US President Joe Biden is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday at the White House, a US official said on Monday.
Biden has been battling COVID-19 since last Wednesday but is returning to Washington on Tuesday from his beach house in Delaware. Netanyahu addresses a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday.
Biden and Netanyahu are expected to discuss ways to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as Iran and other topics.
It will be Biden's first meeting with a foreign leader since he opted not to run for reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Harris is to meet Netanyahu this week separate from Biden's meeting.
A Harris aide said she will stress to Netanyahu that it is time for the Gaza conflict to end in a way where "Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination."
US President Donald Trump called off plans for renewed military strikes on Iran at the last minute on Thursday, saying negotiations with Tehran had advanced to the highest levels of Iran's leadership and had been approved by a broad coalition of regional powers.
A US jet fired two missiles into the engine room of the tanker Jalveer off Oman on Thursday, US Central Command confirmed, as authorities said the 20 crew members were safe after the third strike on Indian-crewed tankers this week.
British defence minister John Healey quit on Thursday in a dispute over military spending, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to commit the government resources that are needed to defend the country at a time of heightened threat.
A false alarm at the Pentagon following an air quality warning briefly triggered a partial shelter-in-place order on Wednesday at the US military's headquarters, as first responders worked to rule out exposure to hazardous materials, officials said.
The United States will hit Iran "very hard tonight" and will soon take control of the Middle Eastern country's oil and gas infrastructure and markets, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday.
The UAE has launched a humanitarian initiative called 'Step of Hope' to provide prosthetic limbs for Palestinians who have suffered amputations during the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, has held a series of meetings and visits in Sweden aimed at strengthening cooperation in innovation, technology and economic development.