The pivot to negotiations with Iran in April was a shock for Netanyahu, who had flown to Washington seeking Trump's backing for military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and learned less than 24 hours before a joint White House press event that US talks with Iran were starting within days, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long been on a campaign against Iran's nuclear program and his opposition helped convince President Trump to withdraw from an Obama era deal meant to rein it in.