ISTANBUL — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has kicked off his latest urgent diplomatic mission for the Middle East in Turkey, as fears grow that Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza could spiral into a wider conflict.
Blinken's fourth visit in three months comes amid worrying developments outside Gaza, including in Lebanon, northern Israel, the Red Sea and Iraq, that have put heavy pressure on what had been a modestly successful U.S. effort to build a regional prevent fire in the following weeks. the war began and growing international criticism of Israel's military operation.
Blinken met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday to discuss what Turkey and others can do to exert influence, especially over Iran and its allies, to ease rising tensions, supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza and to start in earnest. to plan the reconstruction and governance of post-war Gaza, much of which has been reduced to rubble by three months of intense Israeli bombing.
The immediate difficulty of Blinken's task was underscored just hours before his talks with Erdogan when Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel, warning that the barrage was only an initial response to the targeted killing , allegedly by Israel, on a top leader of the allied Hamas group in Lebanon's capital earlier this week.
Meanwhile, intensified attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have disrupted international trade and led to increased efforts by the US and its allies to patrol the area and respond to threats, including the possible capture of ships. direct action against the group at its bases in Yemen. The Houthis have carried out at least 20 attacks since December 19 in response to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, further raising tensions and increasing risks to the global economy.
In Istanbul, U.S. officials said Blinken would seek Turkish buy-in, or at least consideration, of potential monetary or in-kind contributions to the reconstruction effort and some form of participation in a proposed multinational force that could operate in or bordering the territory. Turkey, and Erdogan in particular, have sharply criticized Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the prosecution of the war and the impact it has had on Palestinian civilians.
In addition, officials say Blinken will emphasize the importance the U.S. attaches to Turkey's ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO, a long-delayed process that the Turks say they will complete soon. Sweden's entry into the alliance is seen as a critical response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
From Turkey, Blinken will travel to Turkish rival and fellow NATO ally Greece to meet Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at his residence on the Mediterranean island of Crete. Mitsotakis and his government have supported U.S. efforts to prevent the war in Gaza from spreading and have signaled their readiness to help should the situation deteriorate further. Greece has also shown patience in waiting for the delivery of advanced US fighter jets as the issue of Sweden's NATO accession with Turkey is worked out.
Blinken will end his Saturday in Jordan, which, aside from Israel, has been the secretary's most frequent stop on his recent travels through the Middle East. Jordan will be the first Arab country on Blinken's current tour, and will be followed by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday. Blinken will then visit Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday before wrapping up the trip in Egypt.
“We don't expect every conversation on this trip to be easy,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said shortly before Blinken departed Washington late Thursday. “There are clearly difficult problems for the region and difficult choices ahead. But the Secretary believes it is the responsibility of the United States of America to lead the diplomatic effort to address these challenges head-on, and he stands ready to do so in the days ahead.”
In addition to pressing Israel for a dramatic increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, a shift to less intensive military operations and a concerted effort to curb violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank by Jewish settlers, Blinken will urge reluctant Urging Gulf Arab countries to take action. with the US over the future of Gaza.
