US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in what he said was a "critical moment," on Monday called on parties in the Middle East to work to ease tensions, CBS News reported.
The comments come amid concerns of a larger regional war mount after the killings last week of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon and Hamas' top political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, for which Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah have threatened to retaliate.
"We are engaged in intense diplomacy, pretty much round-the-clock, with a very simple message: All parties must refrain from escalation. All parties must take steps to ease tensions. Escalation is not in anyone's interests," Blinken said at a signing ceremony with his Australian counterpart, adding, "It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity."
"It's also critical that we break this cycle by reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, and that in turn, will unlock possibilities for more enduring calm, not only in Gaza itself, but in other areas where conflict could spread," Blinken continued.
He called on all parties to find "ways to come to an agreement, not look for reasons to delay or say 'no,'" and added, "It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead."
Blinken’s comments came after President Joe Biden convened the national security team in the Situation Room to discuss developments in the Middle East.
Biden also spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan Monday, and according to a readout from the White House, the two leaders discussed their efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, including through an immediate cease-fire and hostage release deal. Over the weekend, the Jordanian Foreign Minister made a rare visit to Iran.
On Sunday, Barak Ravid of Axios reported that Blinken told his counterparts from the G7 countries on Sunday that an attack by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel could start as early as Monday.
The Secretary of State said the US doesn't know the exact timing of the attacks but stressed it could start as early as the next 24-48 hours — meaning as early as Monday, the sources told Axios.
He also told his counterparts the US is making efforts to break the escalatory cycle by trying to limit the attacks by Iran and Hezbollah as much as possible and then restrain the Israeli response.
On Friday, the Pentagon announced it would move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region as part of steps it is taking “to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran's partners and proxies”.
The sources told Axios that Blinken told the G7 foreign ministers in Sunday’s call that the boosting of US forces in the region was for defensive purposes only.
Also on Sunday, an Israeli official told NBC News that Israel is bracing for a potential multiday attack by Iran and Hezbollah following the elimination of the two senior terrorists.
The official said Israel fears waves of missiles and drones could be fired over several days in response to the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.
“They’ll just try to wear us out,” the official told NBC.
US officials told CNN this past Thursday that the US is expecting that an Iranian attack in retaliation for the elimination of Haniyeh may be similar to the barrage of ballistic missiles and drones launched against Israel on April 13.
The officials said that this time the attack could be larger and more complicated than before, including the possibility of a coordinated attack with Iranian proxies from multiple directions.
Iran's Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on Sunday that the country's response to the elimination of Haniyeh would be "crushing and smart".