At the invitation of US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart this coming Monday for a visit to Washington, Netanyahu’s office announced on Friday.
During the visit, the statement added, the Prime Minister will meet on Tuesday with President Trump at the White House and attend the funeral service for Senator Lindsey Graham, a friend of Israel.
Netanyahu reportedly planned to visit the United States this week, but ultimately postponed the visit to next week.
The visit follows an announcement by the Prime Minister's Office three weeks ago, which stated that Netanyahu spoke with Trump on the occasion of America's 250th Independence Day, and that the two leaders agreed to meet in the US in the near future.
Netanyahu’s visit to Washington comes amid tensions with Iran and speculations that Israel might enter the US fighting against the Islamic Republic. The Iran issue is expected to be a central component of the discussions between Netanyahu and Trump.
On Thursday, Trump told Axios' Barak Ravid that he is considering launching an attack on Iran on a scale beyond all previous attacks.
"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," Trump said.
Trump added that Israel would join the US military's operation if he asked, but said that the US does not need the help in order to carry out the strikes he is considering.
Reports on Thursday indicated that Israeli defense officials increasingly believe that the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran could develop into a broader conflict in the coming days, potentially including missile attacks against Israel.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)