In a candid and revealing press conference on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed that US President Donald Trump had personally asked him to hold off on further attacks targeting Iran’s natural gas infrastructure. He also declared that the war was nearing an end, with Iran having lost all capacity to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles after twenty days of conflict. Netanyahu denied that Israel had dragged the US into the war and said the cooperation between the two leaders was entirely voluntary and unprecedented.
The prime minister addressed the nature of the alliance with Trump at length, calling it the most closely coordinated relationship between two world leaders he could recall. He pushed back forcefully against the idea that Israel had pressured Trump, arguing that the American president was a deeply independent and analytically sophisticated leader. Netanyahu said Trump had himself articulated the dangers of Iran’s nuclear program in their private conversations, reflecting a shared and mutually formed strategic worldview.
The disclosure about Trump’s request to pause gas field strikes came alongside Netanyahu’s confirmation that Israel had acted alone in striking the South Pars gas compound. He handled the revelation diplomatically, presenting it as a feature of a mature and communicative alliance. Netanyahu made clear that Israel retained full authority over its military decisions.
On Iran’s Hormuz threats, Netanyahu was dismissive. He called them blackmail against the international community and said they would fail. He proposed pipeline corridors from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a lasting alternative, arguing this infrastructure would permanently reduce global vulnerability to Iranian maritime pressure.
Netanyahu wrapped up by discussing Iran’s leadership turbulence, noting the anticipated new supreme leader had not been seen publicly during the conflict. He admitted not knowing who was truly governing Iran and pointed to visible power struggles within Tehran. Netanyahu concluded that these internal fractures, combined with military losses, were speeding the war’s conclusion.