US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reached out over phone to the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had calls with his Saudi and Israeli counterparts, amid signs of an escalating crisis in West Asia.
The diplomatic overdrive to fight the crisis came soon after US President Joe Biden had a conference call with G-7 leaders and had separate telephonic conversations with King Abdullah of Jordan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.
In all the calls, the American leadership emphasized the need to avoid further escalation in the region and reaffirmed America’s commitment to the security of Israel. They also reaffirmed the importance of diplomatic efforts to achieve an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza that provides lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden yesterday convened a call with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to discuss Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel.
At the UN headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told members of the Security Council that it is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in West Asia.
