Acting State Department Spokesperson Mark Toner speaks during a news briefing at the State Department in Washington, U.S., March 7, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department is working closely with the White House on formulating the next steps in seeking peace between Israel and the Palestinians, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

“We are working closely with the White House on evaluating where we stand ... and trying to formulate the next steps,” spokesman Mark Toner told reporters in the first daily news briefing since Republican President Donald Trump took office in January.