Jerusalem [Israel], March 20 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (local time) said that Israel independently carried out a strike on Iran's Assaluyeh gas compound, while also noting that US President Donald Trump has asked Israel to refrain from further such attacks.
Answering a reporter's query during a press conference, he answered, "Fact number one: Israel acted alone against the Assaluyeh gas compound. Fact number two: President Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks, and we're holding off."
The clarification comes amid reports suggesting US involvement or prior knowledge of the strike on PSEEZ.
On the situation within Iran, Netanyahu, while answering reporters' questions indicated that there are signs of internal strain in the Iranian regime but stopped short of predicting its collapse. "A lot of signs... I wish I could divulge all of them," he said, adding, "We're working to create the conditions for it to collapse. But it may survive, it may not."
He asserted that even if the regime endures, it would emerge significantly weakened. "If it survives, it'll be a lot weaker... shorn of industries that it built over decades," he said, referring to Iran's military and industrial capabilities.
Netanyahu also underscored Israel's coordination with the United States in broader strategic terms, particularly in intelligence and military cooperation.
"In partnership with our American allies, we can do amazing things... It's the two most amazing air forces in the world... the two most amazing intelligence services in the world," he said.
Framing the conflict in wider ideological terms, Netanyahu warned of the risks posed by Iran's leadership, describing it as a threat not only to Israel but also to the United States and global stability. "This is a danger for the entire world... not only fighting our fight, we're fighting their fight," he said.
The Israeli Prime Minister also rejected claims that Israel had drawn the United States into the conflict. "It's been said that Israel somehow dragged the US into a conflict with Iran... that is another fake news," he said.
Earlier, he said, "Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do? Come on. President Trump always makes his decisions on what he thinks is good for America."
Earlier, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against striking Iran's South Pars Gas Field, amid escalating tensions in the Gulf region.
On being asked if he had a conversation with Israeli PM about attacking the oil and gas fields, President Trump said, "Yeah, I did. I told him, don't do that. He won't do that."
However, he later said, "We didn't discuss. We're independent. We get along great. It's coordinated. But on occasion, he'll do something. And if I don't like it, so we're not doing that anymore."
The remarks come after Iran launched ballistic missile strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, targeting what the world's largest liquefaction facility is. The attacks reportedly caused extensive damage to QatarEnergy's LNG facilities and the Pearl GTL Gas-to-Liquids plant, prompting emergency response teams to contain fires with no reported casualties.