Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied claims that he deliberately misled United States President Donald Trump into joining the conflict with Iran.
Speaking in a recent interview with ABC News, Netanyahu dismissed allegations that he manipulated Trump into backing military action against Tehran, insisting that the US president makes his own decisions.
“Nobody tells President Trump what to do,” Netanyahu said while recalling a meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago shortly after his re-election in 2024.
According to the Israeli leader, Trump made his position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions clear during their discussion.
“The first thing he said to me: I have to make sure that Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu disclosed. “We both understood that we had to take action.”
Netanyahu also rejected reports claiming he assured Trump that regime change in Iran was achievable, that Tehran’s missile programme could be dismantled within weeks, and that such action would not trigger the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
“That wasn’t my early assessment. And that’s an incorrect statement of what I said,” the prime minister said, adding, “I think this regime will eventually fall.”
Addressing growing criticism of Israel in the United States, Netanyahu blamed declining American support on social media and online disinformation.
He argued that the proliferation of social media platforms, alongside what he described as manipulation through bot farms operated by hostile countries, had distorted public perception of Israel’s military operations.
The Israeli prime minister maintained that false narratives surrounding the war in Gaza had influenced public opinion, insisting that those who oppose Israel also harbour hostility towards the United States.
Netanyahu further accused Hamas of having a “genocidal intent,” alleging that the group deliberately sought civilian casualties to attract global attention and pursue war crimes accusations against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Responding to questions over why independent journalists are not granted unrestricted access to Gaza, Netanyahu said the enclave remains an active conflict zone.
“But you can see what’s happening. We don’t hide it,” he said. “Anybody can use a Google Map to find out exactly what is happening.”
