US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that while “the United States does not seek conflict with Iran,” it will act to defend itself “swiftly and decisively” against attacks by Iran or its proxies, and called on United Nations member states to urge Iran not to become directly involved in the Israel-Hamas war.
That message has been conveyed “consistently” to Iranian officials “through other channels,” Blinken said at a UN Security Council meeting Tuesday.
The top US diplomat’s pointed public missive comes in the wake of an uptick in attacks by Iranian-backed proxies against US interests in the Middle East.
US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 13 times since October 17, according to the Defense Department.
Multiple US officials told CNN that the US has intelligence that such groups are planning to ramp up attacks against US forces in the Middle East as Iran seeks to capitalize on the backlash in the region to US support for Israel.
In his remarks Tuesday, Blinken reiterated the US’ full-throated support for Israel to defend itself and called on the international community to “unequivocally condemn Hamas’s barbaric terrorist attack against Israel.”
He stressed that “Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, and Palestinian civilians are not to blame for the carnage committed by Hamas.”
“Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians,” Blinken said.
However, rather than call for a ceasefire, Blinken instead said that “humanitarian pauses must be considered” to allow desperately needed aid to reach civilians in Gaza.
There is growing international condemnation over the civilian death toll in Gaza and limited aid that has been allowed into the strip. A limited number of aid trucks only began to access Gaza…
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