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(AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Iran no longer has the capability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles following weeks of joint U.S. and Israeli military operations, while also rejecting claims that Israel pushed Washington into the conflict.
Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu dismissed allegations that his government pressured the United States to enter the war. “This canard that we dragged the United States into this is not just a canard, it’s ridiculous,” he said, citing what he described as decades of Iranian threats and attacks against U.S. interests.
— Government Press Office 🇮🇱 (@GPOIsrael) March 19, 2026
Netanyahu said President Donald Trump had expressed concern about Iran’s nuclear ambitions more than a year earlier and credited him with leading efforts to counter the threat. He added that, at Trump’s request, Israel will hold off on any further attacks on an Iranian gas field.
The war, which began Feb. 28, has significantly weakened Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure, with senior officials killed in airstrikes and key capabilities degraded, according to Israeli officials.
Despite the losses, Iran remains capable of launching missile and drone attacks, posing ongoing risks to Gulf Arab states and the global economy, which relies heavily on energy supplies from the region.
