An Israeli minister has said that the United States could recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights within months.

Yisrael Katz MK, Israel’s Minister of Intelligence and a member of its security cabinet, told Reuters he believed “there is a high probability this will happen".

Asked if he thought a decision was likely in 2018, Mr Katz replied “yes, give or take a few months”, adding the issue was “topping the agenda” in talks between the two countries.

Israel captured the majority of the Golan Heights during the Six Day War in 1967. Before this, the Syrians had used their artillery positions in the Golan Heights to fire shells down at Israeli villages below.

In 1981, Israel effectively annexed the areas of the Golan it had captured 14 years earlier through the Golan Heights Law, which extended Israeli "laws, jurisdiction and administration" to the area.

Israeli sovereignty over the Golan has not been internationally recognised.

Mr Katz's comments come after the US moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He said America recognising Israeli sovereignty over Golan would be a clear signal to Iran.

“This is the perfect time to make such a move,” he said.

“The most painful response you can give the Iranians is to recognise Israel’s Golan sovereignty - with an American statement, a presidential proclamation, enshrined (in law).”

As recently as March 2017, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) condemned what it described as Israel’s “occupation” of the Golan Heights.

At the time, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the UNHRC’s criticism as “absolutely preposterous”, especially “when after all in that region of Syria we have seen the most appalling barbarity by the Assad regime.”