Blinken warns Iran but also Israel not to 'escalate'
Both Iran and Israel should avoid escalating conflict, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday, in his most direct wording toward US ally Israel on the Middle East's spiraling tensions.
"No one should escalate this conflict. We've been engaged in intense diplomacy with allies and partners, communicating that message directly to Iran. We communicated that message directly to Israel," Blinken told reporters.
Iran has vowed a response after Israel was suspected of killing Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
![US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attend a press conference after talks with their Australian counterparts at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2024-08/615f2253ba3aea42ee03d020dcfaea35fea885bf.jpg?h=69f2b9d0&itok=maEl_v3S)