“Gaza First”… a direct American message to Iran and Israel
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on both Iran and Israel not to escalate the conflict in the Middle East. The American calls for calm come in light of Washington’s concern about the danger of escalation on both sides, against the backdrop of the assassinations carried out by Israel against Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the resistance movement. The operation carried out in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in addition to the assassination of Fouad Shukr, a leader in the Lebanese Hezbollah.
The US Secretary of State said: “No one should escalate this conflict. We are engaged in intense diplomatic efforts with allies and partners to convey this message directly to Iran.” “We took that message directly to Israel as well.”
He stressed that the United States of America informed Iran and Israel that there is a consensus in the Middle East on the need not to escalate the conflict.
He added, after a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Australian counterparts, that the talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement and freeing the hostages in the Gaza war have reached the final stage and are among Washington’s priorities, at a time when Washington is seeking to calm tensions between Tel Aviv and Tehran.
Blinken had previously discussed with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, efforts to calm regional tensions.
The US Secretary of State stressed the urgent need to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which guarantees the release of hostages, allows for increased humanitarian aid, alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people, and creates favorable conditions for broader stability.
He stressed the importance of all parties taking steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation, stressing the United States’ firm support for Jordan.
Blinken added, in a press conference with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Australian counterparts, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defense Minister Richard Marles in Annapolis, Maryland, that “the United States’ partners in the Middle East also communicated this message directly to Iran.”
He continued: “We have been in constant contact with partners in the region, and outside it, over the past few days. In those talks, we heard a clear consensus: No one should escalate this conflict.”
Both the Iranian government and Hamas say that Israel was the one that carried out the operation to target Haniyeh, while Israel did not confirm or deny its involvement in the operation, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a “heavy price” that would be paid by those who attack Israel.
Regarding the ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Hamas, Blinken said that they had entered “a final stage and could be jeopardized by further escalation elsewhere in the region.”
He stated that “concluding this agreement and avoiding any action that would disrupt it in one way or another is the only way to end the conflict in Gaza and bring calm to the region.”
Blinken spoke by phone with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to discuss “efforts to calm regional tensions,” according to a US State Department statement, a day after speaking by phone with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Ati and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Blinken said: “We continue to work intensively to calm tensions in the Middle East and prevent escalation of the conflict.”
