Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed global skepticism about Israel’s military campaign on Friday, declaring that Iran’s destroyed arsenal of uranium enrichment facilities and ballistic missiles was the answer to those who had doubted Israel’s ability to achieve its strategic objectives 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 proud and strategically focused throughout the briefing.
The prime minister described the Trump-Israel alliance in terms of mutual conviction and shared achievement. He called their coordination historically unprecedented and framed Trump as the dominant partner. Netanyahu revealed that Trump had contributed his own independently formed and analytically sophisticated 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 strikes on Iranian gas infrastructure. He presented both the military action and the diplomatic communication transparently, treating them as natural elements of a close and mature 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 corridors from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a permanent structural solution. Netanyahu argued this infrastructure would permanently neutralize the Hormuz chokepoint and create durable energy security for the region.
Netanyahu concluded with analysis of Iran’s leadership confusion. He noted Mojtaba had not been seen publicly and admitted genuine uncertainty about who was governing the country. Netanyahu pointed to fierce competition among Tehran’s power factions and concluded that this instability, combined with military losses, was pushing the war toward an end sooner than most anticipated.