US President Donald Trump told Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Wednesday (Feb 11) that talks with Iran must continue, rebuffing the Israeli prime minister’s push for a tougher stance against Tehran.

“There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated,” Trump said on social media after their three-hour meeting.

“If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be,” said Trump, adding a reminder of last year’s US strikes against Iran’s nuclear programme.

Seeking to push for the Islamic republic’s ballistic missile program to be included in any deal, Netanyahu had rushed to Washington for his seventh meeting with Trump since the US leader returned to power.

Netanyahu’s office said that during the talks with Trump the Israeli premier had “insisted on the security needs of the state of Israel in relation to the negotiations” on Iran.

Trump has hinted at US military action against Iran following Tehran’s deadly crackdown on protesters, but at the same time Washington and Tehran restarted talks last week with a meeting in Oman.

Talks had been suspended after the US strikes on Iran’s atomic sites during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran last July.