Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Iran’s ability to enrich uranium and build ballistic missiles has been significantly weakened after nearly three weeks of joint military action by Israel and the United States.
Speaking to reporters, Netanyahu said the operation began by destroying missile stockpiles and damaging Iran’s nuclear and drone infrastructure. It has since shifted focus to dismantling the factories and industrial systems that would allow Iran to rebuild those capabilities. He claimed Iran’s air defences have been neutralised, parts of its naval fleet damaged, and its command systems disrupted, with the goal of preventing any quick recovery.
Israel launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Friday, a day after US President Donald Trump told it not to repeat strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure. The conflict has killed thousands of people, spread to neighbouring countries and rattled the global economy since the US and Israel launched their campaign on February 28, after nuclear talks with Tehran collapsed without a deal.
Trump, speaking during an Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, told reporters he neither agreed with nor approved of Israel’s strike on the South Pars gas field, a critical energy source for Iran. Netanyahu, for his part, said Israel acted alone in carrying out that attack, appearing to distance his government from Washington on that particular strike even as the broader joint campaign continues.
