Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a definitive strategic verdict on Friday, declaring that Iran had held one last card to play in its confrontation with the region — its nuclear program — and that Israel had taken that card away through twenty days of conflict that eliminated Tehran’s uranium enrichment and ballistic missile production capabilities. He rejected claims about Israeli manipulation of US foreign policy and expressed confidence the war was nearing its end. Netanyahu was precise and strategically confident throughout the press conference.
The prime minister addressed the Trump-Israel relationship with characteristic warmth. He called their coordination historically unprecedented and positioned Trump as the dominant force. 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 strategy.
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 functioning alliance. Netanyahu maintained throughout that Israel’s military autonomy remained fully intact.
On the Hormuz question, Netanyahu dismissed Iran’s closure threats as empty blackmail. He proposed pipeline routes from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a permanent structural solution. Netanyahu argued this would permanently neutralize the Hormuz chokepoint and create durable energy security for the region.
Netanyahu concluded with analysis of Iran’s internal collapse. He noted Mojtaba had not appeared publicly and admitted genuine uncertainty about who was governing the country. Netanyahu pointed to fierce competition for power in Tehran and concluded that this political instability, combined with military losses, was pushing the war toward a sooner-than-expected conclusion.