United States President Donald Trump is keeping the world in suspense over whether he will authorise the move of the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Expectations of an imminent announcement from the White House have led other countries to warn against a change in the status quo.

According to an internal 1995 law, American presidents are meant to report every six months on whether they will relocate the embassy or offer an explanation if they decide against it.

But yesterday’s deadline for an update passed without any word from Mr Trump.

Hogan Gidley, White House deputy press secretary, was quoted by CNN yesterday as saying that the president had been clear that moving the embassy was “not a matter of if but a matter of when”.

But in a phonecall with Mr Trump yesterday, Emmanuel Macron, president of France, voiced concern at a unilateral American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Jerusalem’s status should be settled “in the framework of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, with the aim in particular to establish two countries, Israel and Palestine, living in peace and security side by side with Jerusalem as capital,” Mr Macron said.

Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, told CNN that "any announcement prior to a final settlement would have a detrimental impact on the peace process and would heighten tensions in the region".