Israel's defence minister: we want to strike Iran's energy infrastructure but the United States has not approved

Israel Katz, Israel's defence minister, said in remarks published on Tuesday 6 Mordad 1405 (28 July 2026) that Israel wants to strike Iran's energy infrastructure but that the United States has so far not approved the plan.

According to published reports, Washington is concerned that such an attack would push Tehran into retaliation against targets across the region and that the resulting escalation could ultimately trigger a global oil crisis. Speaking at Channel 14's defence conference, Katz said the Israeli military had been instructed to maintain readiness to strike without US support, adding that they had struck Iran twice and were prepared to strike a third time on their own.

The remarks came as Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Washington for a meeting with Donald Trump. For markets the transmission channel is clear: Iran's energy infrastructure and the Strait of Hormuz are two chokepoints for regional oil supply, and any sign that they are being targeted feeds directly into the risk premium in oil prices and into marine insurance costs. Brent traded around 86 dollars a barrel on Tuesday 28 July.