In an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his intention to "draw down to zero" American military financing for the occupation over the next 10 years, while admitting that Israeli planners had underestimated Iran's ability to close the Strait of Hormuz, a miscalculation that has caused global energy prices to soar, Al Mayadeen reported.
Netanyahu told CBS that "Israel" currently receives approximately $3.8 billion of US military aid a year, with a total of 38 billion pledged between 2018 and 2028. He said he wants to begin "weaning" the occupation off this financial support immediately, rather than waiting for the current agreement to expire.
"It is absolutely the right time to possibly reset the US‑Israeli financial relationship," Netanyahu said. "I don't want to wait for the next Congress. I want to start now."
The Israeli premier's remarks come as American public support for "Israel" continues to collapse. A Pew survey conducted in March found that 60 percent of US adults hold an unfavorable view of "Israel," and 59 percent have little or no confidence in Netanyahu's leadership, an increase of seven percentage points from the previous year. Netanyahu attributed this decline to social media manipulation by unnamed countries, rather than to the Israeli occupation's documented atrocities in Gaza.
Admission of miscalculation over Strait of Hormuz
In a rare admission of strategic error, Netanyahu acknowledged that Israeli military planners had only realized Iran's capacity to shut down the Strait of Hormuz after the war began. "It took a while for them to understand how big that risk is, which they understand now," he said.
The strait, through which 20 percent of the world's oil normally passes, has been effectively closed by Iran in response to the US‑Israeli aggression that began on February 28. The closure has driven up global fuel prices and contributed to inflation in the United States reaching its highest level since May 2023.
Netanyahu's admission undermines the occupation's claims of superior intelligence and military planning. For weeks, Israeli and American officials had insisted that Iran's military had been "wiped out," while Tehran maintained that it retained full control over the waterway.
Still thinking of 'regime change'
Asked about the possibility of toppling Iran's leadership, Netanyahu said, still thinking that this is a viable route after several failed attempts, "Is it possible? Yes. Is it guaranteed? No." He speculated that if Iran's government was "weakened or possibly toppled," it would mean "the end of Hezbollah, it's the end of Hamas, it's probably the end of the Houthis."
Netanyahu refused to discuss any military timeline or specific plans concerning Iran, but his remarks reflect the occupation's long‑standing hopes of imposing regime change in Tehran.
Despite more than two months of US‑Israeli bombing and a crippling naval blockade, Iran's government remains firmly in place, and its military retains the ability to assert control over Hormuz and deter US-Israeli attacks.
Netanyahu's push to reduce reliance on US military aid must be understood against the backdrop of rapidly eroding US public and congressional support for "Israel." The Biden and Trump administrations have both faced growing criticism for unconditionally arming "Israel" as it stands accused of genocide before the International Court of Justice.
By claiming he wants to end US aid, Netanyahu may be trying to pre‑empt further congressional restrictions or to project an image of Israeli self‑sufficiency. However, critics point out that without US weapons, technology, and diplomatic cover, the occupation would struggle to maintain its military campaigns across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and now Iran.
bd-pratidin/GR
