Washington does not want “escalation” with Iran, but will continue to defend Israel
“We are not seeking escalation, but we will continue to defend Israel and protect our forces in the region”declared US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday at the start of a meeting in Washington with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Tamim.
“I think this weekend demonstrated that Israel does not have to defend itself when it is the victim of aggression, of an attack, and that it does not have to do so”he said while condemning the Iranian attack,“unprecedented in scope and grandeur”the first to directly target the Jewish state.
Mr. Blinken announced an intense diplomatic sequence “over the past thirty-six hours aimed at coordinating a diplomatic response to try to prevent escalation” In the region. The head of American diplomacy met in particular with his Egyptian, Jordanian, Turkish, Saudi, British and German counterparts, according to the State Department.
The Iraqi minister said “fear that the entire region could be drawn into a wider conflict threatening international security”. “We therefore call on all parties to exercise restraint”did he declare.