US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit the Middle East on Thursday amidst escalating concerns that Israel’s conflict with Gaza might spread across the region. The visit follows deadly explosions in Iran and the assassination of a Hamas leader in Lebanon.
A US official, speaking anonymously, confirmed Blinken’s trip—the fourth to the region since the commencement of Israel’s conflict with Hamas. However, specific details about the itinerary, aside from a stop in Israel, were not disclosed.
The announcement comes after twin explosions near the grave of a Revolutionary Guards general in Iran resulted in at least 95 fatalities and over 200 injuries. Tehran attributed the attack to the United States and Israel, though Washington denied any involvement.
Regarding the killing of Hamas’s second-in-command in a Beirut suburb, a US official informed AFP that Israel was responsible for the unclaimed strike the night before.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed concerns about the potential expansion of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East. He stated, “It is in no one’s interest to see this conflict escalated any further than it already is.”
There were also warnings to Huthi rebels in Yemen from the United States and its allies, urging them to halt attacks on Red Sea shipping in solidarity with Hamas or face unspecified consequences.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip originated from Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,140 deaths, according to official Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched a comprehensive bombardment and ground invasion, causing widespread destruction in Gaza and claiming at least 22,313 lives, as per the territory’s health ministry.
The United Nations estimated 1.9 million Gazans displaced, with warnings from the World Health Organization about the risk of famine and disease due to minimal aid entering the territory.
The twin explosions in Iran occurred during a gathering commemorating the fourth anniversary of the death of Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed “evil and criminal enemies” for the bombings and promised a harsh response.
Israeli military spokespeople declined to comment on the Iran explosions, while the State Department’s Miller dismissed any suggestion of US involvement as “ridiculous,” affirming that there was “no reason to believe that Israel was involved” either.
Tensions in the region had already intensified following the assassination of Hamas’s Saleh al-Aruri in Lebanon, marking a significant development in the ongoing conflict.
