Netanyahu Claims Israel is 'Destroying' Iran and War Will End Sooner Than Expected

Kathmandu. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the war 'destroying' Iran is ending sooner than many suspect.

Crude oil prices fell on Friday following Netanyahu's remarks.

Traders also welcomed comments from US President Donald Trump. After Iran warned of retaliation against energy processing centers in the Gulf following an attack on a major gas field in Qatar on Wednesday, President Trump stated that the Israeli military would not target any of Tehran's energy infrastructure.

As the conflict enters its fourth week, investors are expressing concern about the energy market, and interest from new investors in the ownership of energy centers in the Gulf region has largely decreased. Oil prices are still hovering around $100 per barrel, but gas prices have risen sharply amid the effective closure of the 'Strait of Hormuz,' which is crucial for fuel supply.

Stating that 'Israel and the United States are achieving victory and destroying Iran,' Netanyahu said, 'The Islamic Republic does not have the capacity to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles.'

"This war is ending much faster than people thought," he said, without giving a specific timeline.

Netanyahu stated, "Israel will assist the United States in the effort to secure Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil and gas flows."

Netanyahu's comments differ from Washington's statement that there is no timeline for ending the war that began against Iran on February 28.

Before Netanyahu's comments, crude oil (fuel) prices had reached $119 per barrel after Tehran attacked several energy sites around the Gulf in retaliation for Israel's attack on its South Pars region.

When asked if he had spoken to the Prime Minister about the attack on Iran's gas field, President Trump said, "I have spoken. I have urged the Israeli official not to target fuel production and processing sites, and he will not do so."

He had previously warned Iran, "If Tehran does not stop attacking Qatar, the US military will 'explode widely' in the South Pars region."

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that his country plans to establish a United Nations framework with the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Indicating that the conflict is unlikely to end soon, Israel launched a wave of attacks on Tehran on Friday while Gulf nations faced new attacks, and Iran targeted its neighbors by launching a drone attack on an oil processing center in Kuwait.

Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management wrote, "Netanyahu's comments have poured a layer of soothing balm on the sentiment, claiming the securing of the Strait and the neutralization of Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities, which promotes the idea that this conflict might end sooner than feared."