Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid plans to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Rome on Sunday.

The trip will be Lapid's first as foreign minister and the first meeting between members of the new Israeli government and US President Joe Biden's cabinet.

The meeting comes soon after the sixth round of indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran on returning to the Iran nuclear deal came to a close, with officials in Tehran saying Washington is close to lifting oil sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

(With input from agencies)