Theresa May tells Benjamin Netanyahu the Iran nuclear deal is the 'best' way forward

Theresa May has told Benjamin Netanyahu the Iran nuclear deal remains "the best route" to stopping the country gaining nuclear weapons as long as it "meets its obligations".

The Israeli PM met her on Wednesday afternoon at Downing Street as part of his tour to meet European leaders and talk them round to President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the deal.

But Mrs May said: “Along with France and Germany the UK continues to believe [the deal] is the best route to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. 

"We will remain committed to it as long as Iran meets its obligations. 

"But we do recognise that there are other issues that need to be addressed in relation to Iran - its destabilising regional activity in countries like Syria and Yemen and also the proliferation of ballistic missiles.'”

Ahead of the meeting, sources told the JC that the issue of Iran and President Trump’s withdrawal from 2015 deal would likely “dominate” the one-hour meeting at Downing Street.

The Israeli premier has continued to push a hard line on Iran throughout his trip to Europe this week.

Posing for photographs at the start of the Downing Street meeting, Mr Netanyahu said he was determined to stop Tehran from producing a nuclear weapon and would discuss “how to roll back Iran's aggression in the region.” 

He said to Mrs May: "I think we can find ways to work together to achieve both goals.”

He has already called on French and German leaders to support Israel's stance against Iranian entrenchment in Syria and follow Washington’s lead in withdrawing from the nuclear deal signed with Iran three years ago.

Mr Netanyahu also told Mrs May that mounting violence and deaths in Gaza are the result of Iran's desire to destroy Israel, during their crunch Downing Street meeting on Wednesday.

In a rebuke to Mr Netanyahu, Mrs May referred to the use of live ammunition by the IDF at protests on the Gaza border and said: "We have been concerned about the loss of Palestinian lives.”

He told her: “We are not witnessing peaceful protests.

“We are doing everything we can to both minimize casualties and at the same time protect Israeli lives.”

In a statement after the meeting, he said it was "a "always a delight" to visit Britain and discuss "issues of common concern".

“We cooperate in great ways – in intelligence, in security, in technology, in trade, in many, many other areas. And I think our relationship is going from strength to strength,” he said.

“As far as Gaza is concerned, I think the problems there are rooted in the fundamental goal of Hamas to destroy Israel...

"In addition to burning our fields, these people are being paid for and pushed by Hamas to try to break into Israel’s defences, kill as many Israelis as they can, right next to our border, and kidnap our soldiers.

He said: “We are doing everything we can to both minimise casualties, and at the same time protect Israeli lives. I think you recognise this."

After the meeting with Mrs May, Mr Netanyahu sat down for a meeting with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

He will is also due to stage further meetings with MPs from across the political spectrum – including pro-Israeli MPs from the Labour Party.