Blinken asks China, Turkey, Saudis to dissuade Iran from attacking Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked China’s foreign minister and other counterparts to use their influence to dissuade Iran from striking Israel, the State Department says.

Blinken spoke by telephone to his Chinese, Turkish, Saudi and European counterparts “to make clear that escalation is not in anyone’s interest and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters.

The White House also says that the US has communicated to Iran that it was not involved in an airstrike against a top Iranian military commander in Damascus.

“We communicated to Iran that the US had no involvement in the strike that happened in Damascus and we have warned Iran not to use this attack as a pretext to escalate further in the region or to attack US facilities or personnel,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tells reporters.