Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to the United States on April 6 to meet with President Donald Trump for discussions on Iran and new US trade tariffs, the Israeli leader's office said.
"The two leaders will discuss tariffs, efforts to bring back Israeli hostages (from Gaza), Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and the fight against the International Criminal Court," Netanyahu's office said, referring to The Hague-based court that has accused him of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
SEE ALSO: During Visit By Israel's Netanyahu, Hungary Announces It Will Withdraw From ICCBoth Trump and Netanyahu have rejected the ICC allegations as "baseless."
The White House did not immediately comment on Nethanyahu's upcoming visit.
US media had quoted four Israeli officials and a White House official earlier in the day as saying Netanyahu was expected to visit the White House on April 7.
The right-wing Israeli leader is considered a close ally to Trump. Along with the ICC accusations, Netanyahu has come under international criticism for the conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip.
Trump, other US officials, and Netanyahu have defended Israeli military actions in the territory, which came after a deadly incursion into Israel by the Hamas movement, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union.
The trip will mark the second official visit to Washington by Netanyahu since Trump took office on January 20. He held meetings with the US leader in early February, making him the first foreign visitor to the White House during Trump's second term in office.
After that visit, Trump signed an order on February 4 to restore his "maximum pressure" policy on Iran aimed at hurting its oil exports and slowing its nuclear program.
SEE ALSO: Iranian Currency's Value Tumbles To Record Low As US 'Maximum Pressure' BitesUS sanctions on Iran's energy sector have been in place since 2018, when Trump during his first term withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Iranian oil sales plummeted as a result.
Also during Netanyahu's visit, Trump announced a controversial proposal calling for the United States to take over control of the Gaza Strip and economically develop the war-torn Palestinian coastal area. Under the plan, the Palestinian civilian population was to be relocated to other countries in the region.
Israel, like most other nations, is facing a rise in tariffs under Trump's newly announced trade policy. The tariff rate against Israeli products is 17 percent, and Netanyahu will likely seek to strike a new agreement with the US leader.
Netanyahu's visit comes following of a day of protest on April 5 against Trump's policies throughout the United States. Demonstrations were held at some 1,200 sites in all 50 states, organized by more than 150 groups. The rallies appeared to go off peacefully, with one of the main organizers saying about 600,000 people took part.