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May restated her support for a two-state solution in the Middle East. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images

Theresa May has resisted pressure to re-examine the viability of the international nuclear deal with Iran from her Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, who urged her to follow Donald Trumps example by imposing fresh sanctions.

May also said only a two-state solution could bring about peace in the Middle East, and her spokeswoman said the extension of illegal settlements made a solution more difficult.

Netanyahu had said responsible countries should follow Trump in imposing new sanctions against Iran after it test-fired a ballistic missile. But May expressed her concern about Irans actions without saying there was a need for sanctions.

At their first meeting in No 10, Netanyahu was canvassing support from the prime minister ahead of a meeting he is due to hold with Trump later this month, which will reveal more about the new US administrations policy towards the Middle East.

Trumps spokesman issued a statement last week regretting the expansion of settlements on the West Bank, but some Israelis interpreted the White House remarks as a softening of opposition to the existing settlements.

Before going into No 10, Netanyahu took the rare step of using the traditional warm words in front of the cameras to make clear that he wants Britain to take action against Iran. It had been agreed there would be no joint press conference after the meeting.

Standing on the steps of Downing Street he told reporters: We face challenges, thats very clear, from militant Islam and especially from Iran. Iran seeks to annihilate Israel, it seeks to conquer the Middle East, it threatens Europe, it threatens the west, it threatens the world. And it offers provocation after provocation.

Thats why I welcome President Trumps assistance of new sanctions against Iran, I think other nations should follow suit, certainly responsible nations. And Id like to talk to you about how we can ensure that Irans aggression does not go unanswered.

Following the meeting, Mays official spokeswoman said that the PM had made clear that we support the deal on nuclear that was agreed.

Echoing Mays words from a speech in Philadelphia last week, the spokeswoman said: What needs to happen now is that it needs to be properly enforced and policed and we also need to be alert to Irans pattern of destabilising activity in the region.

The deal, under which sanctions were lifted in return for Tehran giving up its military nuclear ambitions, had neutralised the possibility of the Iranians acquiring nuclear weapons for more than a decade, said the PMs spokeswoman.

May made clear that her top priority for the talks was strengthening trade and investment links before Brexit as well as exploring the potential for a deeper commercial relationship after the UK has left the EU.

She said she believed there was much more we can do and it was important to look at how we can build that relationship.

May also invited Netanyahu to return to the UK later this year to attend events to mark the 100th anniversary of the Balfour declaration in November.

The Israeli prime minister later went on to meet the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, who has described the Iran nuclear deal as one of the achievements of the Obama administration.

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May refuses Netanyahu's call to impose new sanctions on Iran - The Guardian

Wall Street Journal

For Donald Trump's Team, Iran Moves Atop Confrontation List Wall Street Journal In a recent conversation, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates ticked off four areas most likely to produce the first national-security crisis for the new Trump administration: a confrontation with Iran in the Persian Gulf, a showdown with North Korea ...

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For Donald Trump's Team, Iran Moves Atop Confrontation List - Wall Street Journal

Forbes

As President Trump Signals A Tough Stance On Iran, Dubai Says It Will Open The Door Wider Forbes Through decades of waxing and waning enmity between the governments of United States and Iran, there has been a steady pipeline of highly educated Iranians emigrating to the United States, many who have gone on to be entrepreneurs. For instance ...

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As President Trump Signals A Tough Stance On Iran, Dubai Says It Will Open The Door Wider - Forbes

MOSCOW The Kremlin said on Monday it did not agree with U.S. President Donald Trump's assessment of Iran as "the number one terrorist state" and a Russian diplomat said any U.S. attempt to reopen an Iran nuclear deal would inflame tensions in the Middle East.

Trump and Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, have made clear they want to try to mend U.S.-Russia ties, which have slid to a post-Cold War low in recent years. But starkly different approaches to Iran, as set out by a raft of top Russian officials on Monday, could complicate any rapprochement.

Their comments also suggest that a policy idea Trump and his aides are reported to be considering -- to try to drive a wedge between Moscow and Tehran -- may be a non-starter.

Trump told Fox News in an interview aired at the weekend that Iran had "total disregard" for the United States and labeled Tehran "the number one terrorist state", complaining it was sending arms and weapons "all over the world".

He spoke out after his administration put the Islamic Republic "on notice" following an Iranian ballistic missile test and imposed new economic sanctions on Friday.

Two sources told Reuters last week the Trump administration was now exploring how to renegotiate key terms of the 2015 accord between Tehran and six world powers, under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program.

But several top officials in Russia, which has worked closely with Iran to support President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, signaled on Monday that they fundamentally disagreed with Trump's approach to Tehran.

'OIL ON THE FLAMES'

When asked about Trump's description of Iran as a "terrorist state," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow saw things very differently.

"Russia has friendly partner-like relations with Iran, we cooperate on a wide range of issues, value our trade ties, and hope to develop them further," said Peskov.

"It's no secret for anyone that Moscow and Washington hold diametrically opposed views on many international issues," he added, saying that should not hinder a rapprochement.

Russia's ambassador to Iran, Levan Djagaryan, said Moscow was concerned by escalating rhetoric between the United States and Iran, while Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, said Washington's decision to impose new sanctions on Iran was a source of regret.

Ryabkov, in a separate interview with the Moscow-based Security Index Journal published on Monday, also urged Washington not to try to reopen the Iran nuclear deal, saying to do so would risk inflaming the Middle East.

"Don't try to fix what isn't broken," said Ryabkov. "It would be an undesirable and negative turn of events that would only serve to pour oil on the flames in the Middle East."

Trump has spoken of the possibility of cooperating with Russia to fight Islamic State.

In comments that further underlined how far apart Moscow and Washington are over Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on Monday he thought Iran should be part of an international coalition to fight the militant group.

(Additional reporting by Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Catherine Evans)

JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON Seizing on an Iranian missile test, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new U.S. President Donald Trump are nearing common ground on a tougher U.S. policy towards Tehran ahead of their first face-to-face talks at the White House.

DUBAI Unlike what U.S. president Donald Trump thinks, the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers was a win-win accord, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, noting that the deal can be used as a stepping stone to defuse tension in the region.

MOSCOW The Kremlin on Tuesday shrugged off a Fox News host's refusal to apologize for comments he made about Russian President Vladimir Putin, but said his remarks reflected badly on the U.S. channel.

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Kremlin says it disagrees with Trump's assessment of Iran - Reuters

The chairman of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee has called for long-range ballistics, citing concerns about Iran and North Korea. Both countries have released statements claiming to only be preparing to act in self-defense.

Rep. Mark Thornberry (R-Texas) told reporters that the US should expand its ballistics arsenal to include long-range missiles that could reach Iran or North Korea. "If you look at what's happening around the world, I would mention Iran and North Korea, the importance of missile defense is increasing," Thornberry said Monday.

"Actors around the world are building missiles that are harder to stop," he added.

On Friday, the White House announced new sanctions on Iran and put Tehran on notice after running a ballistics test.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to Twitter to respond to allegations of aggression from President Donald Trump. He said that Iran would never use its weapons for anything other than defense, adding: Let us see if any of those who complain can make the same statement.

Senior cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami took a different stance, responding: We are living in a world of wolves. Wolves such as the arrogant government of America. In this world of wolves, should we remain unarmed and they do whatever damn things they want? No way. This will never happen, Euronews reported.

Mojtaba Zonour, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian parliament, was seemingly on the same page as Ayatollah Khatami, saying on Saturday that they could raze the US Navy base in Bahrain. Only seven minutes are needed for the Iranian missile to hit Tel Aviv, he said.

Also on Friday, North Korea released a statement claiming to be on the brink of nuclear war. The statement accused the US and South Korea of teaming up for a pre-emptive strike against North Korea CNN reported. That same weekend, US Defense Secretary James Mattis visited South Korea, where he reaffirmed Washingtons support for Seoul and pledged the $800 million Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) to protect US and South Korean troops.

Mattis said the US and Seoul would stand shoulder-to-shoulder and any attack from North Korea would be met with overwhelming response.

Thornberrys announcement is seen as a sign of support for President Donald Trumps plans to beef up US military forces. The National Defense Authorization Act is up for a vote at the end of April, but Thornberry said the defense appropriations bill may be voted on later than usual.

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House Armed Services chair says US needs missiles that can reach Iran, N Korea - RT