US-Israel-Iran War Highlights (19 March 2026)

Check latest updates on Iran-US war here.

“This canard that we dragged the United States into this is not just a canard, it’s ridiculous,” Netanyahu said.

He said Trump had told him more than a year ago: “Bibi, we’ve got to make sure that Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons.”

"The world owes a debt of deep indebtedness, deep indebtedness to President Trump for leading this effort to safeguard our future,” he said.

“I misled no one. And I didn’t have to convince President Trump about the need to prevent Iran from developing its nuclear program,” Netanyahu said, “putting it underground and being able to launch nuclear-tipped missiles at the United States. He understood that.”

"I'm not sure who's running Iran right now. Mojtaba the replacement ayatollah has not shown his face. What we see is that there is a lot of tensions inside the people who are edging for the top," Netanyahu said.

"We're seeing cracks, and we're trying to propagate them as fast as we can, not only in the top command, we're seeing cracks in the field."

"The past will not return. Do you remember, how in the second day of the war, I promised you we are going to change the Middle East? We have indeed changed it beyond recognition," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the press conference.

"And might we have turned Israel into a regional power, and some might say that in certain areas, a global power," 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," Netanyahu told the press conference.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will refrain from further attacks on Iran’s South Pars natural gas field at the request of Donald Trump.

The request from Trump came after an Israeli strike on the South Pars gas field sparked regional retaliation and heightened tensions.

"The death cult in Iran is trying to blackmail the world by closing a key international maritime route, the Strait of Hormuz. It won't work," Netanyahu said.

"Meed alternative routes that avoid Hormuz and Red Sea chokepoints," said Netanyahu.

Netanyahu said he believes the war in Iran could end sooner than people expect, suggesting a quicker resolution than many anticipate.

"I also see this war ending a lot faster than people think," Netanyahu said at the press conference.

Netanyahu denied claims that Israel dragged the United States into the war with Iran.

He rejected the notion that he has influence over Donald Trump’s decisions, asking, “Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?”

Netanyahu said it is too early to predict whether Iranians will stage public protests or take to the streets.

Netanyahu says 'too soon to tell if Iranians will take to the streets'

Netanyahu stated that airstrikes alone are insufficient, saying a “revolution” or major change cannot be achieved from the air.

A ground component is necessary for the operation to succeed.

Netanyahu refused to disclose specific plans.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran no longer has the ability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles after 20 days of US‑Israeli air attacks.

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani accused Lebanon’s government of failing to remove Hezbollah from southern Lebanon as required by the 2024 ceasefire.

Hezbollah resumed firing toward Israel at the start of the current war, ending a period of relative calm since the ceasefire.

The group’s attacks have caused injuries and property damage in northern Israel, but no fatalities have been reported.

Israel has responded with airstrikes and expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon.

Shoshani stated that Israel had “no choice but to operate against the threat Hezbollah poses to our civilians.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a press conference at 8:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) with international media, his office said.

The briefing comes amid the ongoing U.S.–Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28.

This will be Netanyahu’s second press conference since the start of the conflict.

According to an AP report, the US Pentagon is now seeking $200 billion in additional funds amid the ongoing Iran war, a sizable amount that is likely to be met with questions from Congress

US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) said that he does not intend to deploy troops in the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, while emphasising the strength of the US military and the broader objectives of current operations.

Responding to a question from a reporter on potential troop deployment, Trump said, "No, I'm not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you."

On Thursday, Iran intensified its attacks on oil and natural gas facilities around the Gulf, raising the stakes in a war that is sending shock waves through the global economy.

The war in the Middle East has exposed Europe's reliance on Gulf companies for flights to Asia, Europe's airlines said on Thursday.

Since breaking out on February 28, the US-Israeli war on Iran has severely disrupted air traffic above the Gulf countries, which have carved out a niche as a stopover for long-haul flights between the United States, Europe, Asia and Oceania.

The White House is not considering putting restrictions on the export of oil and gas, a Trump administration official was quoted by Bloomberg as saying on Thursday, following a meeting between Vice President JD Vance and oil executives. “Oil and gas export restrictions are not under consideration,” the official said.