Anthony Blinken. Photo: Reuters
On Friday, 25 October, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will travel to London to meet with the foreign ministers of Jordan and the UAE, as well as the interim prime minister of Lebanon. This was reported by CNN.
Blinken will discuss with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan the issues of stability and security in the Gaza Strip after the end of the current conflict. Attention is likely to be focused on plans to support a peaceful settlement, as well as on measures to rebuild the region.
The meeting with Lebanon’s interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati is expected to discuss the Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah, which has resulted in significant civilian casualties in Lebanon, including those in the capital Beirut. Ahead of the visit, Blinken called on Israel to avoid a protracted campaign that would escalate the conflict in Lebanon and to take the necessary measures to protect civilians, the Lebanese military and UN peacekeepers.
Blinken’s tour of the Middle East: context
Anthony Blinken began his tour of the Middle East on 21 October, visiting Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The secretary of state’s main efforts were aimed at preventing the expansion of the war after tensions between Israel and Iran over the October 1 missile strike. The diplomat also tried to negotiate the release of hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was recently assassinated.
The latest talks between Blinken and his Qatari counterpart have shown some progress, with dialogue scheduled to resume this weekend. However, a significant breakthrough is unlikely given the upcoming US elections.
