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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Jordan on the evening of Saturday, January 7, after two stops in Turkey and Greece. This diplomatic trip is intended to de-escalate tensions surrounding the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The United States' top diplomat was in Jordan on Sunday as part of a Middle East tour aiming to ensure that the Israel-Hamas war does not spread.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Amman on Saturday evening ahead of expected meetings with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
He first met with his counterpart Ayman al-Safadi, who stressed upon the need to stop Israel’s illegal measures in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Also seeking to get more aid into the besieged Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli bombardment for three months, Blinken is to visit a World Food Programme facility in the Jordanian capital, a senior American official said.
Regional tensions have soared since Tuesday, when a strike in Dahiyeh killed Hamas' deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri. A US Defense Department official told AFP that Israel carried out the strike.
In brief remarks on the Greek island of Crete before he travelled to Jordan, Blinken said that there is "real concern" over the Israel-Lebanon border which, even before the Arouri strike, had seen daily exchanges of fire.
"We want to do everything possible to make sure that we don't see escalation there" and to avoid an "endless cycle of violence," Blinken said.
Blinken said that he wanted to ensure that concerned countries "are also using their ties, using their influence, using their relationships with some of the actors that might be involved to keep a lid on things, to make sure that we're not seeing the spread of conflict."
Turkey has a "vital role" in that regard, said Blinken, who is making his fourth wartime trip to the region.
On Saturday, Blinken met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and "emphasised the need to prevent the conflict from spreading," the US State Department said.
From Turkey, Blinken headed to Greece where, he said, he spoke with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about another side-effect of the Israel-Hamas war.
Yemen's Houthis have launched more than 100 drone and missile strikes towards targets in the Red Sea and Israel. This has disrupted shipping in a vital area for world trade, and contributed to the fears of a wider war.
The Iran-backed Houthis say that they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
Later on Sunday, Blinken is set to travel to the Gulf Emirate of Qatar and to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Malo Pinatel, with AFP
The United States' top diplomat was in Jordan on Sunday as part of a Middle East tour aiming to ensure that the Israel-Hamas war does not spread.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Amman on Saturday evening ahead of expected meetings with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
He first met with his counterpart Ayman al-Safadi, who stressed upon the need to stop Israel’s illegal measures in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Also seeking to get more aid into the besieged Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli bombardment for three months, Blinken is to visit a World Food Programme facility in the Jordanian capital, a senior American official said.
Regional tensions have soared since Tuesday, when a strike in Dahiyeh killed Hamas' deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri. A US Defense Department official told AFP that Israel carried out the strike.
In brief remarks on the Greek island of Crete before he travelled to Jordan, Blinken said that there is "real concern" over the Israel-Lebanon border which, even before the Arouri strike, had seen daily exchanges of fire.
"We want to do everything possible to make sure that we don't see escalation there" and to avoid an "endless cycle of violence," Blinken said.
Antony Blinken in Jordan
Secretary of State #AntonyBlinken arrived in #Amman on Saturday evening ahead of expected meetings with Jordan’s King Abdullah II.Tweets by SecBlinken pic.twitter.com/KhPaMccblp
— This is Beirut (@ThisIsBeirut_)Antony Blinken in Jordan
Secretary of State #AntonyBlinken arrived in #Amman on Saturday evening ahead of expected meetings with Jordan’s King Abdullah II.@SecBlinken pic.twitter.com/KhPaMccblp— This is Beirut (@ThisIsBeirut_) January 7, 2024
'Vital Role'
Blinken said that he wanted to ensure that concerned countries "are also using their ties, using their influence, using their relationships with some of the actors that might be involved to keep a lid on things, to make sure that we're not seeing the spread of conflict."
Turkey has a "vital role" in that regard, said Blinken, who is making his fourth wartime trip to the region.
On Saturday, Blinken met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and "emphasised the need to prevent the conflict from spreading," the US State Department said.
From Turkey, Blinken headed to Greece where, he said, he spoke with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about another side-effect of the Israel-Hamas war.
Yemen's Houthis have launched more than 100 drone and missile strikes towards targets in the Red Sea and Israel. This has disrupted shipping in a vital area for world trade, and contributed to the fears of a wider war.
The Iran-backed Houthis say that they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
Later on Sunday, Blinken is set to travel to the Gulf Emirate of Qatar and to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Malo Pinatel, with AFP
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