Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the Iranian regime "begged" to enter into negotiations and reach a ceasefire. He added that Israel succeeded in eliminating the Iranian uranium enrichment program, noting that Tehran was “very close” to manufacturing a nuclear weapon and producing hundreds of missiles, before Israel prevented this from being achieved by targeting sites throughout Iran. Netanyahu explained that his country killed 12 Iranian nuclear scientists as part of its efforts to stop the nuclear program. Regarding Lebanon, he stressed that Israel eliminated a large part of Hezbollah’s capabilities, leaders and members, and destroyed many of its tunnels. He indicated Israel's agreement to conduct direct negotiations with Lebanon, on the condition that Hezbollah disarms and a sustainable peace agreement is reached.