Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Friday that Israel’s military campaign had successfully removed Iran’s ability to threaten the world with nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles, following twenty days of intensive strikes. He categorically denied that Israel had pulled the United States into the conflict, calling such claims false. Netanyahu projected confidence throughout the briefing, suggesting the war was heading toward a resolution sooner than most anticipated.
Netanyahu described the Trump-Israel alliance in terms of deep mutual alignment, not pressure or manipulation. He argued that Trump was an independent actor with his own informed views on the Iranian nuclear threat, and that Israel had not needed to persuade him of anything. Netanyahu revealed that Trump had in fact contributed his own analytical insights to their discussions on Iran, deepening their shared strategic understanding.
The prime minister confirmed the South Pars strike as an independent Israeli decision and action. He also disclosed Trump’s personal request to hold off on further strikes on Iranian gas infrastructure, presenting it as a natural feature of their close partnership. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel retained full authority over its military choices despite such diplomatic communication.
Netanyahu dismissed Iran’s Hormuz threats as blackmail, predicting the international community would not yield. He proposed pipeline corridors from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a permanent infrastructure solution. Netanyahu argued this would permanently neutralize Iran’s ability to leverage the Hormuz chokepoint.
Netanyahu concluded with an analysis of Iran’s leadership situation, noting the new supreme leader’s continued absence from public view and expressing genuine uncertainty about who was governing Iran. He said competition for power in Tehran was fierce and visible. Netanyahu concluded that this internal instability, layered over military defeats, was pushing the war toward a sooner-than-expected conclusion.