Donald Trump cautions Iran over nuclear ambitions during Benjamin Netanyahu talks

Palm Beach: President Donald Trump warned Iran against reconstituting its nuclear program Monday as he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his home in Florida for wide-ranging talks.

The warning comes after Trump has insisted that Tehran's nuclear capabilities were "completely and fully obliterated" by US strikes on key nuclear enrichment sites in June. But Israeli officials have been quoted in local media expressing concern about Iran rebuilding its supply of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel.

"Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again," Trump told reporters as he welcomed Netanyahu to his Mar-a-Lago estate. "And if they are, we're going to have to knock them down. We'll knock them down. We'll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that's not happening."

Iran has insisted that it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program. But Netanyahu was expected to discuss with Trump the need to potentially take new military action against Tehran just months after launching a 12-day war on Iran.

Trump criticised Iran anew for not making a deal to completely disarm its nuclear program ahead of the US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.

"They wish they made that deal," Trump said.

Netanyahu's visit also comes at another critical moment in Gaza as Trump looks to create fresh momentum for the US-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire that is in danger of stalling before reaching the complicated second phase of the agreement.

Trump, with Netanyahu by his side, said he wants to get to the second phase "as quickly as we can."

"But there has to be a disarming of Hamas," Trump added.

Before his talks with Trump, Netanyahu met separately with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.