Netanyahu: Iran can no longer enrich uranium or make missiles; not sure who is running Iran right now

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a landmark press conference on Thursday, March 19 (Day 20), delivering the most comprehensive Israeli assessment of the war's military progress to date. **On Iran's military capability:** Netanyahu stated that Iran can no longer enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles, though he did not present specific evidence. 'Iran is being decimated,' he said. He added that Iran's political leadership is in crisis: 'I'm not sure who is running Iran right now' — Mojtaba Khamenei 'has not shown his face.' ('A lot of tension' at the top, consistent with US intel from Gabbard/Ratcliffe.) **On the ground component:** Netanyahu stated explicitly that achieving regime change in Iran would require a ground component: 'You can't do revolutions from the air — there has to be a ground component as well,' he said, without elaborating on specific plans. This is the most direct confirmation yet of active planning for ground operations, going beyond his earlier hint of 'many possibilities for the ground component.' **On Trump and the US-Israel relationship:** Netanyahu strongly rejected the narrative that Israel had dragged the US into the war: 'Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do? He didn't need any convincing.' He added: 'I don't think any two leaders have been as coordinated as President Trump and I. He's the leader. I'm, you know, his ally.' This framing — Israel explicitly as the junior partner — directly contradicts public claims of Israeli unilateralism on South Pars and other decisions. **On South Pars:** Netanyahu confirmed Israel acted alone in bombing South Pars, and confirmed Trump subsequently asked Israel to hold off further such strikes: 'and we're holding.' Trump had earlier claimed the US 'knew nothing' about the South Pars strike; Netanyahu's statement implicitly but publicly reversed that claim. **On the campaign duration:** IDF Chief of Staff Zamir (separate briefing same day): Israel is 'not even halfway' through the Iran campaign. Netanyahu: 'We will continue as long as is necessary.'