Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has said the government missed an opportunity to inflict greater damage on Iran by not targeting its oil and energy infrastructure during the recent conflict.
According to The Times of Israel on Sunday, July 5, 2026, the Yesh Atid leader told Channel 12’s Meet the Press that Israel should have focused on Iran’s economic foundations. “I would have bombed all the main energy installations, all the oil fields,” Lapid said, arguing that crippling the sector would have severely weakened Tehran and delayed its recovery for years.
Lapid said he raised the proposal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during wartime security briefings but received only a vague response.
Addressing domestic politics, Lapid reaffirmed his support for former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, describing him as the most suitable candidate to lead Israel because of his right-wing credentials and government experience. He said his backing of Bennett was not a criticism of former military chief Gadi Eisenkot or his Yashar party.
Lapid added that he was prepared to place both his political support and his party behind Bennett if it increased the opposition’s chances of defeating Netanyahu in the next election.
