GEOBEATS--  The Washington Post reported Thursday that according to White House officials, “much of the distance between them seems personal and probably irreversible.”

"A senior U.S. official said foreign diplomats and leaders often ask if Tillerson is speaking for the administration and when he will depart. Another White House aide said White House officials, diplomats and other Cabinet secretaries largely deem the former ExxonMobil chief executive 'irrelevant,'" the Post further notes.

Another Trump official is quoted as saying, "I think our allies know at this point he’s not really speaking for the administration."

In the latest instance of divergent positions, Tillerson had recently suggested during a speaking engagement that the U.S. is open to talking to North Korea without preconditions. The White House promptly issued a contrasting statement. A National Security Council spokesman told Reuters "clearly right now is not the time" to have a dialogue with North Korea.