"I can assure everyone that 20 days have passed, and currently Iran is unable to enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at a press conference on March 19. "We are continuing to work with our great friend, the United States, to completely eliminate these capabilities from Iran."

Netanyahu did not provide any evidence to support this claim.

He added, "We are winning, and Iran is being devastated. Their missile and drone stockpiles are severely depleted and will be destroyed. We are targeting factories that produce components for missiles, as well as the nuclear weapons Iran is seeking to develop."

According to the Israeli Prime Minister, the conflict will conclude "much faster than people think", though he did not specify a timeline.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference in Jerusalem on March 19. Photo: AFP

He also stated he was "unsure who is currently running Iran". The Israeli leader emphasized, "The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not yet appeared. We are seeing cracks, and we are trying to make those cracks as wide as possible, not just within the senior command structure but also on the ground."

Iran has not yet commented on the Israeli Prime Minister's statements.

Iran's nuclear program has been a central focus of negotiations for many years, but dialogue broke down when the US and Israel launched an offensive against Iran starting on February 28. In retaliation, Iran fired missiles at Israel and several Gulf states, while also restricting oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

In testimony submitted to the US Senate Intelligence Committee on March 18, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated that Iran's uranium enrichment program was "completely wiped out" following Operation Night Hammer in June 2025. Since then, there have been no efforts to restore its uranium enrichment capabilities.

This assessment partially contradicts statements made by President Donald Trump when he, along with Israel, launched the campaign against Iran. The then-White House chief accused Iran of pursuing nuclear ambitions and developing missiles capable of reaching the US, creating an imminent threat that compelled Washington to act.

On 13/6/2025, Israel initiated Operation Rising Lion, launching pre-emptive airstrikes on Iran that killed several senior commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran subsequently retaliated with Operation True Promise 3. In the early hours of 22/6/2025, the US intervened in the conflict with Operation Night Hammer, deploying bombers to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, then proposing that Tehran engage in negotiations.

Iran and Israel subsequently reached a comprehensive ceasefire, with both sides claiming victory, bringing an end to the 12-day conflict.

Huyen Le (According to AFP, NBC News, Reuters)