The U.S. Embassy in Israel on Tuesday condemned the visit by far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
"Ambassador Nides has been very clear in conversations with the Israeli government on the issue of preserving the status quo in Jerusalem’s holy sites. Actions that prevent that are unacceptable," the embassy said in a statement.
The strong message was delivered early on Tuesday, before the White House or State Department could weigh in on the visit.
But, in his congratulatory message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon the formation of his new government, President Joe Biden said the U.S. remained in full support of the two-state solution and that the administration would oppose anything that would endanger it.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a similar statement to incoming Foreign Minister Eli Cohen when the two spoke on Monday.
Since the makeup of Netanyahu's coalition became clear after the November ballot, U.S. officials have voiced their concern that the extremists in the government could compromise the cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem and that the strong alliance between the nations was based on mutual values, among other considerations.
"We will gauge the government by the policies and procedures, rather than individual personalities," Blinken said during the J Street conference in Washington last month.
Ben-Gvir intended to enter the mosque compound on Monday, but following a meeting with the prime minister, said he would postpone his visit to a later date.
Netanyahu claimed that he never told Ben-Gvir to refrain from the provocative visit, and only asked that it be coordinated with security agencies.
The visit was condemned by the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, among others.
Turkey was the latest Muslim state to issue a condemnation. "We are concerned by the provocative act of Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir towards Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli police and we condemn it," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.
"We call on Israel to act responsibly to prevent such provocations that will violate the status and sanctity of holy places in Jerusalem and escalate tension in the region," it said.
France and Britain also issued condemnations.