Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a friendly message directly to the Iranian people on Saturday.
Netanyahu began his remarks by describing how he soon plans to discuss the topic of Iran with U.S. President Donald Trump, before saying that much of the conversation coming out of Israel on Iran is about the Iranian regime and not the country's people. The Israeli leader then reached out to Iranians who seek freedom and peace.
"I know you'd prefer to live without fear. I know you'd want to be able to speak freely, to love who you want without the fear of being tortured or hung from a crane," Netanyahu said. "I know you'd like to surf the web freely and not have to see videos like this one using a virtual private network to circumvent censorship."
"You have a proud history. You have a rich culture. Tragically, you are shackled by a theocratic tyranny," Netanyahu continued. "In a free Iran you will once again be able to flourish without limit. But today, a cruel regime is trying to keep you down."
Netanyahu then reached out past the Iranian regime to the country's citizens.
"By calling daily for Israel's destruction, the regime hopes to instill hostility between us. This is wrong," Netanyahu said. "We are your friend, not your enemy. We've always distinguished between the Iranian people and the Iranian regime."
"The regime is cruel; the people are not. The regime is aggressive; the people are warm."