The United States is doing everything “day and night” to prevent an escalation

“It is therefore crucial that we break this cycle by achieving a ceasefire in Gaza,” declared US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, following an emergency meeting with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and the National Security Council.

The United States is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East. US President Joe Biden held an emergency meeting at the White House on Monday, August 5, with theVice President Kamala Harris and the National Security Council team. On the agenda: “threats to Israel and US troops in the region posed by Iran and its affiliated groups”the presidency detailed, referring to the Palestinian Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah.

Returning from this meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured the press that the United States was “engaged in intense diplomacy day and night with a very simple message: all parties must avoid escalation.” “Escalation is in no one’s interest”he hammered home. “This can only lead to more conflict, violence and insecurity. It is therefore crucial that we break this cycle by achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.”he pleaded.

Regional tensions have redoubled since the assassination on July 31 in Tehran of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, and the death a few hours earlier of the military leader of Hezbollah, Fouad Choukr, in an Israeli strike near Beirut.

In this context, Antony Blinken judged “urgent that all parties make the right choices in the coming hours and days”adding that a ceasefire in the war-torn Palestinian territory “will unlock the possibility of a lasting return to calm, not only in Gaza, but also in other areas where the conflict could spread”.

According to the White House, Joe Biden also spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan to ease tensions between Tehran, which supports Hamas and Hezbollah, and Israel, an ally of the United States. To this end, the two “Leaders discussed efforts to ease regional tensions, including through an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages.” in the Gaza Strip, the White House said.

As Americans were injured in a suspected rocket attack on a military base in Iraq on Monday, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and the National Security Council team “discussed measures to be taken to defend [leurs] armed forces and respond to attacks against [leurs] military personnel in the manner and place where [les Etats-Unis] will choose” to do.

Fearing a regional conflagration, Washington warned on Sunday that “prepare for all eventualities”. On Friday, the United States had already announced the sending of additional warships and combat aircraft to the region to protect its soldiers and Israel.