Trump says he warned Netanyahu against actions on Iran amid nuclear talks

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against taking any actions that could threaten ongoing talks between the Trump administration and Iran over a new nuclear deal, according to multiple media outlets.

"Well, I'd like to be honest. Yes, I did," Trump said when asked if he had warned Netanyahu against strikes on Iran in order not to disrupt talks US officials say they are having with Tehran, The Hill reported.

"I just said I don't think it's appropriate. We're having very good discussions with them, and I don't think it's appropriate right now," Trump added.

Trump also told reporters that the situation "could change at any moment - could change with a phone call," CNN reported.

"Right now, I think they want to make a deal. And if we can make a deal, I'd save a lot of lives," said the report.

The fifth round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States concluded last week in Rome with "some but not conclusive progress," said Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, the mediator in the talks.

The latest round of talks took place amid gaps between the two sides over Iran's nuclear program. The ongoing tensions between the two nations have reportedly centered on uranium enrichment. The Trump administration has reiterated its demand for Iran to halt all uranium enrichment activities, but Tehran rejected the notion of "zero enrichment" and demanded the lifting of economic sanctions.

Netanyahu, wary of a diplomatic solution to curbing Iran's nuclear program, continues to press for military action that would upend Trump's push for a negotiated deal, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. The major newspaper in the United States noted that Israeli officials have told their American counterparts that Netanyahu could order a strike on Iran even if a successful diplomatic agreement is reached.

The New York Times reported in April that Israel had planned to strike Iranian nuclear sites as soon as this month but was waved off by Trump, who wanted to keep negotiating with Tehran.