Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that he had agreed with US President Donald Trump to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, claiming his intention to eliminate Hamas.

Netanyahu said in press statements prior to his return from Washington: "I agreed with President Trump to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons, and this can be achieved through an agreement or through the military option," according to the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

The United States, its ally Israel, and other countries accuse Iran of seeking to produce nuclear weapons, while Tehran says its program is designed for peaceful purposes, including electricity generation.

Israel is the only country in the region that possesses a nuclear weapons arsenal, which is not subject to international oversight, and has continued to occupy Arab lands in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon for decades.

On Monday evening, during a press conference with Netanyahu following their meeting, Trump announced a meeting with Iran next Saturday, describing it as "direct negotiations."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi later said that the Sultanate of Oman would host the meeting, but described it as "indirect talks."

In addition to Iran, Netanyahu said Tuesday that the second issue he discussed with Trump was the Gaza Strip.

With full American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 166,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing.

Netanyahu claimed that he was determined to eliminate Hamas and return Israeli prisoners held by Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.

Tel Aviv estimates that there are 59 Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip, 24 of whom are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 9,500 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.

By the end of March 1, 2025, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel had concluded. The agreement, which had entered into force on January 19, 2025, was brokered by Egypt and Qatar and supported by the United States, and the Palestinian movement had adhered to it.

But Netanyahu, who is wanted by international justice, evaded the start of the second phase and resumed the genocide in Gaza on March 18, in response to the most extreme wing of his right-wing government, according to Hebrew media.

The Israeli occupation has besieged Gaza for the 18th year, leaving approximately 1.5 million of its 2.4 million Palestinian citizens homeless after the war of extermination destroyed their homes. The Strip has entered a state of famine due to Tel Aviv's closure of the crossings to humanitarian aid.