Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a candid admission on Friday: Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field entirely alone, and when Trump personally asked him to pause further attacks on Iranian gas infrastructure, he took the request seriously. Netanyahu used these disclosures to illustrate the depth and openness of the US-Israel partnership. He also announced that Iran had lost all uranium enrichment and ballistic missile capabilities after twenty days of conflict and predicted the war would end sooner than expected.
The prime minister described his relationship with Trump in terms that balanced candor with respect. He called their coordination historically unmatched and said Trump was the driving force in the partnership, not Israel. Netanyahu revealed that Trump had independently articulated the full scope of Iran’s nuclear danger to him, rather than being briefed by Israeli officials, reflecting a partnership of genuine intellectual equals.
On the military front, Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s unilateral South Pars operation and presented Trump’s pause request as a natural diplomatic exchange between close allies. He was clear that Israel retained full authority over its military decisions despite engaging seriously with the American president’s communication. Netanyahu framed this transparency as a sign of the alliance’s health.
Netanyahu dismissed Iran’s Hormuz threats as global blackmail that would not work. He proposed pipeline routes from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a lasting infrastructure alternative. Netanyahu argued this would permanently reduce global vulnerability to Iranian maritime pressure tactics.
Netanyahu closed with analysis of Iran’s leadership chaos. He noted Mojtaba had not appeared publicly since the conflict began and admitted he was uncertain who was governing the country. Netanyahu observed visible power competition in Tehran and concluded that this instability, combined with military losses, was shortening the war’s timeline.
