Blinken scrambles as Israel, Hezbollah tensions escalate
NY Post
With concerns mounting that the Israel-Hamas war is expanding into a broader regional crisis, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken kicked off his fourth urgent visit to the Middle East in just three months on Saturday with a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The pair discussed strategies for containing the conflict in the Gaza Strip and other ways of promoting “lasting regional peace,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told NBC News.
Turkey is a NATO member and a key US ally, Erdoğan has been critical of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks.
During the face-to-face, Blinken underscored the need to “prevent the conflict from spreading, secure the release of hostages, expand humanitarian assistance and reduce civilian casualties,” as well as the need for a “Palestinian state,” Miller said.
After the meeting with Erdoğan, Blinken left Turkey for Crete, where he was scheduled to meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
He is also slated to stop in Jordan, Qatar, the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, the West Bank, and Egypt as he attempts to find diplomatic solutions for the widening Middle East violence.
