Netanyahu delays US visit as Lindsey Graham's funeral is rescheduled: Key details

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed his planned visit to the United States, the prime minister's office announced on Thursday.

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The visit was postponed following the rescheduling of former US Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral to the end of the month.

The trip would have marked his first official visit to Washington since the war with Iran. Netanyahu last visited the United States in February.

Netanyahu had been scheduled to travel to Washington on Saturday night to attend Graham's funeral and hold talks with US President Donald Trump.

During a recent phone call in which Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of US independence, the two leaders agreed to "meet soon."

Trump earlier urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin withdrawing Israeli forces from southern Syria and Lebanon during a phone call last week, Axios reported.

According to the report, Trump warned that Israel's continued military presence in Syrian territory could further destabilise the region.

"President Trump has a strong relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Israel has always been a great ally to the United States. There has been no greater friend to Israel and a fighter for peace than President Trump," a US official was quoted as saying by Axios.

The developments come as US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon resumed in Rome on Tuesday. American mediators met with Israeli and Lebanese delegations to discuss the implementation of a framework agreement announced several weeks ago.

Under the agreement, Israel committed to withdrawing its forces from two "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon to allow the Lebanese military to deploy there. However, the Israel Defense Forces has yet to redeploy from the designated areas.

Lebanon has called for a clear timetable for further Israeli withdrawals, while Israeli officials have said the Israel Defense Forces wants to first verify that the pilot zones are free of Hezbollah weapons and military infrastructure. Lebanese officials, according to the report, contend that the assessment should instead be carried out by the US military.