concluded that, in a war nearing its third week with no end in sight, the attack and the fierce counterstrikes on energy facilities in Gulf states showed that the two allies were not clearly coordinating their approach.

Trump's worry: prices first

The paper explained that it is clear that Trump is concerned that these attacks and counterattacks could lead to higher oil and gas prices, and increase shipping companies' fears about crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

It added: Thus, he is actively seeking to safeguard Iran's oil and gas infrastructure and prevent Iran from responding to energy facilities across the Gulf.

The paper also revealed a controversial option under consideration by the Trump administration, quoting Treasury Secretary Scott Biesent that the administration is discussing 'lifting the sanctions on Iranian oil already at sea — in an attempt to pump around 140 million barrels — as another way to curb prices.'

Biesent added: 'We will use Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price low over the next 10 or 14 days, while we continue this campaign.'