​​​​​​​WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to take actions against Iran that could imperil negotiations about its nuclear program.

Asked by a reporter if he warned Netanyahu against taking the action, Trump said, "I'd like to be honest, yes, I did," but later backed off the description of his message as a "warning."

"It's not a warning. I said, 'I don't think it's appropriate.' We're having very good discussions with them. And I said, 'I don't think it's appropriate right now,' because if we can settle it with a very strong document, very strong with inspections, no trust. I don't trust anybody. I don't trust anybody. So, no trust. I wanted very strong, where we can go in with inspectors. We can take whatever we want, we can blow up whatever we want, but nobody getting killed," he said.

"We can blow up a lab, but nobody's going to be in the lab, as opposed to everybody being in the lab and blowing it up. Right? Two ways of doing it? Yeah, I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution now that could change at any moment," he added.

The New York Times reported that Netanyahu has been threatening to strike Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities, potentially upending US-Iran nuclear negotiations. The newspaper reported that Trump and Netanyahu clashed over the issue in at least one tense call, as Israeli officials continued to press for military action despite US efforts to secure a diplomatic solution.

Iran and the US have been engaged in nuclear diplomacy for the past two months, with Oman mediating five rounds of indirect talks in Muscat and Rome. No date has yet been set for a sixth round of talks, but Trump said negotiations have been "very good."

Uranium enrichment has emerged as a key sticking point in the negotiations, with the US calling for its dismantling while Iran insists the program will continue.

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, signaled Wednesday that Tehran would be open to having the US inspect its nuclear sites as part of an agreement, adding that Iran’s nuclear program is strictly peaceful and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He maintained, however, that halting uranium enrichment would affect many sectors, including health care and the environment, pointing out that 1 million people in Iran annually rely on radiopharmaceuticals.

Trump has threatened military action against Iran if a new nuclear agreement is not reached to replace the 2015 nuclear deal, from which he withdrew the US in 2018.

His attempts to secure a new deal during his first term were unsuccessful.