Trump, Macron to discuss views on Iran, trade and tariffs

US President Donald Trump was set to welcomes France's Emmanuel Macron to the White House on Monday at the start of a three-day state visit expected to be dominated by US-European differences on the Iran nuclear deal and souring trade relations.

It would be Trump's first hosting of a state visit since he took power in January 2017. The pair will get a sense of their two countries' shared history during an evening meal on Monday night at Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, the first US president and Revolutionary War commander whose alliance with France was critical to victory over the British.

The major work between them is scheduled for Tuesday, before Macron addresses Congress on Wednesday, the anniversary of  French General Charles de Gaulle's address to a Joint Session of Congress in 1960.

Trump and the 40-year-old French leader began their improbable friendship a year ago in Belgium with a jaw-clenching handshake. Macron has worked hard to remain close to the US president and the two leaders speak frequently by phone.

Macron is on something of a rescue mission for the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump has vowed to scrap unless European allies strengthen it.

The deal reached between Iran, the US and five other world powers put curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Macron said on Fox News Sunday that it is better to protect the Iran deal instead of getting rid of it, saying there is no "Plan B" to take its place.

"Is this agreement perfect and this JCPOA a perfect thing for our relationship with Iran? No. But for nuclear - what do you have? As a better option? I don't see it," he said.

Macron also wants to persuade Trump to exempt European nations from steel tariffs that are part of the US president's plan to reduce chronic trade deficits with countries around the world, chiefly China.

His visit comes at a time of mounting alarm in Europe over the knock-on effect that US sanctions on Russia will have on their own manufacturing industries.