Cairo, Oct 23 (EFE).- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a planned visit to Jordan, agreeing with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, to reschedule for “another date” as he continues his diplomatic efforts across the Middle East.
The decision comes amid ongoing attempts to ease tensions in Gaza and Lebanon and address the hostage crisis triggered by October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
The official Jordanian news agency Petra reported that Safadi received a phone call from Blinken last night “during which the two ministers agreed to postpone the visit that the US Secretary of State was to make to the kingdom.”
“The two ministers agreed to meet at another date to be determined in the near future,” the news agency added.
Blinken began his latest Middle East trip on Tuesday in Israel, focused on calming tensions in Gaza and Lebanon and negotiating the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group.
While the US State Department has not yet confirmed other countries on Blinken’s itinerary besides Israel, the Arabic channel Al Arabiya reported that he is expected to visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, a key US ally in the region.
The US State Department posted on Wednesday on X that Blinken “has concluded the first day of his trip to the Middle East with a stop in Israel.”
“In his meeting with officials, he discussed the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end, securing the release of all hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
In Israel, Blinken met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and President Isaac Herzog.
“(He) discussed ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region and to promote a diplomatic resolution along the Blue Line that will allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes.”
Following their meeting, Gallant said that the United States’ stance towards Israel after our attack on Iran will strengthen regional deterrence and weaken the “axis of evil.”
In April, Iran retaliated against Israel’s assassination of several Revolutionary Guard generals in Damascus by launching missiles and drones into Israeli territory. Israel responded on April 19 with missile strikes on the Iranian province of Isfahan.
On October 1, Iran again attacked Israel with 180 ballistic missiles, this time in retaliation for the killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a bombing in Lebanon. Israel has vowed to respond to the attacks.
On October 5, the head of US Central Command, General Michael Erik Kurilla, traveled to Israel to coordinate the Israeli response to the Iranian attack.
Blinken’s visit to Saudi Arabia follows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s recent diplomatic tour of Persian Gulf nations, where he sought a negotiated solution to the crises in Lebanon and Gaza, while warning of potential repercussions if Israel attacks Iran.
This marks Blinken’s 11th visit to the region since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which left over 1,200 people dead and resulted in 251 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Gaza have so far resulted in over 42,600 deaths, mostly children and women. EFE fa-ssk