US President Donald Trump scuppered an Israeli plan to strike Iranian nuclear sites, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, as Washington attempts to reach a deal to curb Tehran's weapons program.

The US and Iran are seeking a new nuclear deal after Trump pulled out of a landmark agreement during his first term.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are due to meet in Rome on Saturday, a week after they held the highest-level Iranian-US nuclear negotiations since the collapse of a 2015 accord.

In March, Trump sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging talks but warning of possible military action if they failed to produce a deal.