US President Donald Trump on Sunday further obfuscated what exactly he wants from Iran and its nuclear program.

Trump stated on NBC News' weekly "Meet the Press" program that the goal of his administration's nuclear talks with Iran is to achieve the "total dismantlement" of Tehran's nuclear program, but at the same time he is open to allowing the Islamic Republic to pursue civilian nuclear energy.

Trump made the comments in an interview conducted on Friday and broadcast on Sunday.

"I think I'm open to hearing that, you know?" Trump said, hinting in his interview with Kristen Welker at the possibility of allowing Iran to develop nuclear energy for non-military purposes.

In a related development, Reuters revealed how US President Trump surprised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month by gambling on immediately starting negotiations with Iran. Now, the success of these talks hinges on securing key concessions to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear bomb, according to eight sources.

The shift to negotiations with Iran last April came as a shock to Netanyahu, who had traveled to Washington seeking Trump's support for military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. He learned less than 24 hours before a joint White House press conference that US talks with Iran would begin within days, according to four sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters.