John Kerry to visit Jordan for talks on Jerusalem tensions: State Department

Dubai: US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Jordan on Wednesday for discussions with King Abdullah about tensions in Jerusalem and the fight against the Islamic State militant group in the region, the State Department said.

Kerry will go on to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday to participate in the Sir Bani Yas Forum, an annual private gathering of world leaders focused on international security, a department statement said.

Kerry returns to the Middle East after he attended an Asia-Pacific summit in Beijing on Tuesday. He was in Oman earlier this week for two days of talks on the Iranian nuclear dispute with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union envoy Catherine Ashton.

Jordan recalled its ambassador from Israel on Nov. 5, the first time it has taken such action since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1994, denouncing what Amman called "violations" at the al-Aqsa mosque.

Tensions over the compound, the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest place in Judaism, have fueled repeated clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians in recent weeks, culminating in a one-day closure of the mosque last month.