Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used past tense deliberately on Friday, declaring that Iran was a nuclear threat — was, he emphasized, because Israel’s twenty-day military campaign had eliminated that threat by destroying Tehran’s uranium enrichment and ballistic missile production capabilities. He rejected claims about Israeli manipulation of US foreign policy. Netanyahu was analytical and forward-looking throughout the press conference, expressing confidence about both the war’s conclusion and the region’s post-conflict direction.
The prime minister addressed the Trump-Israel alliance with characteristic directness. He described their coordination as 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, reflecting the genuine depth of their strategic partnership.
Netanyahu confirmed Israel struck the South Pars gas compound alone and disclosed Trump’s personal request to pause further strikes on Iranian gas infrastructure. He presented both the military action and the diplomatic communication transparently, treating them as natural features of a close and functioning alliance. Netanyahu maintained throughout that Israel’s military autonomy remained fully intact.
On the Hormuz issue, Netanyahu called Iran’s closure threats empty blackmail. He proposed overland pipeline routes 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 insulate global energy markets from Iranian interference.
Netanyahu concluded with analysis of Iran’s internal leadership chaos. He noted Mojtaba had not appeared publicly and admitted he was genuinely unsure who was governing the country. Netanyahu pointed to the fierce competition for power in Tehran and concluded that this political instability, combined with military losses, was pushing the conflict toward an earlier-than-expected conclusion.