Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters Friday that Iran could no longer fight back meaningfully, having had its arsenal systematically eliminated over twenty days of Israeli military operations that destroyed its uranium enrichment and ballistic missile production capabilities. He rejected claims about Israeli manipulation of US foreign policy and expressed confidence the war was heading toward a swift conclusion. Netanyahu’s tone was one of controlled triumph throughout the briefing.
On the Trump-Israel relationship, Netanyahu was expansive. He described their coordination as historically unprecedented and framed Trump as the alliance’s dominant figure. Netanyahu revealed that Trump had contributed his own independently formed analytical insights on Iran’s nuclear threat to their discussions, rather than simply receiving briefings, reflecting the genuine depth of their strategic partnership.
Netanyahu confirmed Israel struck the South Pars gas compound alone and disclosed Trump’s personal request to hold off on further attacks on Iranian gas infrastructure. He treated both the military action and the diplomatic communication transparently, presenting them as natural features of a close and mature alliance. Netanyahu maintained throughout that Israel’s military autonomy remained fully intact.
On the Hormuz question, Netanyahu labeled Iran’s closure threats blackmail that would not succeed. He proposed pipeline corridors from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a lasting structural alternative. Netanyahu argued this infrastructure would permanently eliminate the Hormuz chokepoint as an Iranian weapon.
Netanyahu ended with observations about Iran’s leadership vacuum. He noted Mojtaba had not been seen publicly since the conflict began and admitted genuine uncertainty about who was governing the country. Netanyahu pointed to the fierce competition among Tehran’s power factions and concluded that this instability, combined with military losses, was pushing the war toward a faster-than-expected end.