Donald Trump has told Arab leaders that he plans to forge ahead with moving the US embassy to Jerusalem despite their warnings that it would derail Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and could spark violent protests.

The US president told Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and King Abdullah of Jordan that he would fulfill his campaign promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv and break with nearly seven decades of US Middle East policy.

The embassy is unlikely to move immediately but Mr Trump’s decision to formally notify the Arab leaders appeared to signal that he is committed to the policy after months of deliberations. He is expected to make a speech on the issue Wednesday.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Palestinian leaders insist there is no hope a peace agreement unless they are able to set up their own capital in East Jerusalem. Israel insists the entire city is its “eternal and undivided capital”.

His choice to move ahead comes in defiance of a chorus of international warnings from European and Middle Eastern leaders as well as former US officials and even ex-Israeli ambassadors to Washington.