Blinken meets UAE leader, stresses need to keep conflict from expanding

This handout picture provided by the UAE Presidential Court shows UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (R) meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at al-Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi on January 8, 2024 (Photo by Abdulla AL-BEDWAWI / UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT / AFP)
This handout picture provided by the UAE Presidential Court shows UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (R) meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at al-Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi on January 8, 2024 (Photo by Abdulla AL-BEDWAWI / UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT / AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken opens his third day of meetings on an urgent Mideast diplomatic mission to prevent Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza from exploding into a broader regional conflict.

Blinken was meeting with United Arab Emirates leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed before traveling to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at enlisting the key Arab leaders in a push to not only keep the war contained but also prepare for post-conflict Gaza’s future.

With Sheikh Mohammed in Abu Dhabi, Blinken “emphasized the importance of preventing further spread of the conflict and stressed continued US commitment to securing lasting regional peace that ensures Israel’s security and advances the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” the US State Department said.

Blinken arrived in Abu Dhabi from similar meetings in Qatar, Jordan, Turkey and Greece.

He arrives in Israel later today.

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