In a closed-door meeting with the IDF’s senior command forum, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that President Donald Trump believes massive economic pressure alone can force Iran to hand over its enriched nuclear material. The prime minister said the IDF is now in a very good position to complete the job in Gaza, and that the government will choose the optimal timing to finish the job.
During the meeting with top IDF officials, Netanyahu made clear that by the end of the current campaign, Iran will be weaker than ever while Israel will be significantly stronger. He addressed claims about a quick collapse of the regime, clarifying that while no one ever promised the Tehran government would fall at the beginning of the operation, the heavy economic pressure is creating the necessary conditions for it.
According to Netanyahu, Iran’s leadership is deeply worried that the economic collapse could pose a direct threat to the regime’s stability—as seen in protests that erupted following previous operations. On the nuclear issue, Netanyahu revealed that Trump is highly confident that massive economic pressure can be used to “extract” from Iran the enriched material buried deep underground.
On the Gaza front, the prime minister emphasized to senior officers that Israel has no intention of backing down from the main goal of dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. He noted that the IDF currently holds security corridors, covering more than 50% of the Strip’s territory—a position that gives Israel the operational ability to enter any point and begin dismantling terror infrastructure.
Netanyahu added that he conveyed a message to President Trump and his team: if the U.S. cannot bring in an external party to take responsibility for disarming and demilitarizing the Strip, the mission will fall on Israel’s shoulders. He concluded that the IDF is now in a very successful position to complete the work, and that the government will choose the most appropriate timing to carry out the final operation.