Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is prepared to test whether the Lebanese Army can assume control of southern Lebanon and prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing its presence there, while claiming Israeli operations have significantly degraded the group's military capabilities.

In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had pushed Hezbollah between 8 and 13 kilometers away from the Israeli-Lebanese border and destroyed approximately 94% of the group's estimated arsenal of 150,000 missiles and rockets.

He pointed to a newly established trilateral mechanism that has opened direct Israeli-Lebanese talks for the first time in decades. Under the arrangement, Israel is expected to withdraw from Lebanese territory as the Lebanese state moves to disarm Hezbollah.

Whether the Lebanese Army can maintain control over those areas "is yet to be seen," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel is "willing to give it a try."

His remarks came as Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had informed members of his security cabinet that he intends to reject any U.S. requests for a broad Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the Gaza Strip or Syrian territory.

According to Israel Hayom, Netanyahu told ministers that Washington had presented a list of demands calling for large-scale Israeli withdrawals from the three fronts.

"I intend to oppose that, and I will tell them no," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

The comments come days before Netanyahu is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, as Washington and Jerusalem continue consultations over regional security issues.

Iran Remains Top Priority

Much of Netanyahu's interview focused on Iran, with the Israeli leader arguing that the conflict with Tehran will only end when the Iranian regime either collapses or becomes sufficiently weakened to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

"The conflict ends when the regime falls, or when they realize that the cost of wreaking economic chaos around the world, murdering thousands of their own citizens and attacking everyone is simply too high," Netanyahu told Fox News.

He insisted that Iran's nuclear program must be brought to an end "with a deal or without a deal."

Netanyahu also warned that Israel would respond with overwhelming force if Iran or any of its regional allies attacked the country.

"If Iran or its proxies attack Israel, it will make a terrible mistake because Israel's response will be very, very forceful," he said.

Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu said he was not planning to present new intelligence, noting that Israeli and American intelligence agencies already cooperate closely.

"It is good to have the opportunity to sit down with our good friend President Trump and hear what he has in mind," Netanyahu said, adding that "in many ways, it's his decision" how the confrontation with Iran develops.

Separately, Netanyahu told reporters he would urge Trump to maintain "continuous monitoring" of Iran's nuclear program, even though he acknowledged that he has no new intelligence indicating Tehran is currently capable of producing a nuclear weapon.

UN Visit, U.S. Politics and Saudi Arabia

Netanyahu also confirmed that he intends to travel to New York in September to address the United Nations General Assembly.

He said he plans to "speak the truth" about Israel and the U.S.-Israeli alliance from the UN podium, while accusing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of "fomenting hate" against Jews and "supporting the Hamas murderers."

The Israeli premier also expressed concern about declining Democratic Party support for Israel, alleging that mainstream Democrats are increasingly aligning with what he described as the party's anti-Israel fringe because activists are harassing their families.

On Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu endorsed Trump's position that any future U.S.-Saudi nuclear agreement linked to normalization with Israel should be strictly limited to civilian purposes.

"I stress 'civilian' because the last thing we want—and I'm sure the last thing the president wants—is a military nuclear program in Saudi Arabia," he said.