By Samia Nakhoul and Rami Ayyub

DUBAI, March 19 (Reuters) - If the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran ended tomorrow, one verdict is already clear: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would walk away stronger, while President Donald Trump would be left to manage the shock to global markets and to Gulf allies who have borne the heaviest costs.

For Netanyahu, analysts say, the war has redrawn Israel's political map on his terms, pivoting attention away from Gaza and toward Iran, where national consensus is strongest and his security and economic credentials resonate most.

By Erin Banco

March 19 (Reuters) - Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Thursday during a hearing in front of the House intelligence committee that the American and Israeli objectives during the military campaign in Iran are not the same.

"The objectives that have been laid out by the president are different from the objectives that have been laid out by the Israeli government," Gabbard said.

JERUSALEM, March 19 (Reuters) - Israel's attack on an Iranian gas field on Wednesday was coordinated with the United States but will likely not be repeated, three Israeli officials said on Thursday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump saying he knew nothing about it.

The attack on Iran's South Pars gas field drew an Iranian aerial assault on energy infrastructure in Qatar and across the Middle East, marking the biggest escalation in the nearly three-week U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Six major international powers said Thursday they were ready "to contribute to" ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, though three stressed that any initiative would take place post-ceasefire.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands said Thursday they were ready "to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz".

LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Leading nations in Europe said in a joint statement with Japan on Thursday they would take steps to stabilise energy markets and were ready to join "appropriate efforts" to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The statement from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan, condemned attacks by Iran and called on it to halt its actions immediately. It also said they would work with certain energy producing nations to increase output and stabilise markets.

PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed on Thursday the need to reduce tensions in the Middle East, they said on their respective X accounts, after Iran attacked energy infrastructure in the region following Israeli and U.S. attacks.

"India and France are working closely together to reduce tensions in the region and to keep diplomacy at the heart of our efforts for peace," Macron wrote on X, in response to earlier message posted by Modi.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta;Editing by Inti Landauro)

MADRID, March 19 (Reuters) - Spain will delay the presentation of its annual budget, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday, as the cabinet puts together a package of emergency measures to counter the economic impact of the Iran war.

These measures - due to be announced on Friday - will focus on cushioning the blow from rising fuel and electricity prices caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices have risen by more than 60% since the U.S. and Israel started attacking Iran on February 28.

The head of US intelligence declined again Thursday to endorse President Donald Trump's claim that Iran posed an "imminent" threat before the United States and Israel launched military strikes.

Testifying on the war in the Middle East before the House Intelligence Committee, Tulsi Gabbard doubled down on her claim from a day earlier that this determination is "the responsibility of the president" -- a position that had already drawn sharp pushback from Democrats.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Washington might lift sanctions on Iranian oil that is already being shipped, as energy prices soar due to the war in the Middle East.

The deliberation comes as Washington scrambles to ease high energy costs that have been filtering down to US consumers, although a Trump administration official added that "oil and gas export restrictions are not under consideration."

By Jaidaa Taha, Yousef Saba, Jana Choukeir and Yomna Ehab

March 19 (Reuters) - European gas prices surged 28% and oil gained 6% on Thursday after Iran attacked energy infrastructure in the Middle East in retaliation against Israeli attacks on it gas facilities, marking the biggest escalation of the nearly three-week war.

The Iranian aerial attacks caused extensive damage to the world's largest gas plant in Qatar, targeted a refinery in Saudi Arabia, forced the United Arab Emirates to shut gas facilities and started fires at two Kuwaiti refineries.