US President Donald Trump Sunday discussed threats from Iran with Benjamin Netanyahu, inviting the Israeli prime minister to visit the White House early next month.
The two leaders spoke by telephone and "agreed to continue to closely consult on a range of regional issues, including addressing the threats posed by Iran," the White House said in a statement, signalling the new administration's tougher line on Tehran.
The statement also said that Trump invited Netanyahu "to an early February meeting at the White House."
Israel approved hundreds of new settler homes in east Jerusalem Sunday hours before the telephone call, which an Israeli statement described as "very warm".
But a potentially explosive plan to annex a large West Bank Jewish settlement unilaterally was shelved until after Netanyahu and Trump meet.