Blinken Heads Back To Mideast Fifth Time As U.S. Hopes To Prevent Regional War

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed back to the Middle East today, his fifth to the region since Hamas launched a deadly attack in southern Israel on Oct 7, TURAN's Wasnington correspondent reports.

Washington is hoping to engage in a renewed diplomatic push to calm tensions in the region as it teeters on the brink of a regional conflagration following this week's  strike on a Hamas leader in Lebanon, and twin bombings in Iran.

Blinken will engage in some shuttle diplomacy while on a weeklong whistle stop tour of several countries that begins in Istanbul today. He will also visit Israel, the West Bank, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, State Department's Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Thursday.

"We don’t expect every conversation on this trip to be easy.  There are obviously tough issues facing the region and difficult choices ahead.  But the Secretary believes it is the responsibility of the United States of America to lead diplomatic efforts to tackle those challenges head on, and he is prepared to do that in the days to come," Miller said.

According to him, throughout his trip, Blinken will also underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza; securing the release of all remaining hostages; our shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and the resumption of essential services; and ensuring that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced from Gaza."

When asked by TURAN at what percentage Hamas has believed to be defeated, Miller deferred to Israel, reminding that there are a number of the top leadership who continue to operate and continue to plan terrorist attacks from Gaza.  He also said that Blinken will discuss the need for a combined governance that unites the West Bank and Gaza under Palestinian leadership.  

Blinken also 'looks forward to' discussing with his Turkish counterparts our many areas of bilateral and regional cooperation, including the final steps to complete Türkiye’s ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO, and to conversations with the Government of Greece about their support for Ukraine and safeguarding regional maritime security, Miller said.