The United States (US) has urged a number of countries through its diplomatic engagement to tell Iran that escalation in the Middle East is not in their interests, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Monday (5/8).
Speaking at a daily briefing, Miller said it was a “critical time” for the region and that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in talks by phone to help defuse tensions, but also said Washington was preparing for all eventualities.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran last week, an attack that prompted threats of revenge against Israel and raised further fears that the conflict in Gaza could escalate into a wider Middle East war.
Iran blamed Israel and said it would “punish it.”
Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility for the killing. Iran supports Hamas, which is fighting Israel in Gaza, and also supports the Lebanese group Hezbollah, whose senior military commander, Fuad Shukr, was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut last week.
Secretary Blinken spoke Monday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty about tensions in the Middle East.
“One of the points of engagement that we have is to urge countries to convey a message to Iran and to make it clear to Iran that it is very much not in their interests,” he said.
Miller did not say specifically whether Washington's message had been conveyed to Iran or through what channels.
“I hope that some of them will pass on the message and make an impression on the Iranian government,” he added. (th/ka)
