Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered reporters a comprehensive diagnosis of Iran’s condition on Friday, declaring the country broken both militarily and politically after twenty days of conflict had destroyed its uranium enrichment and missile production capabilities while its new leadership structure showed visible signs of fracture. He rejected claims about Israeli manipulation of US foreign policy. Netanyahu expressed strong confidence that the war was heading toward a rapid conclusion.
The prime minister addressed the Trump-Israel relationship with directness and warmth. He described their coordination as historically unprecedented and framed Trump as the alliance’s driving force. Netanyahu revealed that Trump had contributed his own independently formed and analytically deep understanding of Iran’s nuclear threat to their discussions, reflecting a genuine partnership of strategic equals.
Netanyahu confirmed Israel struck South Pars alone and disclosed Trump’s request to pause further attacks on Iranian gas infrastructure. He handled both disclosures transparently, treating them as natural elements of an extraordinary alliance. Netanyahu maintained throughout that Israel’s military autonomy 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 lasting structural solution. Netanyahu argued this would neutralize the Hormuz chokepoint and create durable energy security for the region.
Netanyahu concluded with analysis of Iran’s internal collapse. He said Mojtaba had not been seen publicly and admitted genuine uncertainty about who was governing the country. Netanyahu pointed to fierce competition for power in Tehran and concluded that this combined with military losses was driving the war toward a faster-than-expected end.