Benjamin Netanyahu denied that Israel had “dragged” Donald Trump into the war, seeking to quash suggestions that Jerusalem had influenced Washington’s decision to strike Iran amid mounting signs that the two allies are not aligned on their war aims.
“Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?” the Israeli prime minister asked, adding: “I misled no one.”
Netanyahu also said that Israel “acted alone” in the strike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, though he declined to say whether he had informed President Trump beforehand. “President Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks, and we’re holding out,” he added.
Trump has publicly distanced himself from the assault on the world’s largest gasfield — saying Washington “knew nothing” about it — and confirmed that he told Netanyahu to stop targeting Iran’s energy facilities.
Netanyahu further claimed that Iran currently has “no ability to enrich uranium at the moment and no capability of manufacturing ballistic missiles.” He warned that the war would continue “as long as is necessary,” vowing: “We will crush them entirely, all those capabilities.”