Antony Blinken

US Appeals to International Community to Rein in Iran

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked China's foreign minister and other counterparts to use their influence to dissuade Iran from striking Israel, the State Department said Thursday. Blinken spoke by telephone over the past day to his Chinese, Turkish, Saudi, and European counterparts "to make clear that escalation is not in anyone's ...

US Labels Hamas Response to Ceasefire 'Less than Encouraging'

The White House stated on Tuesday that the response by Hamas to proposals for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal at talks in Cairo has so far been "less than encouraging." "We've seen the public statements from Hamas that have been, shall we say, less than encouraging," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, adding, however, that mediator ...

Blinken and Séjourné Discuss Gaza Aid Workers and Ukraine

During a press conference in Paris alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné criticized the Israeli airstrike which resulted in the killing of seven individuals associated with the US-based charity World Central Kitchen. French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné condemned, on Tuesday, the ...

Herzog Apologizes for Killing of Gaza Aid Workers

Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed apologies on Tuesday for the killing of seven aid workers by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he spoke to Jose Andres, the US-based celebrity chef who heads the aid group World Central Kitchen, to express his "deep sorrow and sincere apologies over the tragic loss of ...

Biden and Xi Hold Phone Call to Manage Tensions

President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping engaged in discussions on Tuesday as part of a renewed effort to manage tensions between the United States and China, according to officials. Top US officials are expected to travel to Beijing soon as part of these efforts. President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping spoke Tuesday in a new bid to manage tensions between ...

Faye Sworn in as Youngest Senegalese President

Bassirou Diomaye Faye took office as the youngest president in Senegal on Tuesday. He pledged to enact systemic reforms, strengthen sovereignty and bring back peace after years of turbulent unrest. Senegal's left-wing pan-Africanist Bassirou Diomaye Faye was sworn in on Tuesday as the country's youngest president, pledging systemic change, ...

US Voices Opposition to Rafah Offensive to Israeli Defense Chief

US top diplomat Antony Blinken once again warned Israel against the risks of an offensive in Rafah, reiterating US opposition to such an operation, in a meeting on Monday with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised US opposition to a major ground operation in Rafah with Israel's Defense Minister on Monday ...

Israel Seizes Record Land Area in West Bank Amid Blinken's Visit

Israel reported the seizure of 800 hectares (1,977 acres) of land in the West Bank on Friday, deemed as "state lands" by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, marking the largest such action in decades. Israel reported Friday the seizure of 800 hectares (1,977 acres) of land in the occupied West Bank, which activists called the largest action of its ...

Blinken Calls an All-Out Israeli Offensive on Rafah 'A Mistake'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that a major military operation by Israel in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah would be "a mistake." Blinken called on Thursday the looming ground offensive "unnecessary" in a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, adding, "There is a better way to deal with the ongoing threat ...

Blinken Resumes Middle East Tour and Calls for a Ceasefire

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his tour of the Middle East on Wednesday, his sixth visit to the region since October 7. The aim is to reach an agreement for a temporary pause in the fighting in order to facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas. During his tour of the Middle East, Antony Blinken met Saudi leaders in Jeddah on ...

Unprecedented Move: US Resolution Calling For Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

The US has presented a revised UN Security Council resolution, on Thursday, calling for an "immediate ceasefire tied to the release of hostages." The United States has circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for an "immediate ceasefire linked to the release of hostages" in the Gaza Strip, Secretary of State Antony Blinken ...

Blinken Begins Mideast Tour as Israel Presses Al-Shifa Raid

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived on Wednesday in the Middle East, to strengthen endeavors for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, while Israeli forces continued their raid on the largest hospital in the territory. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken touched down Wednesday in the Middle East to bolster efforts for a truce in ...