WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States has been urging other countries through diplomatic channels to tell Iran that escalation in the Middle East is not in their interest, a State Department spokesperson said yesterday, at what Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a “critical moment” for the region.
Blinken said Washington was “engaged in intense diplomacy, pretty much around the clock” to help calm tensions amid fears Iran is 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 not in anyone’s interests. 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 drew threats of revenge on Israel and fueled further concern that the conflict in Gaza was turning into a wider Middle East war.
Iran has blamed Israel and said it will “punish” it; Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility for the killing. Iran backs Hamas, which is at war with Israel in Gaza, and also the Lebanese group Hezbollah, whose senior military commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut last week.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed by their national security team on the situation in the Middle East, including threats posed by Iran and its proxies to Israel and U.S. servicemembers, the White House said. They were also briefed about an attack on Iraq’s al Asad airbase on Monday and discussed the U.S. response.
During that briefing, Biden and Harris were told by their national security team that it is still unclear when Iran and Hezbollah are likely to launch an attack against Israel “and the specifics of such an attack,” according to a U.S. official.
At least five U.S. personnel were wounded in the rocket strike, U.S. officials told Reuters. It was unclear whether the attack was linked to threats by Iran to retaliate over Haniyeh’s killing, in which the U.S. said it had no involvement.
Biden and Harris were also updated on U.S. efforts to support Israel militarily if it is attacked and diplomatic efforts to “de-escalate regional tension” and reach a ceasefire and hostage-release deal in Gaza.