Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blunt and combative on Friday, declaring that Iran had attempted to blackmail the global community through its Hormuz threats but that this strategy would fail, while also announcing that Israel was winning the war and that Iran had lost all uranium enrichment and ballistic missile capabilities after twenty days of fighting. He rejected claims about Israeli manipulation of US foreign policy. Netanyahu was confident and assertive throughout the press conference.
The prime minister addressed the Trump-Israel relationship with clarity and directness. He described their coordination as historically unmatched and positioned Trump as the alliance’s dominant force. Netanyahu revealed that Trump had brought his own independent and sophisticated understanding of Iran’s nuclear threat to their discussions, rather than simply receiving briefings from Israeli officials.
Netanyahu confirmed Israel struck the South Pars gas complex alone and acknowledged Trump’s request to pause further attacks on Iranian gas infrastructure. He presented both the military action and the diplomatic communication transparently, framing them as natural elements of a close and functioning alliance. Netanyahu was consistent throughout in asserting that Israel’s operational independence remained uncompromised.
On the Hormuz issue, Netanyahu proposed pipeline routes from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a permanent structural alternative to maritime dependency. He argued this would create lasting energy resilience and permanently neutralize Iran’s ability to use the strait as a geopolitical weapon. Netanyahu linked this vision to his broader post-conflict agenda for regional transformation.
Netanyahu wrapped up with commentary on Iran’s internal chaos. He said Mojtaba had not been seen publicly and admitted he was unsure who was governing the country. Netanyahu pointed to visible power struggles among Tehran’s ruling factions and concluded that this instability, combined with military losses, was driving the war toward a faster-than-expected end.