Washington (CNN) A Senate Intelligence Committee member remarked on Wednesday morning that the disconnect regarding the United States' posture toward Iran between President Donald Trump and his top national security officials sends a "confusing message to the world."

"It's clear, as you point out, that the secretary of state, the national security adviser, are much more aggressive, they're much more forceful," Sen. Angus King told CNN's John Berman on "New Day." "The President then says 'oh a couple tankers, no big deal.' That's very confusing, and it's a confusing message to the world and to the Iranians and it's hard to determine (what the White House's strategy is)."

The comments from King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, come after Trump referred in an interview with Time magazine to recent attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman that his administration has blamed on Iran as "very minor."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton have publicly blamed Iran for the tanker attacks and warned of punitive measures in response. When asked recently if military action is among US options regarding Iran, Pompeo replied, "of course," and they have also each released statements blaming Iran for alleged mines placed on the tankers in the gulf.

Tehran has categorically denied any involvement, and despite a video released by the US military purportedly showing an Iranian patrol boat removing an unexploded mine from one of the vessels' hulls, the president of the Japanese shipping company that owns one of the attacked tankers said last week that there was "no possibility of mine attack."

In the Time interview, Trump also downplayed the possibility of military action against Iran short of a nuclear threat and said the US wasn't heavily reliant on oil from the region for energy needs.

King also expressed concern on "New Day" for how Pompeo and Bolton's saber-rattling could influence the President.

"What really worries me is the secretary of state and John Bolton, national security adviser, are moving us into a position where the President will feel boxed in and he has to respond in some military way. Because I don't feel that's his instinct," King said.

Over the past several weeks, Trump has maintained his skepticism about going to war with Iran in meetings with his national security team, an official has told CNN. Instead, the President has told his advisers he isn't interested in wading into another conflict in the Middle East.

On Tuesday, Trump insisted his administration is prepared to confront Iran, but stopped well short of signaling any imminent military action. "We're looking at Iran," he told reporters at the White House. "We're very prepared for Iran. We'll see what happens."

But, he added, "They are a much different country today than they were two and a half years ago, when I came into office."