Trump opposes planned Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites

NEW YORK, Apr 16 (Reuters/AFP): US President Donald Trump blocked a planned Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites in favour of negotiating a deal with Iran to limit its nuclear programme, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing administration officials and others.

Israel had developed plans to attack the sites in May, according to the newspaper, which added that the goal was to set back Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon by a year or more.

The New York Times said US assistance was required not just to defend Israel from Iranian retaliation but also ensure the attack was successful.

After months of internal debate, Trump made the decision to seek negotiations with Iran rather than support military action.

The US and Iran held talks in Oman last Saturday - the first time during a Trump administration, including his 2017-2021 first term. Both countries described the talks as "positive" and "constructive".

A second round is scheduled for Saturday, and a source briefed on the planning said the meeting was likely to be held in Rome.

Meanwhile, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi met the head of Iran's atomic energy agency, Mohammad Eslami, on Thursday ahead of a fresh round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

Iranian and US delegations are to gather in Rome on Saturday for a second round of Omani-mediated negotiations, a week after the longtime foes held their highest-level talks since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear accord in 2018.

There were no immediate details on Grossi's meeting with Eslami, but Iran's reformist Shargh newspaper described his visit as "strategically significant at the current juncture".

On Wednesday, Grossi met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led the first round of talks with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday.

Araghchi said he had had a "useful" meeting with the International Atomic Energy Agency chief.

"The IAEA can play a crucial role in peaceful settlement of the Iranian nuclear file in the coming months," he said. Araghchi called on the IAEA chief to "keep the agency away from politics" in the face of "spoilers" seeking to "derail current negotiations". He did not elaborate.

Grossi said their meeting was "important". "Cooperation with IAEA is indispensable to provide credible assurances about the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme at a time when diplomacy is urgently needed," he said on X.

Before heading to Iran, Grossi told French newspaper Le Monde that Tehran was "not far" from possessing a nuclear bomb.