Blinken dials FMs of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday reached out over phone to the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt, while Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had calls with his Saudi and Israeli counterparts, amid signs of an escalating crisis in the Middle East following Iran's strikes on Israel.

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 emphasised on the need to avoid further escalation in the region and reaffirmed America’s ironclad 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, the state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a readout of the calls that Blinken had with Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

At the UN headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told members of the Security Council, during an emergency meeting, that it is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.

“Regional and indeed global peace and security are being undermined by the hour. Neither the region nor the world can afford more war,” he said.

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby joined several shows where he asserted that Biden and the US are making good on its ironclad commitment to defend Israel. He also made clear that the United States is not seeking a conflict with Iran.

“Now, whether and how the Israelis will respond, that’s going to be up to them. We understand that and respect that. But the president’s been very clear. We don’t seek a war with Iran and we’re not looking for escalation here. We will continue to help Israel defend itself,” he said.