Blinken tells Gallant that US will stand with Israel against Iranian threats

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, made clear that the United States will stand with Israel against any threats by Iran, the State Department says.

Blinken and Gallant also discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages through an agreement for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the State Department says.

“Secretary Blinken welcomed Israel’s recent announcements of urgent steps to facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and to improve humanitarian deconfliction and coordination, reiterating that incidents such as the strike on World Central Kitchen workers must never reoccur,” the US readout says. “The secretary emphasized that the United States expects Israel to quickly implement its commitments on humanitarian assistance and deconfliction and that those commitments must be sustained over time.”

There is no immediate statement from Gallant’s office on the call.