Netanyahu backs Trump on Iran nuclear issue

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed with US president Donald Trump that "Iran will not have nuclear weapons", as he concluded his Washington D.C. visit.

Netanyahu's statement comes as Iran is approaching weekend talks with the United States over its nuclear program warily, with little confidence in progress and deep suspicions over U.S. intentions, Iranian officials said.

The talks were announced by Trump, who has repeatedly threatened Washington's old foe Iran with military action if it does not agree to a deal since he returned to the White House in January.

In a statement ahead of his return to Israel, Netanyahu said he and Trump were determined to eliminate Hamas and get the hostages back, and have discussed Trump's vision of Gaza. "We are currently in contact with countries that are talking about the possibility of absorbing a great many Gazans," Netanyahu added.

Netanyahu said that he discussed with Trump the issue of Turkey establishing military bases in Syria and the dangers this poses to Israel.

On tariffs, Netanyahu said that Israel is willing to reduce its trade deficit with the United States to zero.

The Iran–U.S. talks were announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened Iran with military action if it refuses to agree to a deal since returning to the White House in January.

Trump has said the talks in Oman will be direct but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi repeated Tehran's position that they should be indirect, citing what he called U.S. pressure and threats.

Efforts to settle a dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which it says is purely for civilian use but which Western countries see as a precursor to an atomic bomb, have ebbed and flowed for more than 20 years without resolution.

Trump tore up a 2015 deal between Iran and six world powers - the U.S., Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - during his first term of office in 2017 and talks since then have stalled.