JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Thursday that Iran is being “decimated” and expressed uncertainty about the current leadership in Tehran, as attacks by the Islamic Republic on Gulf oil and gas facilities continued to disrupt global markets.
Nearly three weeks into the conflict initiated by Israel and the United States on February 28, Netanyahu stated that Iran no longer possesses the capability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles. “We are winning and Iran is being decimated,” he told reporters at a press conference.
Netanyahu lauded the cooperation with U.S. President Donald Trump, suggesting the war could conclude “a lot faster than people think,” though he did not provide a specific timeframe. The U.S. Has indicated there is no set deadline for ending the military campaign against Iran.
The Israeli Prime Minister asserted that Israel acted independently in Wednesday’s strike targeting Iran’s South Pars gas field, which supplies approximately 70 percent of Iran’s domestic energy needs. President Trump indicated he was not informed in advance about the raid, but cautioned Netanyahu against further attacks on Iranian gas fields. “We secure along great. It’s coordinated, but on occasion, he’ll do something” that the United States opposes, Trump said.
Netanyahu dismissed the notion that he had pressured Trump into the conflict, asserting the U.S. President required no persuasion. “Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?” he asked. “He didn’t demand any convincing,” he added.
Addressing the question of leadership within Iran, Netanyahu stated, “I’m not sure who’s running Iran right now.” He specifically referenced Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and recently appointed supreme leader, noting, “Mojtaba, the replacement ayatollah, has not shown his face.” Netanyahu observed “a lot of tension” among senior Iranian officials and reported seeing “cracks” appearing within both the political leadership and military units.
According to Netanyahu, Israel is observing “cracks…in the top command, we’re seeing cracks in the field,” and is attempting to exploit these vulnerabilities. He outlined three objectives for the campaign: eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities, destroying its ballistic missile program before it can be concealed, and creating conditions for the Iranian people to achieve “their freedom.”
Netanyahu claimed that hundreds of Iranian missile launchers have been destroyed and that stockpiles and production facilities have been heavily damaged. He also stated that, prior to the joint US-Israeli operations, Iran was approximately one year away from developing intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.