Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a far-reaching declaration on Friday, asserting that Israel’s military campaign had permanently closed Iran’s path to nuclear weapons by eliminating its uranium enrichment and ballistic missile production capabilities after twenty days of conflict. He rejected claims about Israeli manipulation of US foreign policy. Netanyahu was confident and ambitious throughout the press conference, expressing certainty that the war was heading toward a fast conclusion.
The prime minister addressed the Trump-Israel relationship with characteristic candor. He described their coordination as historically unprecedented and framed Trump as the alliance’s dominant partner. Netanyahu revealed that Trump had brought his own independently formed and deeply analytical understanding of Iran’s nuclear threat to their discussions, contributing insights that enriched their shared strategic thinking.
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 presented both facts transparently, treating them as natural features of a close and functioning alliance. Netanyahu maintained throughout that Israel’s operational independence remained fully intact.
On the Hormuz question, Netanyahu dismissed Iran’s closure threats as blackmail that would fail. He proposed overland pipeline routes from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a permanent structural solution. Netanyahu argued this infrastructure would create lasting energy resilience and permanently eliminate the Hormuz chokepoint as an Iranian weapon.
Netanyahu ended with analysis of Iran’s leadership confusion. He said Mojtaba had not been seen publicly and admitted he was genuinely unsure who was running the country. Netanyahu pointed to the intense competition for power in Tehran and concluded that this political chaos, combined with military losses, was pushing the war toward a sooner-than-expected conclusion.