Blinken’s Trip Abroad

The Story

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been making the rounds.

What’s the latest?

Blinken is wrapping up his third visit to the Middle East since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war. This time, there were the planned stops, like meeting with Israel’s prime minister and officials from Qatar, UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. In these talks, Blinken stressed the need for a “humanitarian pause” to improve the flow of aid to the Gaza Strip — to mixed reception: Israel says a cease-fire will enable Hamas to stay in power, something it won’t tolerate after the October 7th attacks. Arab leaders say Blinken’s words don’t go far enough — and that the bombing needs to end to protect civilian lives. Then, there were the unexpected stops:

Iraq: Yesterday, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to talk about the recent attacks on US soldiers. There are about 2,500 American troops stationed across Iraq. Since the start of the war in Gaza, US forces have been targeted at least a dozen times in attacks the Defense Dept says have “Iranian fingerprints all over it.” That’s because Iran has a network of proxy forces spread out across the Middle East, including Iraq. Blinken said the US “isn't looking for conflict with Iran” but will “do what’s necessary to protect our personnel.”

The West Bank: Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss potential options for a Gaza post-war. Abbas reportedly said that for his party to take control of Gaza, it would need to be part of a “comprehensive political solution.” The visit — after Abbas canceled his meeting with President Biden last month — comes as at least 150 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7th. This year has already been the deadliest on record for Palestinians in the West Bank.

Turkey: Blinken’s stop today. His visit comes after Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel, joining Bahrain and Jordan, citing the “humanitarian tragedy” in Gaza. Now, Blinken is meeting with Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. On the agenda: humanitarian aid for Gaza, NATO, and reiterating the importance of protecting civilian lives.

theSkimm

US diplomacy efforts are on display in the Middle East. As the Biden administration tries to keep the conflict from spreading and plans for Gaza’s future, it remains to be seen if its efforts have gone far enough.