Blinken: US ‘wants to do everything possible’ to prevent escalation on Israel-Lebanon border

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he boards a plane leaving Crete for Amman, on January 6, 2024, as part of the first leg of a trip that includes visits to both Israel and West Bank. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he boards a plane leaving Crete for Amman, on January 6, 2024, as part of the first leg of a trip that includes visits to both Israel and West Bank. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP)

CHANIA, Greece — Washington’s top diplomat Antony Blinken says that he wants to make sure the conflict in the Middle East “doesn’t spread,” as he speaks to journalists after meeting the Greek prime minister in Crete.

“One of the real concerns is the border between Israel and Lebanon, and we want to do everything possible to make sure we see no escalation,” he adds.

Blinken says it’s in the interests of virtually all nations in the Middle East to contain the fighting.

“We want to make sure that countries who feel that way are also using their ties, using their influence, using their relationships with some of the actors that might be involved to keep a lid on things, to make sure that we’re not seeing the spread of conflict,” he says before flying to Jordan.

Blinken also says it’s very important that Israel have security in the north of the country.

“From the perspective of Israel, it’s clearly not interested, does not want escalation … but they also have to be fully prepared to defend themselves,” he says.

Blinken, who will also visit Arab states, Israel and the West Bank, says if efforts to settle the crisis fail, the outcome will be “an endless cycle of violence… and lives of insecurity and conflict for people in the region.”

Most Popular