Blinken warns Iran against expanding the conflict between Israel and Hamas
If Iran had any doubts about America’s resolve in the Middle East, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, with help from the Pentagon, this weekend reinforced the idea that the United States is going nowhere.
During a brief trip to the region, Mr Blinken repeatedly warned Iran against using its proxies to deepen the conflict between Israel and Hamas, while the US Central Command, which oversees US forces in the region, in an unusual move on Sunday way announced that a nuclear-powered attack submarine was traveling through the region.
The submarine added to the already considerable American firepower steaming through the waters around the Middle East, and Central Command, as if showing off the ship’s deployment, went so far as to place a photo on X of them in the region.
However, the most significant progress took place out of public view. U.S. allies in the Middle East have played a crucial role in preventing Iran and its allies from expanding the war. Mr. Blinken sought to continue these efforts during his trip, which included stops in Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey.
“Countries are very busy making sure that doesn’t happen,” Mr Blinken said on Monday after meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara.
Mr. Blinken added: “Sometimes the lack of something bad happening may not be the most obvious sign of progress, but it is.”
Preventing any escalation by Iran or its allies in the region is a priority for US officials. The approximately 3,500 U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have already been subjected to more than 40 drone and missile attacks by Iran-aligned militias since Hamas invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7, and a broader regional conflict would likely draw U.S. forces deeper into the fighting.
The United States, citing retaliation for missile and drone attacks on American forces, carried out two airstrikes last week on locations in eastern Syria that it said were being used by Iran and its allies.
But beyond highlighting the stakes of an eventual escalation to Iran, Mr. Blinken’s trip appeared to have far more mixed results. Although U.S. officials said the Israelis appeared willing to allow a sharp increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, they have had less success in persuading Israel to show more military restraint in an effort to reduce civilian casualties.
At the same time, the United States’ key Arab allies, including Jordan and Egypt, have started putting real pressure on the Biden administration to rein in the Israelis, fearing that the conflict could destabilize their countries. The constant stream of images of dead Palestinians has fueled widespread anger, and Arab leaders privately confirmed to Mr. Blinken that their public talk of a ceasefire was not hollow. They need one immediately, they told Mr. Blinken.