The United States has urged other countries through diplomatic channels to tell Iran that escalation in the Middle East is not in its interest, a State Department spokesman said on Monday (5), in what Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a “critical moment” for the region.
Blinken said Washington was “engaged in intense diplomacy, virtually around the clock” to help calm tensions amid fears that Iran was preparing a retaliatory strike against Israel.
“All parties must refrain from escalation,” Blinken said during a signing ceremony with his Australian counterpart in Washington.
“All parties must take steps to ease tensions. Escalation is in no one’s interest. It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity.”
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran last week, an attack that prompted threats of revenge against Israel and further fueled concerns that the conflict in Gaza was spiraling into a wider Middle East war.
Iran blamed Israel for the attack and said it would “punish” the country. Israeli authorities have not claimed responsibility for the killing. Iran supports Hamas, which is at war with Israel in Gaza, as well as the Lebanese group Hezbollah, whose military commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut last week.
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed by their national security team on the situation in the Middle East, including the threats posed by Iran and its proxies to Israel and US service members, the White House said. They were also briefed on an attack on Iraq’s Al Asad air base on Monday and discussed the US response.
During that briefing, Biden and Harris were told by their national security team that it remains unclear when Iran and Hezbollah are likely to launch an attack on Israel “and the specifics of such an attack,” according to an official US report.
At least five U.S. personnel were wounded in the rocket attack, officials told Reuters. It was not clear whether the attack was linked to threats by Iran to retaliate for Haniyeh’s killing, in which the United States has said it had no involvement.
Biden and Harris were also updated on US efforts to support Israel militarily if it comes under attack and diplomatic efforts to “de-escalate regional tensions” and reach a ceasefire that includes a Gaza hostage release deal.
Blinken spoke on Monday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
“One of the things we did was ask countries to send a message to Iran that it is not in their interest to escalate this conflict, that it is not in their interest to launch another attack on Israel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Miller, speaking at a news conference, did not say definitively whether or not Washington’s messages were leaked to Iran or through what channel.
“I hope some of them will convey this message and press this point on the Iranian government,” he added.
Blinken, in his remarks, also called on the parties to “break this cycle” of violence and agree to a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict despite the assassination of Haniyeh, who was a key figure in negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
“What really matters is that all parties find ways to reach an agreement, and not look for reasons to delay or say no,” Blinken said. “It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead.”
Who is Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas political leader killed in Iran?
Source: CNN Brasil
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