The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the visiting British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, have sparred publicly over the international nuclear deal with Iran, veering off prepared comments to exchange sharply different positions on the agreement.

Netanyahu and Hammond each read from their notes before engaging in an awkward back-and-forth that extended what is usually a standard, brief public appearance with visiting officials into a spirited debate.

The spat reflected how Israel, which has long lobbied against the deal, stands at odds with other world powers over the agreement, especially because it does not require Iran to temper its hostility toward Israel, or rein in support for some of Israel’s enemies, including the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group.

“We would have wanted to see a deal that says the following: ‘Iran, you will get the easing on the restrictions on your nuclear programme, and you will get sanctions relief if you change your behaviour first,’” Netanyahu said, calling it “perplexing” that the deal did not address Iran’s calls to annihilate Israel.

Hammond said he understood Netanyahu’s concerns, but added: “We have always been clear that this deal was about the nuclear file.” He said Iran’s “regional conduct” would “have to be dealt with in the months and years to come”,telling Netanyahu: “We are not naive about this.”

Getting in the last word, Netanyahu also spelled out his opposition to the gradual lifting of sanctions against Iran, which he told Hammond would allow Iran to foment “more terrorism, more aggression” in the Middle East and beyond.

Hammond was visiting Israel a day after he told the House of Commons that Israel wanted a permanent standoff with Iran and suggested it wouldn’t have welcomed any kind of nuclear deal. Netanyahu told Hammond that assessment was wrong.

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