Standing before the press on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a sweeping assessment of the ongoing war with Iran, declaring that the Islamic Republic has been pushed to the brink.

“Iran can no longer enrich uranium,” he said, adding that the regime is also no longer capable of manufacturing ballistic missiles. Iran, he asserted, is now “weaker than ever,” while Israel has emerged as a dominant force—“a regional power, and some would say a world power.”

The campaign, he made clear, is far from over.

“It will continue for as long as is necessary,” Netanyahu said.

Moments later, switching to English and addressing foreign media, Netanyahu opened with a pointed jab at recent speculation about his health.

“First of all, I just want to say, I’m alive,” he quipped, before pivoting quickly back to the war effort.

“We are winning, and Iran is being decimated,” he declared, citing extensive damage to Iran’s military infrastructure, particularly its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Iran’s missile and drone arsenals, he said, are being “massively degraded,” and vowed they “will be destroyed” entirely.

“Israel and the United States are protecting the entire Middle East—and I venture to say, the entire world,” he said.

The prime minister repeatedly emphasized tight coordination with U.S. President Donald Trump, praising Washington’s leadership and alignment with Israel’s objectives.

“We are achieving goals in lightning speed,” Netanyahu said, adding that the two leaders “see eye to eye” on the threat posed by Iran.

Pushing back on criticism that Israel had drawn the United States into the conflict, Netanyahu dismissed the notion outright.

“Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do? Come on,” he said. “President Trump always makes his decisions on what he thinks is good for America.”

“And may I add, I think what is also good for future generations in this case—those interests are absolutely clear,” he continued.

“The world owes a debt of deep indebtedness… to President Trump for leading this effort to safeguard our future,” Netanyahu added, noting that other world leaders privately share that view.

Trump, like Israel, has pointed to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and long record of state-sponsored terrorism as justification for the joint military campaign.

“There’s always a danger in acting,” Netanyahu said. “But in conditions of existential threats, there’s a much greater danger in not acting.”

“The world owes a debt of deep indebtedness… to President Trump for leading this effort to safeguard our future,” he continued, noting that other world leaders privately share that view.

At the same time, Netanyahu suggested growing instability within Iran itself, hinting at fractures at the highest levels of power.

“I’m not sure who is running Iran right now,” he said. “Mojtaba [Khamenei]… has not shown his face.”

“There is a lot of tension,” he added, pointing to what he described as cracks not only in Iran’s political leadership, but also within its military ranks.

When asked about the possibility of regime change, Netanyahu was cautious, signaling that Israel would not support replacing one hardline leadership with another.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)