Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 19th (local time) claimed that Iran has reached a state where it can no longer enrich nuclear fuel or produce missiles.
According to Reuters and others, Netanyahu said at a news conference that day, "After 20 days of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, Iran no longer has the ability to enrich uranium or to produce ballistic missiles."
However, he did not present specific evidence for this claim. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in an interview with CBS on the same day that "many parts still remain" of Iran's uranium enrichment capability.
Netanyahu assessed Iran's current situation as "weaker than ever," while saying Israel "has built a stature that some even call that of a world power, beyond a regional power."
Earlier, the Israeli Air Force announced that over 18 days it dropped 12,000 bombs across Iran, destroying 85% of its air defenses and 60% of its ballistic missile launchers. In particular, Israel claimed it neutralized Iran's military infrastructure by striking, for the first time ever, a naval base on the Caspian Sea coast in northern Iran.
With the war so far centered on airstrikes, Netanyahu also mentioned the need for a ground war. "There are various possibilities for ground operations, and I would like the freedom not to share all those possibilities with you," he said, refraining from discussing specific plans.
Regarding allegations that Israel dragged the United States into the war with Iran, Netanyahu countered, "Does anyone think they can tell President Donald Trump what to do?" and emphasized, "Absolutely not. President Trump always makes his own decisions based on what benefits the United States."
He went on to say that the United States and Israel are maintaining "close coordination" in the war with Iran and are achieving their goals at "lightning speed." He added that he accepted President Trump's request and would no longer carry out airstrikes on Iran's gas fields.