Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismantled a key Iranian strategic assumption on Friday, declaring that Tehran had believed its nuclear program would protect it from military consequences, and that Israel had proved it wrong by eliminating those capabilities in twenty days of conflict. He rejected claims about Israeli manipulation of US foreign policy and expressed confidence the war was heading toward a rapid conclusion. Netanyahu was strategic and analytical throughout the press conference.
The prime minister addressed the Trump-Israel alliance with characteristic directness. He called their coordination historically unprecedented and framed Trump as the partnership’s dominant force. Netanyahu revealed that Trump had brought his own independently formed and analytically deep understanding of Iran’s nuclear threat to their discussions, enriching 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 handled both facts transparently, presenting them as natural elements of a close and mature alliance. Netanyahu maintained throughout that Israel’s military autonomy remained fully intact.
On the Hormuz issue, Netanyahu dismissed Iran’s closure threats as hollow blackmail. He proposed overland pipeline routes from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a permanent structural solution. Netanyahu argued this would create lasting energy resilience and permanently neutralize one of Iran’s most feared geopolitical weapons.
Netanyahu concluded with analysis of Iran’s visible leadership confusion. He noted Mojtaba had not appeared publicly and admitted genuine uncertainty about who was governing the country. Netanyahu pointed to fierce competition among Tehran’s ruling factions and concluded that this political chaos, combined with military losses, was pushing the war toward a faster-than-expected end.