In a particularly pointed moment of Friday’s press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly noted that Mojtaba, Iran’s anticipated new supreme leader, had not appeared publicly since the conflict began, and questioned openly who was actually governing the country. Netanyahu combined this political observation with a military announcement, declaring that Iran had lost all uranium enrichment and ballistic missile capabilities after twenty days of war. He also denied Israeli responsibility for US involvement in the conflict.
Netanyahu’s remarks on the Trump alliance were confident and revealing. He described their coordination as historically unmatched and positioned Trump as the dominant partner. Netanyahu disclosed that Trump had provided his own independent analysis of Iran’s nuclear threat in their conversations, rather than simply receiving briefings, reflecting a depth of shared strategic understanding.
The prime minister confirmed Israel’s unilateral strike on the South Pars gas complex and acknowledged Trump’s personal request to pause further attacks on Iranian gas infrastructure. He presented the exchange as a natural feature of a close and transparent alliance. Netanyahu maintained that Israel’s operational independence remained fully intact throughout.
On the Strait of Hormuz, Netanyahu dismissed Iran’s closure threats as blackmail that would fail. He proposed overland pipeline routes from the Arabian Peninsula to Israeli and Mediterranean ports as a lasting structural solution to Hormuz dependency. Netanyahu framed this as both an urgent post-conflict investment and a long-term contribution to global energy security.
Netanyahu closed by noting the intense power struggle he observed within Iran’s ruling circles. The absence of Mojtaba from public view was a signal of deep instability, he said. Netanyahu concluded that this leadership confusion, combined with devastating military losses, was driving the conflict toward a conclusion sooner than most outside observers had anticipated.