'I misled no one': Netanyahu denies dragging US into war with Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected claims that Israel had dragged the US into its conflict with Iran, calling such reports “fake news.”

"Does anyone really think that someone can tell President (Donald) Trump what to do?" the Israeli PM told a journalist at a press conference in Jerusalem.

"I misled no one," Netanyahu said. "And I didn't have to convince President Trump about the need to prevent Iran from developing its nuclear programme."

His remarks came amid speculation that he and Trump were not on the same page on the war with Iran, with a top US intelligence official resigning and claiming Israel pushed Trump into the war.

Attack on South Pars the flashpoint?

Israel's attacks on South Pars—a key Iranian offshore gas field, and also the world’s largest—which led to Iran intensifying retaliatory attacks on oil and natural gas facilities around the Gulf, too did not go down well with the US. During an Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump told reporters that he neither agreed with nor approved of Israel's attack on South Pars. Netanyahu, at the press conference, said that Israel "acted alone" and that he agreed to Trump's request that Israel refrain from any further attacks on Iran's gas field.

Global fuel supplies were already hit by Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported. Iran’s retaliation for Israel's attack on its South Pars gas field sent fuel prices soaring even higher. Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked above $119 a barrel, up more than 60 per cent since the war started. The European benchmark for natural gas prices also rose sharply and has roughly doubled in the past month.

Netanyahu also dismissed reports that there were differences between him and Trump over the war with Iran. "It's been said that for 40 years I've been saying that Iran is a danger to Israel and a danger to the world. That is true," Netanyahu said at a news conference in Jerusalem. "You know who else said that? President Trump.

"Look, I don't think any two leaders have been as coordinated as President Trump and I. He's the leader. I'm his ally. America is the leader," Netanyahu added.

Interestingly, US Director of ‌National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Thursday that America's objectives in the conflict differed from that of Israel. While Washington's motive was to destroy Iran's ballistic missile programme and navy, Tel Aviv's was to topple Iran's leadership. Since the war started on February 28, Iran's top leaders have been killed in airstrikes by the US and Israel and the country's military capabilities have been damaged. More than 1,300 people in Iran have been killed so far, while, in Israel, 15 people have died. At least 13 US military members, too, have been killed.

Netanyahu claimed that Iran no longer has the ability to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles. "Iran's air defences have been rendered useless, their navy is lying at the bottom of the sea. Their air force is nearly destroyed."

However, Iran has showed no signs of backing off. Saudi Arabia said its SAMREF refinery in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu was hit. Qatar said Iranian missiles have damaged the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility, reducing its exports by about 17 per cent. The damage will take up to five years to repair, it said. Two oil refineries in Kuwait and gas operations in Abu Dhabi also were reportedly targeted by Iran.